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It is often said, "There were hundreds of billions of people on Earth, so the soil was made of rotting corpses." ”
However, there are actually a lot of fallacies behind this seemingly reasonable statement, so how did the dirt come from?
How did the unfinished corpse end up as the material of the soil?
At the same time, what properties can humans add to the soil?
1. Formation of soil.
Soil is a mixture of sand and water, and sand is formed by particulate matter such as quartz sand, clay, gravel and other particulate matter through long-term weathering, water erosion, and the action of plant roots, so the minerals and air in the soil are insignificant in the eyes of people, but this insignificant part of the material in the soil is the cornerstone of the survival of most life on the earth.
At the same time, the soil also contains a lot of organic matter, which is decomposed from the corpses of nearby plants and animals, secretions, excrements and other substances, so this part of the soil is the key to the growth of plants.
These organic substances in the soil can adsorb many inorganic substances, so that the soil contains more nutrients, so that plants can absorb more nutrients from it and can grow better.
Therefore, the organic matter in the soil can make the soil more fertile, and it is precisely because of this that plants can obtain more nutrients from the soil, so that plants will be more robust, and can also provide more food for humans, animals and other organisms, forming a virtuous circle.
At the same time, this part of the organic matter in the soil can also absorb nearby water, so that the soil can have enough moisture and the plants will not dry up and die due to lack of water.
At the same time, the soil also contains many microorganisms, plant residues and other substances, which can promote the aeration and permeability of the soil, and can also protect the soil from weathering.
When the soil is weathered, water is lost from the soil, and there is less organic matter in the soil, which prevents plants from growing properly and the soil becomes more and more barren.
At the same time, when there is less organic matter in the soil, it means that the nutrients in the soil will be less and less, when the plant can not absorb enough nutrients, it will cause the death of the plant, and after the plant dies, the organic matter in the soil will be less, and the nutrients will be less, so that a vicious circle will be formed, and eventually the soil will become very poor and unable to grow any plants.
2. The corpse becomes the constituent material of the soil.
After a period of decay, the corpse becomes part of the soil, which is also a source of organic matter in the soil.
After the corpse decomposes, a large amount of bicarbonate will be produced, and this part of bicarbonate is a relatively important inorganic substance in the soil, which is the key to plant growth.
At the same time, after the corpse decays, atoms such as carbon and oxygen will also be absorbed by the organic matter in the soil, and these atoms are the key atoms for plant growth, which can allow plants to better photosynthesize, thereby providing energy for plants.
And these atoms in the corpse will also become the composition of future generations after a period of material exchange, which also reflects the romance of the material cycle.
Of course, this process is a process that lasts for tens of millions of years, and it will take a long time for the human body to become nutrients for plants, so it is not unreasonable for some people to say that human beings are part of the soil after death.
After a period of material exchange, the human body will indeed become a part of the soil, but this process is very long, and the human body will become organic matter in the soil after decay, but this part of the organic matter is often decomposed by bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms to form finer organic matter and inorganic matter.
In the process of decomposing corpses, these microorganisms also produce large amounts of carbon dioxide, water and other gases, which are important components of the soil.
At the same time, when the corpse is decomposed by these microorganisms, it will become smaller and smaller, and eventually only some human particles and atoms remain, which are the composition of organic matter in the soil, so they can also become part of the soil.
3. Material circulation.
People often say "material cycle", so what is the so-called material cycle?
The material cycle refers to the process of continuous transformation of matter in various organisms, which is a closed process and is constantly repeated.
When an organism dies, various substances in the body will be broken down by microorganisms, and these substances will return to the soil and become part of the soil.
In the process of absorbing nutrients from the soil, plants and animals will also absorb these substances in the soil, and these substances will be absorbed by the bodies of plants and animals, and the substances absorbed from the soil will be absorbed by the bodies of plants and animals as nutrients for plants and animals.
In the process of growth and reproduction, plants and animals will also carry out photosynthesis and respiration, in which the substances in the bodies of plants and animals will be continuously converted, and these substances will be converted into energy by the bodies of plants and animals to provide for the growth and reproduction of plants and animals.
After plants and animals die, various substances in the body will be decomposed by microorganisms, and these substances will return to the soil and become part of the soil.
This process is called the material cycle, which is a closed cycle that is repeated over and over again.
This process is known as the material cycle, which is an important lifeline in the life system on Earth.
epilogue
Soil is not just composed of corpses, but has evolved through a variety of material exchanges, which is the basis for the survival of life and also participates in the material cycle.
The material cycle is an important part of the ecological balance of the earth, and people should be aware that the body will eventually become part of the natural material cycle.
Earth's ecosystems have stood the test of time and are undoubtedly legitimate, and people should respect and protect the soil and maintain the ecological balance.
At the same time, we should also pay attention to the loss of land fertility and protect the vitality of the land to maintain the sustainable development of the earth.