Pedogenesis

Pedogenesis is the process of soil creation.

Crop land (Public Domain)

People used to think that dirt was just made up of rocks. Now we know that soil is far more than that. Healthy soil is 25% water, 25% air, 45% minerals and 5% organic matter. Of the organic matter, 10% is plant roots, 10% is microorganisms that make nutrients available to the roots, and 80% is decomposing plant and animal material.

Twenty years ago, there were over 20,000 different types of soil arrangements (called "soil series"), with specific characteristics and symbiotic relationships that evolved over thousands of years. These soil series can be destroyed in a matter of seconds with a bulldozer. There are currently over 3,000 extinct soil series in the USA alone.

Pedogenesis creates healthy soil that provides us with clean air, water, food and more, so start composting and mulching!