Supporting services

Supporting services underpin all other ecosystem services — without them, provisioning and regulating benefits cannot persist. Soil formation is itself a supporting service: weathering of rock, addition of organic matter, and biological mixing create the profiles that store water and nutrients. Nutrient cycling — the breakdown of organic remains and release of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other elements — depends on soil biology and chemistry.

Primary production (photosynthesis in plants) relies on soil for anchorage, water, and nutrients. Water cycling through infiltration, storage, and evaporation from soil surfaces links soils to local and regional hydrology. Soils provide habitat for vast numbers of organisms and support biodiversity from bacteria and fungi to earthworms and plant roots; many species complete part of their life cycle underground.

Supporting services operate over long timescales — soil formation can take centuries — yet they can be damaged quickly by erosion, pollution, or loss of organic matter. Managing soil as a living system, rather than an inert growing medium, is essential if provisioning, regulating, and cultural services are to remain available for future generations.