The Earth Contents

5. Soils

Soil fertility and water retention are both crucial in determining what types and how many plants a soil can support.

This will in turn affect the organic content of the soil, much of which comes from the plants it supports. Soils are consequently a crucial part of any ecosystem. Their characteristics are both dependent upon and affect the environment in which they are found. It is consequently true to say that soils are where the biosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere meet. This gives them both actual and symbolic importance in any study of the environment.

Typical composition of a soil

Why are soils important in the study of the environment?