Abstract
Soil quality is one of the three primary components of environmental quality, along with water and air quality. The term ‘soil quality’ is often confused with ‘soil health’. Scientifically, soil quality refers to the integration of soil’s quantifiable biological, chemical and physical properties to perform functions. Soil health functions include support for economic crop production, recycling of applied nutrients, improving air and water quality and sustaining animal nutrition and health, as well as food quality and public health. Soil health has been defined in many ways and usually includes an integration of soil biological, chemical and physical properties. A range of soil-quality indicators has been identified to estimate soil quality; some of the most important are those which are responsive to changes in soil management and these include soil structure, porosity, infiltration, soil rooting characteristics, plant available water, soil cover, soil acidity, electrical conductivity, plant nutrients, soil organic matter (SOM), microbial biomass and microbial diversity.
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