Soil

Soil is the weathered, living surface layer of the earth. It is both architect and product of the landscape, a natural resource that performs essential functions within the life-support system of the planet. Healthy soils are vital to a sustainable environment. They produce food and timber, store carbon, filter water, support wildlife and the built landscape, preserve records of our cultural heritage and act as a material in their own right.

With a few partial exceptions, Hampshire's soils have developed over the last 10,000 years, and they have both influenced and been influenced by the gradual evolution of Hampshire's rural communities. They are the product of many millennia of very gradual development, but are also extremely vulnerable to current-day pressures, some of which can destroy them in days. The result is a wide variation in soil properties over tens of metres, and development of 17 different soil types in Hampshire.

However there are increasing signs that soils are being neglected and it cannot be assumed that soil loss or damage will be recoverable. Policies for soil protection at the European and National level are under development and will be a first step towards regulation. Hampshire County Council is establishing a local response to the issues facing Hampshire's soils and aims to develop actions to ensure the long-term sustainable management of this precious resource.

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