- Soils -

Where crops and forests grow

The soil is the basis of terrestrial ecosystems

Soil is the thin outer layer of the earth's crust in which plants can grow. It is literally the basis of all terrestrial ecosystems and through the great biogeochemical cycles it is connected to life anywhere on Earth. At the same time, it is one of the least talked about ecosystems, mainly because we do not really see with the naked eye what goes on in it.

It looks like a static, immobile substrate and cannot match in charm a panda bear, a manatee or a snow leopard, so we are less inclined to "save" soil or grant it protected status, although experts are increasingly heard, and the importance of a sustainable soil and land management has already penetrated into the highest political spheres. All policy makers have to do is act. 

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