Soil ecosystem services (ES) provide multiple benefits to humans but to date no consensus has formed on a comprehensive
framework for their classification and economic valuation, and therefore a systematic approach has
not been developed to evaluate their importance. We present a literature review of soil ES and functions, the economic
methods that have been used to value them, and values that have been derived from various studies under
different type of land use. We illustrate how recent developments in the field of Earth Critical Zone research are
contributing to the development of soil ES valuation techniques within the ES framework. These developments
have further underpinned the necessity to include the multiple aspects of soils in ES frameworks because of
their fundamental roles in ecosystem functionality and vitality. We provide examples on how soil ES can be classified
and valued using standard economic methods and established analysis frameworks. We show how significant
economic value is derived from soil ES and thus highlight the economic losses associated with soil
degradation. Furthermore, we also demonstrate the need to develop a comprehensive framework for the economic
assessment of soil ecosystem services in order to better inform decision-making at various levels of governance
regarding land use and management