“Our life and survival on earth depend on the soil!” writes biologist Susanne Wurst in her book. In four chapters she introduces soil organisms, reports in depth about the functions of the soil for the ecosystem and what dangers threaten the soil.
According to the author, maintaining soil health is not an end in itself. We humans should take care of the soil out of our own interest. We grow most of the food in natural soil around the world, around 660 crop species on a larger scale, including wheat, rice, corn and potatoes. With around 1,500 gigatons in humus alone, soils store almost three times more carbon than all living things on earth combined – an achievement that should not be underestimated in view of the climate crisis. Wurst explores possible solutions for better soil management and appeals to agriculture and politics. She herself is currently working in the Federal Biological Diversity Program to implement the National Biodiversity Strategy in Germany.
But hobby gardeners and all of us who eat, consume and live every day are also addressed. At the end of the book, the soil ecologist encourages us to reflect on our behavior. Can I reduce my meat consumption? Where do my clothes come from? How much floor space do I need to live in – and do I really need this space?
Review: Salome Berblinger
Susanne Wurst
The soil is alive
Haupt Verlag, 168 pages, €29.90
ISBN 978-3-258-08395-7