ABSTRACT
Geoecosystems are influenced by the substrate upon which they rest. Substrate may be defined as soil, rock debris, or rock, depending on the geoecosystem being considered: to animals and plants, the edaphosphere is the substrate; to the edaphosphere, the debrisphere is the substrate; and to the debrisphere, the lithosphere is the substrate. This chapter explores the influence of substrate on the pedosphere and biosphere.
