How can composting benefit soil health?

Composting significantly benefits soil health by adding organic matter and enhancing soil structure. When compost is incorporated into the soil, it enriches the nutrient content, improves water retention, and increases microbial activity. This organic material provides a habitat for beneficial organisms, which are essential for nutrient cycling and overall soil fertility.

Additionally, the enhanced soil structure resulting from composting leads to better aeration and drainage, fostering a more favorable environment for plant roots to grow. Healthy soil supports healthy plants, which in turn contributes to sustainable land management practices. The addition of compost helps create a balanced soil ecosystem, promoting resilience against erosion and other environmental stresses.

The other options describe scenarios that do not represent the positive impacts of composting on soil health. For instance, drastically reducing soil pH or introducing toxic chemicals are detrimental effects that composting does not have, nor does it rely on synthetic nutrients, as compost aims to provide a more natural approach to soil enrichment.