The Importance of Soils

Here is a snippet from soils.org, the website for the Soil Science Society of America, on the importance of soil:

"Soil is an amazing substance. It is a complex mix of ingredients: minerals, air, water, and organic matter—the countless micro-organisms and the decaying remains of once living things. Soil is made of life and soil makes life.

To the farmer, soil is where crops grow.
To the engineer, soil is a foundation to build.
To the ecologist, soil supports and connects ecosystems.
To the archaeologist, soil holds clues to past cultures.
To craftspeople, like potters, soil provides clay to make things.
To the soil scientist, soil is all of these things.


Soil has been called "the skin of the earth" because it is the thin outermost layer of the Earth's crust.
Like our own skin, we can't live without soil."

 

From google images

I really like this excerpt because it explains what soil is and the importance of soil to all of us. I think that soil quality is a conservation topic that is often ignored by the public because it is difficult to see or comprehend all of the degradation that is occurring to the world's soil. We take for granted soil as a resource because it doesn't seem to be going anywhere, and it's degradation doesn't have the same interesting visual impact as cutting down the rainforest or a polar bear floating in the middle of the ocean have. 

 However, soil is a finite and vital resource that it's sustainability is a serious conservation issue.

 I encourage you all to visit soil.org. The Soil Science Society of America does great things for promoting research in soil science, and is a leading organization in educational outreach on the importance of soil sustainability!

 (1) soils.org

"About Soils." soils.org. Soil Science Society of America, n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2013.