Seven major soil functions and the Ecosystem Services they provide (EC, 2006) following the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment approach:
- Biomass production, including agriculture and forestry
- Storing, filtering and transforming nutrients, substances and water
- Biodiversity pool, such as habitats, species and genes
- Physical and cultural environment for humans and human activities
- Source of raw material
- Acting as carbon pool
- Archive of archaeological and geological heritage