Aug 22, 2014 as soil quality is a complex functional concept and cannot be measured directly in the field or laboratory but can only be inferred from soil characteristics, a range of soil parameters or indicators has been identified to estimate soil quality. The comprehensive site and soil evaluation used in north carolina requires. In this bulletin, several indicators are selected for soil quality assessment in sustainable soil management systems, based on the concept of the control chart. Soil quality is the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and ha. It is in this capacity that we comment on the science supporting soil quality and associated soil health assessment for agricultural lands with the goal of hastening progress in this important. How well the system functions depends on the soils ability to absorb the wastewater, the probable flow paths of water from the site, and the treatment received by the wastewater. Relating soil properties to the surrounding landscape is an important part of land evaluation. Soil properties that can be used as indicators for the degreeof functional performance were identified. Soil quality is linked to sustainability understanding. Use of an integrative soil health test for evaluation of.
The concept of soil quality by doran and parkin 1994 was heavily criticized in a series of papers letey et al. A framework for evaluating physical and chemical indicators of soil quality 1994 karlen, d. Soil quality assessment is based on the concept of soilfunctions. However, land quality, like the concept of sustainable land management of which it is a part, requires operational definitions and specific, measureable indicators if it is to be more than an attractive, conceptual phrase. Table 51 lists the changes in specific soil attributes for a typic hapludoll soil from the northcentral united states. Soil quality evaluation using the soil management assessment framework. Soil quality and sustainability evaluation is a fundamental concept bridging between the utilization and protection aspects of soiluse planning. A general sequence of how to evaluate soil quality is to 1 define the soil functions of concern, 2 identify specific soil processes associated with those functions, and 3 identify soil properties and indicators that are sensitive enough to detect changes in the functions or soil processes of concern carter et al. Pdf soil provides a list of services to all users of terrestrial ecosystems and is crucial to. Sequential framework to evaluate soil quality for specific purpose or fitness. Soil quality and methods for its assessment chapter 9.
Soil quality and methods for its assessment digital. It is in this capacity that we comment on the science supporting soil quality and associated soil health assessment for agricultural lands with the goal of hastening progress in. Pdf defining a framework to measure soil quality romanya et al. However, soil quality is often related to the management goal and practices as well to soil. Land degradation caused by improper land use management is a critical worldwide problem that has revived the issue of resources sustainability. The soil quality concept as a tool for highlighting. Popular press refers soil health because soil portrays as a living system which acts holistically rather than as a mixture of sand, silt, and clay. Useful evaluation of soil quality requires agreement about why soil quality is important, how it is defined, how it should be measured, and how to respond to measurements with management, restoration, or conservation practices. Soil quality is a measure of the condition of soil relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose. Soil quality assessment is valuable for evaluating agroecosystem sustainability, soil degradation, and identifying sustainable land management practices.
A sound definition of soil quality will find application over a broad range of situations. Please redirect your searches to the new ads modern form or the classic form. The soil management assessment framework smaf was developed in the u. Frontiers developments in agricultural soil quality and.
Soil quality indexing strategies for evaluating sugarcane. A perk test, short for percolation test, uses water to determine the percolation rate in a soil. Comparison of soil quality index using three methods. As discussion of and interest in the concepts of soil quality and soil health spread worldwide karlen et al. The swedish system for quality assessment of agricultural.
Evaluation of soil quality indicators in paddy soils under different crop rotation systems soil quality, by definition, reflects the capacity to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or. Monitoring and evaluation can be effective tools to enhance the quality of project planning and management. Soil quality indicators were measured for 2 years under established experiments with varying management histories and durations at four locations in new york state. This study compared soil quality within culturally protected forest areas and adjacent grassland, grazing land, and farmland in abowonsho, southern ethiopia. This application phase can be executed with computerassisted procedures. The tool was demonstrated using data from case studies in georgia, iowa, california, and the pacific northwest wa, id, or. The soil quality concept as a tool for highlighting sustainability. Soil quality is linked to sustainability understanding soil.
Assessment of soil quality sq indicators that distinguish soil degradation in different land use lu types is enviable to. A number of case studies, some from countries overseas, are included. This essay summarizes deliberation by the soil science society of america sssa ad hoc committee on soil quality s581 and was written to. As typically reported for tropical soils, native vegetation sites were characterized by high acidity, low levels of soil organic matter som and plantavailable macronutrients, suitable soil physical conditions, and high. Soil quality evaluation using the soil management assessment. The objective of this paper is to present a simple method for rating soil quality of. Some have defined soil quality by the ability of the soil to serve as a natural medium for the growth of plants to maintain human and animal life karlen et al. A framework for concept, definition and evaluation from the european perspective article pdf available in journal of the science of food and agriculture 9214. Soil maps in different scales do exist, but they give only indirect hints on quality for cropping or grazing and for the crop yield potential. This is critical because soils perform a number of essential processes including supporting food and fiber production, influencing air quality through interaction with the atmosphere, and serving as a medium for storage and purification of water. A manual on monitoring and evaluation for alternative. As soil quality is a complex functional concept and cannot be measured directly in the field or laboratory but can only be inferred from soil characteristics, a range of soil parameters or indicators has been identified to estimate soil quality. The specific definition an expert system of decision rules as an indicator selection step sucof soil quality for a particular soil is.
The changes in these soil attributes suggest the process of degradation that needs to be addressed, the corrective. Understanding the response of soil quality indicators to changes in management practices is essential for sustainable land management. Soil science society of america journal abstract soil. Because determining soil quality requires one or more value judgments and because we have much to learn about soil. Biologicalbiochemical indicators are underrepresented but show great potential. America sssa ad hoc committee on soil quality s581 and was written to spur discussion. The term soil quality is often confused with the term soil health. The north central education and research activity committee ncera59 was formed in 1952 to address how soil organic matter formation and management practices affect soil structure and productivity. This section of the study guide describes the three site considerations used in state land judging contests. In simplest terms, soil quality is the capacity of soil to function. Soil quality is the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health.
The contents of this special publication are progressive, at times provoca tive, and undoubtedly will stimulate continued debate on the soil quality concept. A concept, definition, and framework for evaluation. Agriculture, ecosystems and environment 98 2003 255262 indicators for evaluating soil quality m. A concept, definition, and framework for evaluation a guest editorial d. Ecosystem services and natural capital have become prominent terminology in the ecological and wider literature, and yet convey different meanings to different communities. Soil quality and sustainability evaluation is a fundamental concept bridging between the utilization and protection aspects of soil use planning. Appendix 1 will provide a data basis for the adjustment of individual ratings and the perpetued improvement of the framework and thresholds 2.
The utility of the concept of soil quality in guiding soil management can be seen in a simple example. A soil quality index concept, methodology of calculation. This essay summarizes deliberation by the soil science society of. It is a complex functional concept that cannot be measured directly in the field or laboratory, but it can be inferred by soil properties and. Within this frame we first define the general soil degradation thresholds and then at. However, internationally comparable methods of the soil inherent quality assessment easy to handle are missing. A soil evaluation is a more extensive measure that involves the identification of varying soil horizon depths, soil texture, and seasonal water tables. Calculation of indices on grounds of chosen indicators representing a given soil profile. Soil degradation, which involves physical, chemical, and biological degradation, is the key component of land degradation. According to the united states department of agriculture natural resources conservation service, soil quality is the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed. The soil quality concept offers itself as a tool in this exercise. Soil quality assessment indicator rationale physical texture retention and transport of water and chemicals depth of soil and rooting estimate of productivity potential and erosion bulk density and infiltration potential for leaching, productivity, and erosion whc water retention, transport, and erosivity chemical.
Varying perceptions of soil quality have emerged since the concept was suggested in the early 1990s, and dialogue among members is important because, unlike air and water quality, legislative standards for soil quality have not been and perhaps should not be defined. A concept, definition and framework for evaluation. Although all of the above components must be satis much soil quality evaluation. Assessment of soil quality sq indicators that distinguish soil degradation in different land use lu types is. Each soil propertyselected was graded into five classes. In canada, the canadian soil quality evaluation program was one of the first national efforts focused specifically on soil quality assessment. Soil quality and methods for its assessment springerlink. Schuman abstract this essay summarizes deliberation by the soil science society of america sssa ad hoc committee on soil quality s581 and was. An increasing human population is placing greater demand on soil resources, and as a result degradation is taking place in many regions of the world. Initially, the definition of soil quality has been agriculturally based. This link between soil quality and sustainability is so very. Based on the difference between the actual state and the prognosisevaluation the extent of compensation measures can be determined 143.
According to the united states department of agriculture natural resources conservation service, soil quality is the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and. Soil quality and cover crops in red raspberry in the pacific northwest rachel rudolph, inga zasada, and lisa devetter. As in land evaluation, the application phase of soil quality assessment is a complex process of scalingup from the representative areas of the development phase to implementation in unknown scenarios. Assessment of sustainable land management requires appropriate evaluation instruments, such as land quality indicators. Soil quality index as a sum of indicators were used in our last research brozek 2007b.
Determining soil quality indicators by factor analysis. As in land evaluation, the application phase of soilquality assessment is a complex process of scalingup from the representative areas of the development phase to implementation in unknown scenarios. Muncha a institute of soil ecology, gsfnational research center for environment and health, ingolstadter landstr. On the basis of the individual evaluation of the soil functions, a total evaluation is made, that again is the starting point for a prognosis evaluation. The site and soil evaluation helps to predict how an onsite system will function at a site. The most common indicators are organic matter, ph, available p and water storage. A soil quality index concept, methodology of calculation and application in forestry every soil profile may be characterized with number of properties, often with an adverse or limited impact on plants. Soil quality assessment should specify targeted soil threats, functions and ecosystem services. First, these authors claimed that the concept of soil quality could transform soil science from a valueneutral science into a value. The performances of three soil functions, cropproduction, biological decomposition and matter exchange withthe atmosphere and groundwater, are used as quality criteria. Landuse change effects on the 38 soil quality indicators at each site are presented in table 3. Soil quality and cover crops in red raspberry in the.