Soil - A Part of Us
Adapted from -David Suzuki, The Sacred Balance- Rediscovering our Place in Nature (1997)
Soil is the interface between the inanimate planet and the breathing biosphere. Fertile soil is about 45% decomposed rock (mineral matter), 5% decomposed living things (organic matter), and 50% pore spaces with circulating water, air and organisms. Here interrelated groups of microorganisms, including bacteria, actinomycetes, fungi, viruses, protozoa, yeasts, and algae, in addition to invertebrates;- nematodes, rotifers, earthworms and countless insect species, interact to maintain the health of the soil, and all terrestrial life above.
Leonardo da Vinci once said "We know more about the movement of celestial bodies than about the soil underfoot." This remains true even with the enormous advances in soil science, according to eminent, Canadian, environmental scientist, David Suzuki. He further states that every cubic centimetre of soil contains billions of microorganisms, most of which have not been identified or studied.
All the essential ingredients of life- air, water, and elements- combine in this matrix of organic/ inorganic, solid/ liquid/ gas, animal/ vegetable/ mineral, to convert death into life. Almost all of the nitrogen that is essential for life is made available through the action of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, in the soil. Larger organisms tunneling through the soil help to introduce water and air and to mix minerals and organic materials through the layers of the soil, adding their droppings and eventually their bodies to the nutrient mix. Smaller organisms act as composters, breaking down and recycling organic matter and releasing nutrients for renewed growth. They fix crucial elements in forms that plants can use, and they interact with plants in many of the processes of growth. Various microbes secrete enzymes, which dissolve nutrients from rock particles, which are released to foraging root hairs.
More than just a substrate, soil is almost a living organism which converts inorganic rock dust, and recycled organic tissue into plant nutrition. Plants have a very complex interrelationship with the soil. The soil anchors and supports plant growth, while plants change the very nature of the soil they grow in. Plant roots mechanically wedge open cracks in the bedrock, to expose fresh surfaces for chemical weathering. Plants secrete enzymes that dissolve rock particles to release essential elements. Decayed plant and animal remains (humus), improve the chemical status of soil, the physical structure, and the water holding capacity.
The constant renewal of life is dependent on the fragile soil which cleanses and recycles dead material. Soil deficiencies are mirrored in the health of domestic plants, animals and eventually humanity. As the ancient invocation suggests we have an intimate relationship with the soil. ".....for out of it (earth) waste thou taken, for soil thou art and unto soil shalt thou return." - Genesis 3:19
We breathe air, drink water and 'eat' soil, in the cells of the plants and animals we consume. The biological origin of our food is cleverly disguised by processing and packaging, but every protein, carbohydrate, and fat molecule, and trace element that we incorporate into our bodies comes from another life form; directly or indirectly from the soil.
Alroc Minerals utilise and enhance the natural (physical, chemical and biological) processes, to produce richer, sustainable soil health.