Soil is a finite, non-renewable resource of great ecological and economic value, like water and air.
Soil is the surface layer of the earth’s crust resulting from weathering processes. It consists of minerals, humus, water, air and organisms. A healthy soil has a well-defined structure. Its particles are arranged in such a way as to leave sufficiently large gaps, called pores, which store water and allow air to circulate. Pores can make up to 50% of the total volume.
Soil regulates the natural cycle of water, air and organic and mineral substances. It filters and purifies water, stores and transforms substances, thus representing an essential link in the permanent flow of energy and materials in the Earth’s ecosystem.
A considerable part of this valuable work is done by the billions of organisms living in the soil. Most of these are invisible plants and animals that are usually given little attention, including bacteria, algae, fungi, many worms, springtails and woodlice. The best known representative of this population is the earthworm. All these organisms contribute to the formation of the soil.
Because of its size and function as a habitat, the soil is also used for the production of food and fodder. It is a source of energy and raw materials. It is also the foundation of protective forests and the physical support for buildings, transport infrastructure and supply and disposal facilities. It also fulfils spiritual functions as an element of nature and landscape, a witness to the history of civilisation and the Earth, a holy place and a subject of research.
The capacity of soil to provide services for humans and the environment is expressed in the notion of soil functions. In line with standard international definitions, a distinction is made between the following functions
Habitat function: the ability of soil to serve as a vital base for organisms and to contribute to the conservation of ecosystem diversity and species and their genetic diversity.
Regulating function: the capacity of soil to regulate substance and energy cycles, to act as a filter, buffer or reservoir, and to transform substances.
Production function: the capacity of the soil to produce biomass in the form of food, fodder, wood and fibre.
Support function: the ability of soil to serve as a foundation for buildings.
Raw material source: the capacity of soil to store raw materials, water and geothermal energy.
Archival function: the capacity of the soil to store information about natural and cultural history.
While the first three functions represent natural functions, the last three are more related to human activities.
However, the soil can only perform the majority of its ecological functions if its water balance and aeration are not disturbed and if plants find adequate space for their roots. There must also be a balance between the nutrients it contains and the nature and number of organisms that inhabit it. Similarly, its pollutant content must remain within tolerable limits for the plants and organisms that inhabit it.
As for the impact of human activities, it should be remembered that soil formation is an extremely slow process and, consequently, this resource is not renewable on a human scale. Soil is an inert medium that reacts to external influences with a relatively long lag time, so that problems are only detected after some time – often too late. This is where the harmful substances are eventually deposited, which is why chemical damage is often permanent and why only an intact soil structure can ensure that the soil functions properly.
Principles for soil protection in the next decade
The prerequisite for responsible soil management is an awareness of its central position in the natural balance and its vulnerability.
Fertile soil must, irrespective of its use, be protected as a preventive measure against physical, chemical and biological damage.
Effective soil protection requires coordinated long-term observation and monitoring. In addition, there is a need for uniform and reliable information on the state of the soil throughout the country.
The soil is the site of processes that are of vital importance for the natural balance. Therefore, in terms of area, quantity and quality, this resource must only be used sustainably, sparingly and sparingly.
Since polluted soils pose a risk to humans, livestock and useful plants, they cannot be left untouched for posterity. At the very least, they must be cleaned up in such a way as to eliminate the dangers.
Soil is a common good just like water, air and forests; it can be used by its owner, but it must not be destroyed. Anyone who uses the soil is therefore also responsible for its protection.
The functions of the soil and its fertility must be guaranteed by legal standards.
Soil protection is a task for society as a whole. In order for it to be carried out effectively and in good time, the institutional conditions for efficient soil protection must be improved and financial and human resources must be developed.
Soil protection must be implemented jointly and in a consensual manner by all actors. Networking is essential. However, in order to avoid duplication and loss of effectiveness, protection measures must be clearly shared between the different actors.
Spatial planning, agriculture and forestry are important partners in soil protection. To meet the challenges of integrated soil protection, cooperation with these sectors must be intensified and maintained.
Source : bafu.admin.ch