The Importance of Sustainable Soil Use
What do you think about when you think of soil? It’s dirty. Unsanitary. Aside from use in decorative indoor potted plants, we want it kept out of our sparkling clean homes. However, many people don’t consider that soil an important resource soil has many different ecological functions. Some of which include: a medium for plant growth, a regulator of water supplies, a recycler of raw materials, a habitat for organisms, a modifier of the atmosphere, and an engineering medium. These functions go along with the idea that the Pedosphere (which is the outermost layer of earth consisting of soil) acts as an interface between the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere. Water is held in the soil at varying degrees and moves through the soil to determine the type of horizon profile (a layer of soil that differs in physical, chemical, and biological characteristics than other layers above and below) that develops, as well as filtering toxins out of the water. Water is also essential for the survival and growth of plants/soil organisms that live within the soil — such as insects and burrowing animals. Soil and air are intertwined – with soil affecting the air quality and adding to greenhouse gas emissions. All of these necessary ecological functions depend on the sustainable use of soil in agriculture and development processes.
The most common ways soil degrades are through anthropogenic factors such as mismanagement of forests and farmland, cultivation of harvest crops, and contamination of soil from industrial processes (building on land/development). These processes not only affect the soil functions previously mentioned but will in turn greatly affect how soil is used by humans. We use soil in many common practices that the general public is typically unaware of. According to Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation, “…As a medium for agriculture, building construction, waste disposal, and a pathway for groundwater infiltration, soil plays an important role for many key activities of our society…” [3]. Through degradation processes such as over-cultivation, deforestation, and development, soils are becoming less productive. The main concern with this is the decrease in productive land while populations continuously increase, resulting in fewer food resources [3].
Fortunately, many different solutions have been created and implemented in different societies to promote sustainable soil usage. Four of the most popular methods are a decrease in tillage, crop alteration, covering the soil surface, and enhancing the soil organic matter [2]. These work together to increase nutrient availability in the soil, decrease weed growth — which reduces crop yields, carbon sequestration in the soil, reduces carbon in the atmosphere, helps prevent soil erosion from weather, and boosts the productivity of nutrient cycling from organic matter. Through these methods, soil will become more productive over time and help plant life become less vulnerable to environmental factors. Overall, as Al Skoropa wrote, “As long as you work for your soil, it’ll work for you in return…and will contribute to making human activities compatible with soil use as a valuable resource.” [2]. With these practices in place, there is hope for future generations to continue using soil as a resource.
Written by Madison Avery
References:
Hou, D., Bolan, N. S., Tsang, D. C., Kirkham, M. B., & O'Connor, D. (2020). Sustainable soil use and management: An interdisciplinary and systematic approach. Science of The Total Environment, 729, 138961. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138961
Skoropa, A. (2020, December 03). 6 examples of Sustainable uses of Soil: EZ-Screen. Retrieved March 10, 2021, from https://www.ez-screen.com/sustainable-uses-of-soil
Theis, T., & Tomkin, J. (2012, March). Sustainability: A Comprehensive Foundation Retrieved March 10, 2021, from https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-sustainability-a-comprehensive-foundation/chapter/soil-and-sustainability/