The Importance Of Soil

To the farmer, soil is where crops grow. To the engineer, soil is a foundation upon which to build. To the ecologist, soil supports communities of living things. To the archaeologist, soil holds clues to past cultures. To the city dweller, soil nurtures grass and gardens. To the scientist, soil is all of these things. Soil has been called “the skin of the earth” because it is the thin outermost layer of the Earth’s crust. Like our own skin, we can’t live without soil (“Story of Soil”).

No matter where we go or what we do, soil is important to all of us. We walk all over it, take it for granted, and treat it like dirt, but SOIL is what our lives depend on. Every single thing we do is rooted in soil in at least one way, if not more. If we dig deep enough, we may even find our future careers and life passions. There are countless career opportunities that rely on soil in one way or another. What soil means to each career pathway varies greatly, much like the diversity within the career options themselves. No matter how different our lives and careers may be, one thing is for certain: we absolutely cannot survive without soil.

To the farmer, soil is vital to his very existence. Soil is the home of over 400 million acres of crops that the farmer grows and nurtures to feed his family and yours. According to the 2007 USDA Census, there are almost 1 billion acres of farmland being utilized for crops and livestock (“American Farms”). Without the soil, these farmers would not be able to raise the products that we rely on for basic survival. United States agriculture must produce enough food to help feed the world’s ever growing population. At 7 billion people and rising, our soil must remain as productive as ever (“World Population Clock...

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...bringing wetland habitats back and creating better soil management practices.

Even if ones’ career is not directly related to soil, we all rely on it every day. To urban dwellers and rural route residents, soil supplies everything needed for their survival. Soil supplies the antibiotics that fight disease, the food on our plates, the clothes on our backs and acts as a holding facility for solid waste and wastewater. Soil also provides the foundation for our homes, stores, schools, and jobs.

This is just the tip of the iceberg describing how our existence and possibly even our careers rely on soil. As we can see, a variety of diverse jobs include working with and understanding soil. Soil is vital to the farmer, to the archaeologist, to the scientist, to the ecologist, to the architect, to the engineer, to you and to me. Like our own skin, we can’t live without soil.