Final answer:
Plants require soil to grow because it supplies essential nutrients, water, and physical support needed for their development while hosting a biodiversity that sustains ecosystem services essential for plant growth.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plants cannot grow without soil. Soil provides plants with essential elements for their growth, such as physical support, water, heat, oxygen, and nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, amongst others. Through water absorbed from the soil, plants transport these nutrients throughout their structures. Additionally, soil is home to a diverse variety of organisms that contribute to essential ecosystem services like nutrient cycling, maintaining soil texture, and ensuring the availability of water and oxygen necessary for plant growth.