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Interview — Soil: the living treasure under our feet

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Article Published 30 Sep 2019 Last modified 29 Aug 2023

6 min read

Photo: © EEA

Soil is much more than inanimate sand and silt. It is full of life, from microscopic organisms to larger mammals, all interacting in an equally rich number of microhabitats. Their interactions provide us with food and fibre, clean water, clean air and industrial processes free of synthetic chemicals, and can even provide a cure for many diseases. We talked to Dr David Russell of Senckenberg Museum of Natural History, Germany, about soil biodiversity and what it means for our planet.