Soil, how something seemingly insignificant is vital to our lives.

Soil tends to be something a lot of people turn a blind eye towards, after all, it is just a load of dirt in the ground, isn't it?

Soil is formed through the process of weathering and erosion of rocks which are slowly decomposed by the sun, wind, rain, animals and plants. It is made up of mainly mineral particles, organic materials, air, water and living organisms. This process of soil formation is by no means fast. In the past 2000 years only 10m of fertile soil has been created. This shows us that this important resource needs to be carefully managed. Now you may be asking yourself why I am going on about how important soil is without even stating the facts. Just wait and see!

This "dirt" that gets caught on the bottom of your shoes is the backbone of life on earth and essential for living. Plants, the main source of food for humans and animals, get their nutrients, water and ability to grow from the soil therefore, most living species on earth depend on soil for their existence. Soils support the roots of plants and keep them upright for straight growth as well as providing air for gas exchange to take place between roots and atmosphere as carbon dioxide is essential for plant growth in the process of photosynthesis.

Soil, however, plays a greater role than just being a channel for plant growth. They act as a habitat for many insects and other organisms. Microbes, insects and a diverse spectrum of organisms call soil their home and depend on it for food and air which it provides plentifully. Apart from a source of vital fundamentals for organism survival, soil provides a home for these organisms to give birth to new offspring and nurture them with an abundance of all necessities.

Furthermore, soil acts as a store for water and carbon dioxide. Without soil, flooding would be much more common than it already is. After rainfall and snowmelt, water flows and is infiltrated into the soil until it is fully saturated. As it flows down the soil, it is cleansed from atmospheric pollutants and contaminants causing underground water to be one of the purest sources of water. Moreover, soil acts as a carbon store, storing double the amount of carbon than the entire atmosphere and triple that of vegetation. This shows the everlasting importance of soil and how it is such a valuable resource in need of protection.

Read the next blog post to find out how our soils are being destroyed and what we can do to help.