A Closer Look at the Role of Healthy Soil:
Fighting Biodiversity Loss

Let’s dive deeper into one of the many benefits of healthy soil.

Biodiversity loss is a complex problem with many contributing factors, including habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.

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The Soil Food Web: A healthy soil ecosystem is a dynamic web of life, starting with microscopic organisms like bacteria, fungi, and protozoa. These organisms support nematodes, microarthropods, and other invertebrates, which then become food for insects and worms. Birds, frogs, and other small animals rely on insects and worms as a main part of their diet. A healthy and diverse bird population is a good indicator of overall ecosystem health.
 

Declining Populations: The Biodiversity Center of Japan has documented alarming declines in insect and bird populations, even in areas surrounded by nature. These rapid declines raise serious concerns about ecosystem health. If unchecked, the risk of species extinctions is high.
 

Taking Action: Healthy Soil Management: To protect biodiversity, we must prioritize soil health. This involves adopting regenerative agricultural practices that minimize soil disturbance and eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides that harm soil life. Practices like cover cropping, crop rotation, and composting further enhance soil health and support the food web.
 

Protecting Marine Biodiversity: Regenerative practices have a significant impact on marine ecosystems. Agricultural chemical runoff, laden with fertilizers and pesticides, is a major contributor to the formation of ocean dead zones. These zones are areas of low oxygen where marine life cannot survive. By improving soil health and reducing the need for these chemical inputs, we can minimize runoff and protect marine biodiversity. ​
 

Healthy soil means a thriving ecosystem. Restoring degraded soils revives the soil food web, reestablishing the food chain and boosting biodiversity, bringing back abundance to the land.

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