ROLE OF SOIL IN OUR ECOSYSTEM

HABITAT – Soil is a habitat, and it is full of life! Soils are the environment in which seeds grow, they provide heat,
nutrients and water that are available to use to nurture plants and animals. The assistance of soil in the
decomposition of dead plants, animals, and organism by transforming their remains into simpler mineral forms, can
be utilized by other living things.  

AIR QUALITY AND COMPOSITION – Air can fill soil pores as water drains or is removed from a soil pore by
evaporation or root absorption. The network of pores within the soil aerates, or ventilates, the soil. Soil air is very
different than the above-ground atmosphere. A significant difference is between the levels of carbon dioxide. Since
the soil contains high amounts of carbon dioxide, oxygen levels may become limited. Since plants must have oxygen
to live, it is important to allow proper aeration in the soil. Also the particles within the air contain fungi that are also
important in some military operations.

TEMPERATURE REGULATION- Soil temperature varies seasonally and daily which may result from changes in
radiant energy and energy changes taking place through the soil surface. It governs the soil physiochemical and
biological processes and also influences the interspheric processes of gas exchange between the atmosphere and the
soil. Environmental factors affect soil temperature by either controlling the amount of heat supplied to the soil
surface and the amount of heat dissipated from the soil surface down the profile. Soil temperature alters the rate of
organic matter decomposition and mineralization of different organic materials. It also affects soil water content, its
conductivity and availability to plants. The paper introduced soil temperature as a major determinant of the
processes that takes place in the soil which are necessary for plant growth.

CARBON AND NUTRIENT CYCLING- Soil is the major "switching yard" for the global cycles of carbon, water,
and nutrients. Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and many other nutrients are stored, transformed, and cycled through
soil. Soil stores, moderates the release of, and cycles nutrients and other elements. During these biogeochemical
processes, analogous to the water cycle, nutrients can be transformed into plant available forms, held in the soil, or
even lost to air or water.

WATER FILTRATION- One of the great joys of studying nature is that we occasionally learn that something can
also be its opposite. This is the case when it comes to soil, which is often referred to as “dirt.” Soil is the planet’s
biggest water filter. When water passes through soil, it is cleaned via physical, chemical and biological processes. In
addition to soil’s physical filtration capacity, soil contains important biota that helps transform and decompose
certain chemicals and other contaminants from soil, thus helping filter them out of the water.

WATER CYCLING AND QUALITY- soils play a key role in the supply of clean water and resilience to floods and
droughts. Water infiltration through soil traps pollutants and prevents them from leaching into the groundwater.
Moreover, the soil captures and stores water, making it available for absorption by crops, and thus minimizing
surface evaporation and maximizing water use efficiency and productivity. Infiltration happens when water soaks
into the soil from the ground level. It moves underground and moves between the soil and rocks. Some of
the water will be soaked up by roots to help plants grow. ... Some of the water keeps moving down into the soil to a
level that is filled with water, called groundwater.

WASTE DECOMPOSITION- When plant residues are returned to the soil, various organic compounds undergo
decomposition. Decomposition is a biological process that includes the physical breakdown and biochemical
transformation of complex organic molecules of dead material into simpler organic and inorganic molecules The
continual addition of decaying plant residues to the soil surface contributes to the biological activity and the carbon
cycling process in the soil. Breakdown of soil organic matter and root growth and decay also contribute to these
processes.