Soils are all around us

Soils and us

Soil is often called the “living skin of the Earth”. They connect the lithosphere (solid rock and minerals), hydrosphere (water), biosphere (living organisms), and atmosphere (air and gases) in one dynamic system. It forms the foundation of terrestrial life, supporting plants, animals, microorganisms and humans alike. We walk, build, and grow food on it every day, yet many people rarely notice its importance. From the fruits and vegetables we eat, to the fibres in our clothes, the buildings we live in, and even colours in art and language - soil shapes almost every aspect of our daily lives.

The photos below illustrate some of these essential aspects that soil is directly and indirectly involved in.

Fruit and vegetables, © Andrea Stöckel, CC0

Clothesline, © Trey Ratcliff, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, cropped by Sabine Huber

Finger painting with soil colours, © Ariane Bethusy

Arable fields, © Orracha Sae-Tun

Forest, © targut, CC BY 2.0, no changes were made to the original photo

Houses, © Ann-Sophie Qvarnström, CC BY 4.0, no changes were made to the original photo