Soil function
Any service, role, or task that soil performs, especially: 1) sustaining biological activity, diversity, and productivity; 2) regulating and partitioning water and solute flow; 3) filtering, buffering, degrading, and detoxifying potential pollutants; 4) storing and cycling nutrients; and 5) providing support for buildings and other structures and to protect archaeological treasures. (Compare to function, functional capacity.)