December 5, 2023

Climate change has increased the amount of wildfire activity we experience globally. The recent fires are burning at such a high and uncontrolled rate that nutrients and seed source are burned out of the soil. Soil that has burned at high and prolonged temperatures lacks water, organics and micoorganisms. Root systems dry and break, leaving water with little place to go. 

Healthy soil composition requires minerals, organic matter, water, oxygen and microorganisms. So, how do these components come to be part of the soil?

Trees. Trees are an integral part in healthy soil composition.

As trees shed there leaves and needles, they fall to the ground forming the top soil layer. Fall, winter and spring bring rain and moisture which helps these organics break down, contributing to lush topsoil. 

Topsoil grows richer and attracts insects. Insects eat, digest, produce waste and expire, creating fertilizer. Birds come to eat the insects, making homes in trees, and they too create fertilizer for the soil, eating, digesting and creating waste and microorganisms. 

Trees also contribute to soil stability. As tree roots grow deep into the ground they create a network for all the components of soil to hold onto. Imagine a bucket of sand, the root systems act as a bucket, keeping the sand compact and in place. Now add water to that bucket. Tree roots not only stabilize soil structures, but help remove excess water by pulling it into the tree. To create long term access to water, root systems and microorganisms create channels and aquifers, reducing the risk of flooding and soil erosion. 

As trees retain water, and increase nutrients they also absorb nutrients from the atmosphere. This is the exchange of carbon and oxygen, whereby the trees absorb carbon and turn out oxygen. 

This whole process acts as a large circle. This being an over simplified description of the amazing process that takes place to create rich, nutrient dense soil. The key take away here: one component is wholly dependant on another. Take away the trees, and we take away alot.

As we celebrate World Soil Day let us also celebrate the entire cycle: the birds, the bugs, the water, the oxygen, the trees, the soil, and our collective ability to take action today. 

References

‘Conserving soil: precious, finite and under threat’ by the Ecologist https://theecologist.org/2015/aug/05/conserving-soil-precious-finite-and-under-threat

‘How Trees Improve Soil Quality’ by Rally for Rivers https://isha.sadhguru.org/rally-for-rivers/how-trees-improve-soil-quality/

‘Story: Soil erosion and conservation’ by Te Ara https://teara.govt.nz/en/soil-erosion-and-conservation/page-7

‘What is Topsoil?’ by Online Soil https://www.onlinesoil.co.uk/knowledge-base/general-info/what-is-topsoil