Essay On Importance Of Soil

When you hear the words 'natural resource', what comes to mind? Most people think of words like water, solar, and wind energy. Although these are all valid natural resources, what about the ground that you are standing on right now? Soil is one natural resource that is often taken for granted and not given the attention it deserves. We don't often think about it, but soil is important for so many reasons. For one, it is vital for plants to grow as it holds and supports the roots as well as provides the adequate minerals and nutrients for the plant to thrive. It also holds and maintains carbon dioxide and other atmospheric gases as well as helps to filter surface water ("Importance of Soils"). All of these things prove that the soil is vital

Worms are important to the soil as they naturally fertilize it with the tunnels that they build. Tilling moreover, while it does remove the weeds, only turns them back over into the ground which gives the seeds an opportunity to germinate once more and grow again. ("What Does Tilling Soil Mean?") Tilling also doesn't allow for the soil to absorb much water which leads to runoff. Because the soil does not retain as much water, it can be a problem for farmers living in drought-prone regions. From a cost perspective, tilling can be costly for farmers as large machines are required to plow and cultivate the soil. The environmental effects of tilling are also important to mention as the large machines, since they are run very often in intensive tilling practices, release emissions and dust into the atmosphere. ("Pros and Cons of No-Tillage Farming") The main reason why tilling is such an issue, however, is soil erosion ("Soil Cultivation and Tillage in Organic Agriculture"). Since farmers who use intensive tilling methods need to replace the