What are soil services or soil functions?

Soil services — or as they are also called, functions — are diverse and essential. Soils are closely connected to human well-being, even though many of us are not aware of it. We rely on soils for food, shelter, medicine, and much more — all of which ultimately originates from this vital resource.

To better grasp the wide range of soil services, we can group them into four main categories:

• The provisioning role includes enabling the growth of crops and forests, providing food, wood, and raw materials.
• Through its regulating functions, soil filters and stores water, recycles nutrients, and hosts organisms that help control diseases, decompose waste, and balance gases like carbon dioxide and nitrogen — key processes for climate stability.
• Soils also play a supporting role, serving as the physical foundation for buildings, roads, and ecosystems, while giving habitat to countless organisms — from microbes to mammals — that keep the system healthy. Soil formation processes and microbial transformations of nutrients are also considered supporting services.
• Finally, soil carries a deep cultural function, shaping traditions, languages, and identities. History shows that soil and society have shaped one another — from the rise and fall of civilisations to art, religion, and storytelling.

For more examples, see the comprehensive article by Brevik et al. (2018).