2015: International Year of Soils

The 68th UN General Assembly declared 2015 the International Year of Soils with specific objectives to raise awareness of the importance of soil for human life and interactions, promote and support sustainable ecosystem practices and promote soil monitoring and data collection. Healthy soils provide the foundation for food, fiber, fuel and medicinal production. Soils also help mitigate pollution and the effects of extreme weather events.

Plants that provide us with fuel, clothing, building materials and food grow in the soil. One element of soil science is learning more about soil principles in order to optimize agriculture production. However, producing the large amounts of these products can also deplete the soil of nutrients. Plant residues from the agriculture production are deposited back in the soil to help maintain soil nutrients and organic matter.

Organic matter in the soil plays a significant role in the many functions of soil. Soil organic matter provides a stable source of nutrients to plants and stores carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses to help mitigate pollution. Soil organic matter also filters and cleans water and is the element of soil that increases soil water holding capacity. Because soil organic matter can increase water holding capacity it helps mitigate the effects of flooding and erosion.

Did you know, according to the Soil Science Society of America, there are more living individual organisms in a tablespoon of soil than there are people on the Earth? Well, these tiny organisms are not the only things living in the soil. Burrowing animals use the soil, but also provide services in return. Rodents create extensive tunnels that help incorporate organic matter on the surface into the soil which helps bury the carbon deposits and other nutrients for plant growth. The tunnel systems also help water infiltration to reduce run-off and encourage plant root growth.

Soil is the foundation of many ecosystem services and is a non-renewable natural resource. Soil scientists are constantly working to learn more about soil and improve how we use soil in all of its many functions. Scientists perform soil surveys, map soil characteristics and study the physical characteristics of soils in an effort to learn and improve soil and land management.

Web soil survey is one of the outcomes of the research and data collection soil scientists have conducted. Web soil survey is operated by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides soil information and data that can help land managers plan and implement production strategies suitable for the land they are managing.

In August, the University of Wyoming Carbon County Extension office will be screening “Dirt the Movie” in Saratoga. Keep an eye out for more information and a great opportunity to learn about soil around the world. To learn more about soil contact the University of Wyoming Carbon County Extension office, the Conservation District or the NRCS.