The earth's surface is separated from its rocky interior by soil, a layer consisting of eroded, weathered materials and decomposed organic matter. It has taken millions of years for soil to be what it is today and of any use to living things. Soil functions as a natural filtration system, a reservoir for air and nutrients and is home to a variety of creatures that continuously churn through it, processing its chemical contents. ‘The soils of Dominica are readily erodible since they tend to be unconsolidated and friable; where cementation of subsoil occurs it is only incipient and the cemented layers readily decompose when exposed at the surface. The risk of erosion depends on many factors, including: the type and properties of the soil; the intensity of rainfall, the slope of the land; the extent and nature of vegetation; and agricultural or silvicultural practices used.’3 An aim of any development should be to minimize and even eliminate these impacts through proper design and planning. Without soil there would be no life.