Soil is a priceless, non-renewable resource that's home to thousands of animals, plants and other important organisms. It supports countless ecosystems and provides us with essential food and resources. The dirt beneath our feet often goes unnoticed but it is key to sustaining all life on Earth.

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what is soil degradation?

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The term "soil degradation" refers to the process whereby the soil's quality deteriorates and its ability to support both plants and animals is reduced. Certain physical, chemical, or biological characteristics that support the soil's biome can be lost over time. Soil degradation includes soil erosion. It occurs when topsoil and nutrients are lost, either through natural processes like wind erosion or through human errors like poor land management.

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benefits of soil

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All life on Earth is possible because of the interactions and contributions of the millions of organisms that live in soil. These include the cycles for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. The cleaning of water depends heavily on soil. Some of the pollutants filtered and buffered by minerals and microbes are taken up by soil particles. The thousands of organisms that live in soil, such as earthworms, ants, and termites, which make channels and pathways for air and water to flow.

By enabling the roots to anchor to something, soil gives plants a physical sense of stability. For all life on Earth, this contributes to the production of oxygen and pure water. For man-made structures, such as priceless but vulnerable archaeological sites, soil also serves as support.

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In preventing climate change, soil is a crucial component. After the ocean, it is the second-largest carbon sink, continuously storing and releasing carbon, which controls atmospheric CO2 concentrations and, ultimately, the greenhouse effect.

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the cause of soil degradation and how it affects us

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Although soil deterioration is a natural process, human activity can also contribute to it. Intensive farming methods like deforestation, overgrazing, intensive cultivation, forest fires, and construction work have all sped up soil degradation over the past few decades. These practices disturb the soil, making it susceptible to wind and water erosion, which harms the intricate systems below.

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Around the world, soil degradation can have disastrous effects such as landslides and floods, an increase in pollution, desertification, and a decrease in food production. Land degradation and the resulting loss in soil productivity are two of the biggest threats to our future food security.