Soil and Our Ecosystem

What’s inside of the soil beneath your feet? Soil contains nutrients that are important to the DNA and survival of plants, and the ecosystem as a whole. Clean soil can help us keep our environment clean, but dirty soil can have serious consequences, from water pollution to air pollution and everything in between. Let’s explore the importance of healthy soil.

The importance of healthy soil

What makes healthy soil? The number one thing is to avoid having a mono-culture farming area. A mono-culture system is when an entire field is planted with a single crop like corn or wheat. These crops can strip nutrients from the soil as they grow and need a steady supply of nitrogen fertilizer in order to thrive. This approach also disrupts natural ecosystems by removing crop diversity, which reduces native biodiversity and contributes to desertification in areas where rain falls sporadically but not heavily.

The Importance of DNA

DNA is one of many tools used by plants and animals to stay alive. Just like we humans have DNA in our cells, organisms use DNA to pass on traits to their offspring. This means that if there’s a change in a plant or animal’s DNA, those changes could be passed down to future generations. If you’re interested in keeping ecosystems healthy, it’s important to know that some of these changes can be positive while others may be negative.

Ecosystems in Our Soil

Our soil has a lot more to it than just dirt! In fact, each single handful may have about as many as 2 million microorganisms. These microorganisms contribute to our planet in a number of ways, but one area that you might not have considered is how they affect soil ecosystems. By understanding how organisms interact with each other, we can better understand and conserve certain areas for sustainable food production. Without these microbes, plants would never be able to grow! And we certainly wouldn’t be able to eat!-MM

The Power of a Seed in Fertile Ground