Soil is often called the “living skin of the Earth”.
It connects 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.
Upper left: Fruit and vegetables, © Andrea Stöckel, link, CC0
Upper middle: Clothesline, © Trey Ratcliff, link, CC BY-NC-SA 2.0, cropped by Sabine Huber
Upper right: Finger painting with soil colours, © Ariane Bethusy
Lower left: Arable fields, © Orracha Sae-Tun
Lower middle: Forest, © targut, link, CC BY 2.0
Lower right: Houses, © Ann-Sophie Qvarnström, link, CC BY 4.0
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