Soil has been a defining component of cultures since the beginning of civilization. Some of the first written words were recorded on clay tablets and water was carried in clay pitchers. It provides the base for all buildings (although some may be able to support a skyscraper and some others may not be able to support your weight), it holds the clues of past cultures (to be revealed by archaeologists or erosion), it supports the web of life (connecting all ecosystems), provides materials to build houses, is a source of nutraceuticals (definite in the American Heritage Dictionary as a food or naturally occurring food supplement thought to have a beneficial effect on human health), and of course, provides the base for our food, fiber, feed, and even some biofuels.
Find out about your soil. Download mySoil.
mySoil is a new free smartphone app from the BGS and the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology.
Use mySoil to view a map of the soil parent material- the underlying geological material- in your local area, retrieve descriptions about the soil deptyh, texture, pH and organic matter content, and explore vegetation habitat data across Britain.
MySoil lets you take a soil properties map of Britain with you wherever you go, helping you learn about the soil beneath your feet and is available for download for iPhone or iPad.
But if you don’t have one of these you can still find out about your soil by visiting.
MySoil is for anyone with an interest in the soil of Britain; including gardeners, vegetable growers, allotment owners, farmers and agricultural specialists, schools and collage students, environmentalists and land-use planners.