Glomalin is hypothesized to improve soil aggregate stability and decrease soil erosion. However, since glomalin can not be adequate quantified in soil, studies usually analyze the GRSPs extract, which is a complex mixture including proteins and other substances.
GRSPs, the mixture of proteins and humic substances, are a significant component of soil organic matter and act to bind mineral particles together, improving soil quality. GRSPs have been investigated for its carbon and nitrogen storing properties, including as a potential method of carbon sequestration. Sampled GRSP takes 7–42 years to biodegrade and is thought to contribute up to 30 percent of the soil carbon where mycorrhizal fungi is present. The highest levels of GRSP were found in volcanic soils of Hawaii and Japan. Concentrations of glomalin in soil were correlated with the primary productivity of an ecosystem. A strong correlation has been found between GRSP and soil aggregate water stability in a wide variety of soils where organic material is the main binding agent, although the mechanism is not known.