In the soil, the living take over

For biologists, the soil terminates where the rock prevails, in a layer where life thrives. Bacteria, fungi, and, to a lesser extent, the small soil fauna (pedofauna) play a considerable role. They take control of the physico-chemical processes they accelerate : by decomposing rocks, they produce soils, shape, organize and stabilize them. They even preside over their evolution. They elaborate the nourishing components of the plants, nitrogen, phosphate, etc. Decomposing these organic materials, they recycle them, making them assimilable once more. Our societies are accountable for pass soils in good condition on to future generations. It is crucial to become aware that humans are absolutely incapable of producing what has resulted from interactions and interdependencies between living beings over millennia.