ABSTRACT
Soil is a three-dimensional body that forms the uppermost layer of the earth’s crust. This layer supports all terrestrial life, filters and purifies water, biodegrades pollutants, and moderates gaseous exchange between terrestrial-aquatic ecosystems and the atmosphere. It is the most basic of all natural resources and the primary medium for food production. In addition to a source of industrial raw material and foundation for civil structures, it is also an archive of planetary history and the repository of germplasm or seedbank. The term soil resource is defined as beneficial assets and properties in relation to the use for which the soil is intended.
