Bare Ground Is Lifeless
One thing we can all visibly note is that there is a difference between vegetated land and bare ground. When you pull up some weeds, or even grass, you can see the root structures aggregated together, and perhaps even worms and other organisms that live in the soil. The zone beneath vegetation is called the rhizosphere. If you were to look at a healthy soil sample under a microscope, you could see a plethora of microorganisms and fungi that habitate under our feet! All organic matter has a function in transforming energy into more life in the soil ecosystem. Now compare that with digging up some bare ground. There may be some aggregates still present, waiting for more organisms to arrive, but there is so much less vitality available for creation in empty soil. When deep-rooted vegetation is present, the soil underneath is structured like a sponge, full of networks of roots and fungi to transport water and all nutrients between plants, and pockets to store water for later access, called infiltration.
Earth is one huge, life-giving organism, yet humans have found numerous ways to take that life away from within the planet. We do this via deforestation, chemical applications (residential and commercial), irresponsible livestock grazing, cultivating monocrops, and so on. Even tilling the soil deeply disrupts its structure. Allowing bare ground exposes topsoil to all the elements, leading to erosion from rainfall runoff and wind. That is why increasing plant matter and regenerating the soil is so important! If we want to survive the rest of our lives, and have a planet that is viable for future generations, we must increase the amount of biodiversity available. Life begets life. The more life in the soil, the more energy available to feed us all. We have to start nourishing the soil rather than continuing to kill what lives in it.
This goes far beyond agriculture. Anyone who has access to land can plant something that will add life, and stop supporting practices that degrade life. The only question is, will enough of us participate, and to what extent of effort are we each willing and able to put in? Earth can support us all, but we first must realize we have to support ourselves in our own environments.