We all talk of environment. One text book defines it as the sum total of living and non-living components ,  influences and events surrounding an organism. The living components are called biotic components while the non-living components are the abiotic components.

The term ecosystem is used to describe the complex interaction between living organism and their non-living surroundings. The concept is that organisms are linked both directly and indirectly by means of their feeding relationships.  The relationship is about interdependent parts that function as a unit and involve inputs and outputs.

“The soil has lost its fertility”, has been one lament hill farmers put forward frequently for poor harvest for many years. He can further explain by saying that the size and acreage under tillage has shrunk in proportion to the rise in population, etc., etc.  What he may not be able to explain in elaborate terms is the connection between fertility and the interaction of the living and non-living components mentioned above.

Again let me quote, or rather paraphrase, from the text book again. Soil is the thin layer of disintegrated rock particles, organic matters, water and air that covers most of the land surface.  It is a biological laboratory with a multitude of living organisms consisting both plants and animals. Soil is a precious natural resource  as it takes hundreds of years for one centimeter layer of soil to form. Without going into the details of how soil is formed through weathering process of rocks, let us say that various types of plants, animals and micro-organism contribute organic matter to soil in the form of their wastes or dead remains. The plant debris that fall to the ground also break down. The roots of higher plants contribute a lot of tissue to the soil.  Further breakdown is contributed by different kinds of organisms such as bacteria, fungi and actinomycetes. The decomposed remains after mineralization is called humus which is a must for soil fertility.

There are other living organisms – macro organisms that reside on the soil such as earthworms, ants, beetles, springtails, rodents and insectivore. These animals are actively engaged in pulverization, granulation, and transfer of considerable quantity of soil.

What we would like to say in simple words is that the deep, dark forests are the dynamic laboratory where soil formation happens. When we have cut down the tall, dark trees and deprive the livings organisms of their natural home where the soil formation happens, we have effectively closed down soil manufacturing. Added to that is the cruel massacre of animals we mercilessly unleash either through misplaced chivalry or for gain.  

Plant twenty trees for every tree you cut down.  As for animals, let us follow “Live and let live” policy. And before you crush the earthworm, think of what you have deprived the soil of.