Various life exists within the soil – from bacteria and fungi to earthworms and termites. One little teaspoon can contain up to 6 billion microorganisms, a true expression of the saying, “There’s more than meets the eye.”
Carbon and nitrogen cycles are fundamental to our ecosystems, improving the quality of organic matter and allowing for more plant productivity. And the organisms within that soil are constantly interacting with these cycles, contributing to environmental health on a global scale.
So, what role does soil biodiversity play in all of this?
More diversity of organisms living within soils leads to nutrients being cycled more effectively, enhanced sustainability, and organic matter getting broken down more productively.
Diversity helps deter natural landscaping problems like pests, parasites, and disease while promoting positive characteristics like soil structure and water absorption. All this stimulates plant growth by delivering the water, air, and nutrients needed for these living things to flourish. And environmental researchers are further exploring how soil-plant-animal dynamics could help to combat climate change. How resilient will soil biodiversity be in the face of a warmer, wetter planet?
In some ways, soil biodiversity is not much different than the diversity we’ve come to value and respect as human beings. Diversity offers increased output and a well-rounded result while minimizing the loss of time and vital resources. These billions of organisms work in tandem – each bringing unique value to the table – to create the foundation for the abundant landscapes we see and use daily.
Another way to think about it is to imagine a direct link between the living organisms aboveground and belowground. Just because you can’t see how one impacts the other doesn’t mean these symbiotic relationships aren’t essential to our health and well-being as a species. Remember – everything is connected to everything else.
Additionally, by suppressing pests and diseases, landscaping professionals can rely less on unnatural solutions like pesticides and herbicides to treat problem areas. Healthy soil and the life within it can also help avoid future landscaping issues from arising, like waterlogging, the abnormal development of roots, high acidity levels, and more.
Research tells us that soils with less manufactured inputs generally have higher soil biodiversity. Limiting the number of chemical-based products you’re using and seeking alternative solutions can positively impact the environments you work with.
While the myriad of organisms living in soils may not be visible to the naked eye, these tiny living things have a massive impact – not just on plants – but on wildlife, pets, and all our ecosystems. Soil biodiversity also benefits human health, from suppressing disease-causing soil organisms to providing clean air, water, and food.
Less diversity ultimately means that our ecosystems will start to underperform – causing a chain reaction and adverse effects both above and below the surface.
The good news is that soil biodiversity recovers, but it takes time. It requires making more responsible decisions as we learn more about the soil food web as well as the organic matter and community of organisms that interact in it. From landscapers and wholesalers to states and municipalities, all decision-makers can help drive change to speed up the recovery process.
Tech Terra Environmental offers ecological solutions for tree and turf care professionals. We specialize in environmentally conscious application products to improve plant and soil health for lawn care providers, landscape contractors and municipalities & schools in the tree and turf care industry. Please call to speak to a specialist at 609.468.1905 or contact us HERE