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https://theconversation.com/soil-abounds-with-life-and-supports-all-life-above-it-but-australian-soils-need-urgent-repair-187280>
"Under your feet lies the most biodiverse habitat on Earth. The soil on which
we walk supports the majority of life on the planet. Without the life in it, it
wouldn’t be soil. Unfortunately, Australia’s soils are not in good shape. The
new State of the Environment report rates our soils as “poor” and
“deteriorating”.
We’re all familiar with some soil dwellers, such as earthworms. But the lion’s
share of life underneath is invisible to the naked eye. Microbiota like
bacteria, nematodes, and fungi play vital roles in our environment. These tiny
lifeforms break down dead leaves and organic matter, they cycle nutrients,
carbon and water. Without them, ecosystems would collapse. Amazingly, most of
this wealth of life is unknown to science.
Australia has not undergone the same glacial or volcanic activity as other
parts of the world. That’s left most of our soil old and infertile. Our soils
are highly sensitive to human pressures, such as contamination, acidification
and loss of organic carbon. When we remove communities of plants, this leads to
soil erosion. Land clearing also hits underground life hard, causing microbial
diversity to decline.
Soil’s lifeforms are also under immense pressure from agriculture, as well as
climate change and urban expansion. If we include livestock, more than half of
Australia is now being used for farming. If we can improve farming methods, we
can bring back soil biodiversity – and use it to produce healthy crops."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
