Que:- How are living organisms dependent on the soil? Are organisms that live in water totally independent of soil as a resource?
Answers
Soil forms an important element for the survival of living organisms. All living organisms, such as microbes, insects, humans and plants rely on soil to live. Animals rely on plant for food. Soil provides anchorage to the roots and for the plants to grow properly. Soil provides a habitat for many microbes and small animals, which in return increases the fertility of the soil by decomposing complex organic compounds. Organisms that live in water are indirectly dependent on the soil. Some of the aquatic animals depend on the aquatic plants for their food. These plants require certain minerals for their growth. These minerals are carried to water bodies from soil by rivers, rain fall etc. In the absence of these dissolved minerals from the soil to these water bodies, aquatic plant would not be able to grow and thus, affect the aquatic food chain, eventually.