The 68th United Nations General Assembly has declared 2015 the International Year of Soils. In honor of this,nature.com published a reminder last week about preserving our soil’s riches. Soil is a thin living membrane stretching across landscapes. It’s sometimes described as the Earth's skin. And like our own skin, it protects our world and needs to be kept healthy. Soils contain three times as much carbon as plants. And soil provides nutrients and water for the world's forests, grasslands and deserts. It also filters and retains water.
In short, “soil is a physical and biogeochemical wonderland.” It’s a natural resource of far more fundamental value to humanity and to the planet than oil or platinum. Without it, there would be little for humans, or animals, to eat.