How Important is it?

Soil is important because it is one of the partners in our natural environment. It helps shape our planet into a habitat for all living things. Without soil, the other partners of our natural environment will be affected as well. No living thing would be able to survive on this planet without soil.
Soil provides us with many things, probably more than you think. Much of the food we eat, directly, either grows in soil, or indirectly, comes from animals that eat plants, or from animals that eat other animals that eat plants. Plants that are used as herbs also grow in soil. They are used to make medicines, which help us cure sickness. Likewise, it is also the home to billions of organisms and microorganisms, which also help us make antibiotics. Fungi and bacteria are the most known poducers of these antibiotics. For example, penicillin is one of these produced by fungi.
Carbon is one of soil's essential elements. It is very important to healthy soil. Grasslands and forests release carbon into the atmosphere, which increases the carbon dioxide. However, soil can absorb lost carbon from the atmosphere.

Ironically, this is the same soil that is beginning to get endangered. The reason is because of the chemicals we use to produce vegetables and fruits faster. The amount of soil that is fertile for growing crops is now only one quarter of the earth, which is a very small amount. If we don't do anything about it eventually our soil won't be fertile anymore. Then the plants, animals, and the air will be affected. The human race as we know it today won't exist.

Causes of Soil Erosion:

Soil erosion can happen so slowly that it's barely noticeable, or it can even happen overnight. Some of the causes of erosion are floods, severe storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. For example, during a hurricane, water mixes with soil to form mud, which causes rivers to swell and create damage downstream. One of the major causes of erosion is the removal of plants. Plants provide a protective cover on the land and prevent erosion from occurring. Plants slow down water as it flows and plant roots hold on to the soil to keep the soil from moving downhill with surface runoff.

Soil Conservation:

Soil Conservation methods stop, or at least slow down erosion from occurring. One way to conserve soil is by making windbreaks. Windbreaks stop the wind from blowing straight across a field. This method involves planting rows of trees perpendicular to the direction of the prevailing wind. Another way to prevent erosion is by making sure that there are always plants growing and by mixing different types of plants to grow together. One important rule is to not plant the same crops every year. This is called crop rotation. Planting every year will make the soil lose all its nutrients.