An important factor influencing the productivity of any ecosystem is the nature of its soils .
Soils are vital for the existence of many forms of life that have evolved on our planet.
For example, soils provide vascular plants with a medium for growth and supply these organisms with most of their nutritional requirements. Plants are the basis of virtually all terrestrial food chains . Soil itself is a much more complex phenomenon than most people realize. It is certainly not just fine mineral particles or dirt. A true soil is the product of a living environment.