Soil performs many functions which make it a fundamental resource for life. Soil is the biologically active zone where the atmosphere, water, sunlight, and the earth's crust mix and interact, all of which affect the growth and vigor of plants. Soil provides the place where plants conduct photosynthesis, converting the sun’s radiant energy into food energy for plants and animals.

Soil controls the distribution of rain water to runoff, infiltration, or storage, which affects the movement of soluble materials, such as nitrates, nitrites, phosphorus, or pesticides. It filters and buffers impurities from our air and water. And it provides a site for waste decomposition.

Not only does soil also provide the home on which we build our structures, but it provides the foundation on which we build our civilization.