Soil provides plants a foothold for their roots and holds the necessary nutrients for plants to grow. Soil filters the rainwater and regulates the discharge of excess rainwater, preventing flooding. It also buffers against pollutants, thus protecting groundwater quality.
Soil is capable of storing large amounts of organic carbon. It is the largest terrestrial store of carbon. On average, the soil contains about three times more organic carbon than the vegetation and about twice as much carbon than is present in the atmosphere [source]. This is of particular importance in efforts to mitigate climate change. Carbon can come out of the atmosphere and be stored in the soil, helping to re-balance the global carbon budget.