Welcome back to another episode -and final- of these series about our lovely planet. Today we are going to be talking about something we don’t pay too much attention to, as it’s that vast living world located under our feet - the soil.
Soil is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, liquids, and organisms that together support life. Earth's whole mass of soil has four important functions:
a home for plant growth
a place for water storage, supply and purification
a modifier of Earth's atmosphere
a habitat for organisms
All of these functions, in turn, modify the soil and its properties.
Soil functions as a major component of the Earth's ecosystem and thus is directly affected in many ways by the processes happening within the soil, with effects ranging from ozone depletion and global warming to rainforest destruction and water pollution. It also affects to Earth's carbon cycle, since soil acts as an important carbon warehouse, and it is potentially one of the most vulnerable to human neglect and climate change. As the planet warms, it has been predicted that soils will release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere due to increased biological activity at higher temperatures.
Soil also works as a habitat for organisms, a recycling system for nutrients and organic wastes, a regulator of water quality, a modifier of atmospheric composition, and a medium for plant growth, making it a critically important provider of ecosystem services. Since soil has such a wide range of habitats, it contains most of the Earth's genetic diversity. A gram of soil can contain billions of organisms, belonging to thousands of species, mostly microbial, and most of them still unexplored. Knowing this it’s not a surprise to discover the huge quantity of different types of vegetation it grows on the ground.
Since plant roots need oxygen, aeration is an important characteristic of soil. This ventilation can be accomplished via networks of interconnected soil pores, which also absorb and hold rainwater making it available for feeding the plants. As you may know, plants require a nearly continuous supply of water, but most regions receive very little rainfall or if any at all, so that’s why the water-holding capacity of soils is vital for plant survival.
Soils offer plants physical support, air, water, temperature moderation, nutrients, and protection from toxins. Soils also provide plants and animals with nutrients by converting dead organic matter into many diverse nutrient forms. A typical soil is about 50% solids (45% mineral and 5% organic matter), and 50% pores of which half is occupied by water and the other half by gas, which is quite different from the atmosphere above, with less oxygen and much more carbon dioxide. Soil organic matter is made up of organic compounds and includes plant, animal and microbial material, both living and dead.
Pretty much anything that falls to the ground will sooner or later be part of the soil and then feed the microorganisms within it, as long as it’s organic. So please, if you go out to the wild nature walking your dog, let them poo freely around trees and plants as this will in a short time, become food for the soil. Don’t leave the bloody ‘poo-bags’ hanging on the trees. That’s both disgusting and stupid. As long as the dog poos out of a walking path, the poo won’t do any harm, more the contrary.
As we all know, the soil is mainly used in agriculture, where it serves as the home base for plants. The types of soil and the quantity of water available will determine the species of plants that can be cultivated.
Soil resources are critical to the environment, as well as to food and fibre production, which makes up to 98.8% of food consumed by humans but also provides minerals and water to plants. Soil absorbs rainwater and releases it later, preventing drought and floods, which means that it works as a flood regulator, one of the major ecosystem services provided. Soil also cleans water by filtering through its many layers as well as provides a habitat for many organisms. The major part of known and unknown biodiversity in the soil comes in the form of earthworms, various types of slugs, bacteria, fungi and algae. Most organisms living above ground like plants and insects, have part of them or spend part of their life cycle below ground. Above-ground and below-ground biodiversities are tightly interconnected, making soil protection of such important matter.
Now that we know why soil is so important for all living things on earth, we need to pay special attention to the problems related to its well-being, like soil degradation. Land and soil degradation refers to a human-provoked or natural process which greatly reduces the normal capacity of the land to function properly and involves acidification, contamination, desertification, erosion or salination.
But wait for a second...On top of the amazing properties soil has, we need to add one more - the soil can produce electric energy. Check out the link below to find more about this remarkable and green-as-hell possibility.
So, as you can see we clearly depend on the soil for survival. It’s up to us to make proper use of it so we can keep growing the vegs and fruits we need to stay alive and well. Take a look at the video below to find out some ways to keep soil in perfectly healthy condition so we can get the most of it.
And, last but not least, the documentary you must see to fully understand what we have been talking about in this article. ‘Kiss the ground’ is its name and it will open your mind to an extraordinary world you haven’t seen before. Take a peek at the trailer on the link below and find the full version on Netflix.
With this post, we put an end to this series of four episodes of ‘Our lovely planet’. My main goal with these posts has been to bring some great awareness of the nature surrounding us, not only for its beauty but also for the key role it plays towards our well-being, both physical and emotional.
We are one with the universe and planet Earth is our mother. Let’s look after it the best we can so it can look after us as well.
There’s nothing more beautiful than living in peace and harmony with nature.
