The Importance of Soil and its Organisms in the City

In cities, the soil under our feet is important for making our cities green and giving us natural places to enjoy. Soil helps plants to grow, holds onto water when it rains, breaks down old materials, and cleans up harmful substances in the ground. Urban soils are also home for many animals and plants. But urban soils encounter tough challenges unique to cities. Soil does not have much space in the city, and it gets flooded with dirty water filled with pollutants. People walking, driving, and building on soils results in packed-down soil, which some plant species do not like to live in. When city soils experience such pressures, they cannot do their jobs well anymore and cannot provide us with the benefits they normally offer us. Fortunately, there are steps we can all take to improve this important resource.