Importance of Soil for Animals and for Ecosystem

Soil is necessary for the survival of life on the planet Earth, therefore, the importance of soil cannot be ignored. It is composed of biotic and abiotic things. Biotic refers to living things or things that were once alive e.g. animals and plants matter as well as decomposed bodies of dead animals and insects. On the other hand, abiotic things refer to non-living things e.g. air, water, and minerals.

Phosphorous, nitrogen gas and Potassium are the substantial components of soil that help a plant in growth. Similarly, magnesium, sulfur, and calcium also play an important role. The composition of soil depends upon both the biotic and abiotic components. However, it is also a fact that the composition of soil depends from place to place. It is believed that it is due to the diversity in soil composition that there exists a variety of major crops of any area.

Uses of Soil

Soil is important for the entire planet because it serves Earth and its residents in multiple ways. Some of such uses, highlighting the importance of soil are discussed below:

• Soil consists of several minerals which increases its importance and usability
• Plants, grown with the help of soil, later serve society in multiple ways e.g. in medicines, clothing, and food, etc.
• Clay soils play an important role in making pottery and ceramics which are later sold in markets and used by people.
• Soil is also used in antibiotics and later helps in treating diseases like tuberculosis etc.
• Soil is also used in beauty products
• Soil is used in carrying out various religious rituals
• Soil is also used in the purification of water

Soil as a Resource

Soil is also known as the ‘skin of the earth’. It helps in the growth of plants and crops. It is capable of supporting all kinds of life on the planet including plants, animals, and human beings which itself speaks for the importance of soil. Nature has assigned soil certain functions which it performs dedicatedly. Some of them are discussed below:

• It serves as a medium of growth for all plants
• It cleans the environment and makes it more favorable e.g. by absorbing carbon dioxide, exhaling oxygen, absorbing dust, etc.
• It provides a sustainable habitat to animals living in the soil
• It absorbs, holds, releases, and purifies water
• It recycles nutrients so that living organisms can use them again
• It is also used in the construction of roadbeds, buildings, and dams, etc. which are later used by human beings
• It filters water before it moves to the aquifer

Characteristics of Soil

The importance of soil is also dependent upon its characteristics. Soil is characterized by various chemical, engineering, and physical properties.

1. Chemical properties:

• Organic matters of soil
• Inorganic matters of soil
• Properties of the particles of soil
• Reactions of soil

2. Engineering properties:

• Soil’s plasticity
• Soil’s compressibility
• Soil’s Erodibility

3. Physical properties:

• Structure of soil
• Texture of soil
• Soil weight and density
• Color of soil
• Temperature of soil

Importance of Soil for Animals

Soil is responsible for providing water, air, food, and habitat to the animals and hence, the importance of soil for animals is pertinent. Furthermore, the role soil plays in benefitting animals cannot be expected from anything else. Every animal depends upon the soil in one way or the other. Healthy soil helps the plants to grow. Later, animals use these plants to build shelter and other materials of use. Healthy plants also serve as healthy and nutritious food to some animals. Plants also play a major role in cleaning the air which ensures a clean environment in which the animals breathe. The role of soil in the life of animals is further discussed in detail below:

Air: The relationship between soil and air is indirect however, still very important. Soil helps the plants to grow. The plants, later, breathes in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen which helps animals as well as human beings to breathe and survive.

Habitat: Soil also plays a major role in helping animals finding a suitable place to live in. Some several animals and birds live in trees or on trees. If soil would not provide nutrients to plants, the plants would not be able to provide a healthy habitat for animals. Similarly, several animals live on the ground or within the soil e.g. rabbits, dogs, snails, earthworms and ants, etc. They use soil directly as their home. This highlights the importance of soil in providing habitat to living things.

Food: Soil also helps the food of animals to grow. Several animals including herbivores, omnivores as well as even carnivores fulfill their feeding needs from plants. Soil provides plants with all the necessary nutrients to grow. It consists of almost 45% minerals, 25% air, 25% water, and 5% organic matter. Healthy soil assists the plants in attaining maximum growth.

Water: Some animals depend upon the soil to get water from it. They absorb water from soil with the help of their skin. Salamander is one such example. It spends its life in moist soil and gets water from it through its skin. Toads and frogs also lead a similar life.

Importance of soil for agriculture: Agriculture is one of the components of any society that is considered to be of utmost importance. Healthy soil is responsible for providing healthy food in abundance. Hence, it plays a critical role in successful agriculture and provides original nutrients to plants that it requires to grow.

Healthy societies and wise farmers also take good care of it as they realize the importance of soil and its role in providing food to individuals. When plants use nutrients from the soil, they grow and eventually decompose thus returning all the nutrients to the soil. However, the scenario is different in the case of crops. The fruits or vegetables take nutrients from the soil to ripe and are taken by humans thus taking the nutrients away. Adding fertilizers to the soil is one of the significant ways to take care of the soil and make the agriculture production system sustainable.

Farmers take care of their land and nutrients in their soil in several ways. Some of them are discussed below:

• They continuously monitor the level of nutrients in the soil
• They provide the soil with the required level of water and nutrients whenever needed
• They decide which patch of their land is able for agriculture and which needs rest
• They rotate crops thus improving diversity
• They keep the surface covered to reduce erosion

Importance of Soil for Ecosystem

The importance of soil is to such an extent that the ecosystem cannot function properly in its absence. It creates a link between water, rocks, air, and organisms. No life on the planet can survive without the functions of soil. Some of the major contributions by soil include:

1. Regulation of temperature: the temperature of soil plays a substantial role in the chemical processes taking place within the soil. It includes seed germination, microbes, and bugs existing in the environment.

2. Carbon and nutrient cycle: Soil contains a relatively higher amount of carbon. The carbon cycle, taking place at the global level is very complex. It involves the carbon present in soil, oceans, rocks, and fossil fuels. The various chemical processes affect the balance of organic carbon compounds. Later, either the carbon dioxide is released into the air or stored in the soil. The same process takes place with phosphorous, nitrogen, and other materials.

Conclusion

Although, we do not pay attention to the importance of soil, on daily basis and the role it is playing continuously. However, it is a fact that soil is the support system of our lives. It facilitates plants by providing them with water and nutrients. It facilitates animals by providing them with habitat and food. It helps human beings by facilitating them with food, shelter, and other relevant material. In short, every living organism on the planet Earth is getting benefits from soil either directly or indirectly. That is why it is the moral obligation to take care of the soil. It should be ensured that soil is getting everything it needs to play its role effectively.