ABSTRACT
Soil is a three-dimensional mantle of organic and inorganic material over most of the earth's land surface. It is a multi-function medium, providing a
rooting place for the anchorage and growth of plants, a habitat for soil flora and fauna, an environment for the decay of organic litter, a reservoir and drain for soil water, a store and supply of plant nutrients, a sink and pathways for pollutants, a foundation for buildings and roads, as well as being a vital natural resource for agriculture. Soil functions as an open system of many parts. To modify one part of the soil system, possibly through management, may create changes in other parts of the system. All parts are interconnected and interactive as defined in an open system. Frequently, mistakes of bad management occur simply because of lack of understanding of the functioning of the soil system and, conversely, recovery may also be due to the resilience of its system character.
