Concept Of Soil Quality Research Articles

Unveiling the Soil beyond Definitions: A Holistic Framework for Sub-Regional Soil Quality Assessment and Spatial Planning

The issue of land/soil consumption and degradation has been extensively explored in international literature, yet a universally accepted definition of soil quality remains elusive. Over the decades, the scientific community has witnessed the evolution of the concept of land/soil quality, with varying nuances across different disciplines. The absence of a shared definition poses challenges in addressing local concerns and preserving the distinctiveness and well-being of the soil. The present paper seeks to fill this gap from the spatial planning perspective by proposing a soil quality detection framework tailored for the sub-regional spatial context, offering support in particular for local planning decisions. The concept of soil quality is approached comprehensively, and the indicators put forth are selected based on specific soil functions, services, or threats. To support this all-encompassing approach through a case study in the Italian context, this paper suggests integrating 11 datasets and 55 indicators. This extensive dataset aims to quantify and generate meaningful cartographic representations, offering a multifaceted and detailed understanding of soil quality within the sub-regional context. The goal is to establish a framework that facilitates a more holistic understanding of soil quality, aiding in effective spatial planning and policy-making processes.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Soil Quality Degradation and Emissions in the State of Iowa (USA)

The concept of soil quality (SQ) is defined as the soil's capacity to function, which is commonly assessed at the field scale. Soil quality is composed of inherent (soil suitability) and dynamic (soil health, SH) SQ, which can also be analyzed using geospatial tools as a SQ continuum (SQC). This study proposes an innovative spatiotemporal analysis of SQ degradation and emissions from land developments using the state of Iowa (IA) in the United States of America (USA) as a case study. The SQ degradation was linked to anthropogenic soil (SD) and land degradation (LD) in the state. More than 88% of land in IA experienced anthropogenic LD primarily due to agriculture (93%). All six soil orders were subject to various degrees of anthropogenic LD: Entisols (75%), Inceptisols (94%), Histosols (59%), Alfisols (79%), Mollisols (93%), and Vertisols (98%). Soil and LD have primarily increased between 2001 and 2016. In addition to agricultural LD, there was also SD/LD caused by an increase in developments often through urbanization. All land developments in IA can be linked to damages to SQ, with 8385.9 km2 of developed area, causing midpoint total soil carbon (TSC) losses of 1.7 × 1011 kg of C and an associated midpoint of social cost of carbon dioxide emissions (SC-CO2) of $28.8B (where B = billion = 109, USD). More recently developed land area (398.5 km2) between 2001 and 2016 likely caused the midpoint loss of 8.0 × 109 kg of C and a corresponding midpoint of $1.3B in SC-CO2. New developments are often located near urban areas, for example, near the capital city of Des Moines, and other cities (Sioux City, Dubuque). Results of this study reveal several different kinds of SQ damage from developments: loss of potential for future C sequestration in soils, soil C loss, and “realized” soil C social costs (SC-CO2). The state of IA has very limited potential land (2.0% of the total state area) for nature-based solutions (NBS) to compensate for SD and LD. The results of this study can be used to support pending soil health-related legislation in IA and monitoring towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) developed by the United Nations (UN) by providing a landscape-level perspective on LD to focus field-level initiatives to reduce soil loss and improve SQ. Future technological innovations will provide higher spatial and temporal remote sensing data that can be fused with field-level direct sensing to track SH and SQ changes.

Concept and Assessment Methodology of Soil Quality: A Review

Soil analysis is commonly used to gauge its quality and suitability for diverse purposes from local to national evaluations. However, the complexity of soils, their site-specific traits, past land use impacts, and balancing ecosystem benefits pose significant challenges in identifying relevant parameters and interpreting measurements. This manuscript comprehensively reviews and examines the concept and assessment methodologies of soil quality. It is evaluated to learn about the effects of management practices on soil function. Sustainability of agriculture system is inwardly linked to maintenance of soil quality. Therefore, soil quality assessment is of paramount importance to know the appropriate management practices to be adopted for sustainable crop production. By just measuring yield of crop, quality of water or any other, soil quality cannot be judged. As we know, soil have different properties (chemical, physical and biological), that interact in a precipitously manner to give, soil its capacity to perform or function. Thus, soil capacity can be surmised from measuring changes in its properties or of ecosystem’ sattributes and cannot be measured directly. Assessment of Soil quality composed of three key steps (1) Selection, measurement and minimization of the set of relevant soil attributes. (2) Quantification of the selected soil attributes through direct measurement and assigning an appropriate Score. (3) Integration among the scored attributes to construct the final index, by providing criteria for defining the weight of each attribute or group of attributes. Soil quality assessment will allow interpreter to identify the attributes which are most significant, quantify the relative contribution of soil properties and subsequently assess the overall quality of soils. The review study aims to inspire researchers by integrating a detailed information on soil quality assessment and promoting the sustainable practices in preservation and enhancement of soil quality.

Effect of Bone Char Application on Soil Quality, Soil Enzyme and in Enhancing Crop Yield in Agriculture: A Review

Soil quality, in contrast to air or water, exhibits a heightened level of heterogeneity and necessitates closer examination due to its impact on the well-being of flora, fauna, and human beings. Organic carbon is considered a fundamental indicator of soil quality, as it plays a significant role in strategies aimed at mitigating climate change. The generation of bone char arises from a thermochemical conversion process involving defatted bones. Specific attention is focused on the solubility of P compounds, which serves to classify bone chars as potential slow-release P fertilizers. The introduction of P into the soil can be enhanced through an "internal activation" process facilitated by the adsorption of reduced S compounds. Additional properties of agronomic significance originate from the porosity of bone char, which promotes water retention and provides a habitat function for soil microorganisms. The evaluation of soil quality has been a longstanding practice, involving an examination of physical and chemical characteristics such as pH, nitrogen levels, soil organic carbon, bulk density, accessible water, aggregate stability, particle size distribution, and soil structure. Recently, the concept of soil quality has been expanded to encompass the notion of soil health, which is perceived as a finite, non-renewable resource that undergoes constant change. Research also demonstrates the crucial role of soil biota in the assessment of soil quality, as they exhibit rapid responsiveness to disturbances. Animal bones undergo a process of defatting, degelatinization, and subsequent incineration at temperatures ranging from 600-800°C to produce bone char (BC). Reports indicate that typical BC contains 152 g P kg<sup>-1</sup>, 280 g Ca kg<sup>-1</sup>, and 6.5 g Mg kg<sup>-1</sup>, with carbon content typically falling below 100 g kg<sup>-1</sup>. The solubility of bone char in the soil depends on factors such as pH and the soil's capacity to absorb P, situating it within the range between rock phosphate and triple super phosphate (TSP). The application of bone char to the soil can enhance soil health, resulting in increased crop yield and improved quality.

Soil Quality: A Critical Review

From plot to national scales, sampling, analysis, and visual inspection of soil are common methods used to evaluate its condition and potential for use. However, due to the complexity and site-specificity of soils, the legacy impacts of past land use, and trade-offs across ecosystem services, selecting relevant soil parameters and interpreting measurements are not simple tasks. Here, we go over the definition, methods of assessment, and choices and interpretations of indicators for soil quality and related concepts. Assessing soil condition and potential usage involves a range of methods, from small-scale sampling to nationwide analyses. Despite their prevalence, these approaches face challenges due to the intricate nature of soils, their site-specific characteristics, historical land use impacts, and the need to balance various ecosystem services. Selecting pertinent soil parameters and interpreting measurements becomes a complex task. In this context, we delve into the definition, assessment methods, and the choices and interpretations of indicators related to soil quality. Our focus is on widely used indicators within agricultural land use. Notably, explicit evaluations of soil quality for specific risks, functions, and ecosystem services remain limited. Furthermore, there is a scarcity of systems providing clear frameworks for interpreting measured indicator values, hampering their acceptance by both policymakers and land managers. We explore innovative indicators that shed light on often overlooked soil properties and processes. Biological/biochemical indicators are under-represented but show great potential. Soil quality assessment should specify targeted soil threats, functions and ecosystem services. Increasingly interactive assessment tools must be developed with target users.

Criteria for Assessing the Environmental Quality of Soils in a Mediterranean Region for Different Land Use

Since the 1980s, there has been a notable increase in environmental sensitivity, which has decisively contributed to an improved perception of the role of soil in ecosystems. European (and especially Mediterranean) soils have a long tradition of use, which places them among the three Earth soils that have been affected the most by anthropic pressure. The definition of soil quality identifies and recognizes the soil’s main functions regarding productivity, environmental quality, and human health. Interpreting the criteria for assessing soil quality requires continuous information on its state. Therefore, certain measurable characteristics and properties of the soil are useful, as they can be affected by processes that impact its quality, and analyzing its variation can reflect or show that impact. The parameters used to measure a soil’s state are called indicators. Indicators are useful because they provide summarized and simplified information on the state of a process, but with a meaning that goes beyond an association with an individual parameter. There is an urgent need for consensus among soil scientists and institutions on the concept of soil quality and the applicable environmental quality indicators, as well as establishing interpretative guides for the selected indicators. Soil quality can be analyzed and assessed using several scales with different analysis objectives, information requirements, soil data, implications, and consequences for appropriate soil management. Spanish soil scientists developed a methodological proposal to assess the environmental quality of soil, its environmental impact, and plan and organize land use in the scope of a Mediterranean region. This manuscript is a contribution to the knowledge of the state-of-the-art research in the field of assessing the environmental quality of soils, providing the vision of numerous authors and a methodological proposal for an assessment on a regional scale that may be of interest in other regions or fields of study.

The impacts of rock pulverization on soil quality and functional soil nematode and respiration properties of boreal lands converted from forest to agricultural use

Rock pulverization is recommended when converting boreal forests to agricultural land use to facilitate tillage operations. Resulting rock dust incorporation might alter physical, chemical, and biological properties of soils. We assessed soil nematode trophic group abundances and indices, basal and burst respiration, and phosphorus extractability after land use conversion (LUC) and recent pulverization (<1 year) on three soil types in eastern Newfoundland, Canada. Nine treatments representing varied pulverization statuses (managed pulverized, managed unpulverized, natural) were nested in soil type (Podzol, Luvisol, and Organic). Conversion to agriculture impacted soil quality more than the recent rock pulverization. Nonetheless, nematode indices (fungivore/bacterivore, fungivore/fungivore+bacterivore, fungivore + bacterivore/herbivore) suggested no significant functional differences with either LUC or pulverization. Soil organic matter (SOM) and pH were substantial direct and indirect drivers of nematode community composition and soil respiration, mainly by altering availability of aluminium and iron. The functional parameters diverged between Organic and mineral soils. For all soils, most respiration parameters were significantly related to SOM, pH, available iron and aluminium. For nematodes, significant relationships were identified in the Organic soil: bacterivores and fungivores abundances were inversely related to SOM, and bacterivore abundance was positively related to pH. While for the mineral soils, citric acid extracted more phosphorus than the Mehlich-3 or water methods, Mehlich-3 was most effective for the Organic soil. Pulverization did not affect phosphorus extractability. The distinct relationships between soil quality properties and functional parameters between mineral and Organic soils are of interest for further investigations into the concepts of soil quality and soil health.

The life of soils: Integrating the who and how of multifunctionality

Capturing the complexity of soil life for soil quality assessments is one of the most challenging paradoxes of contemporary soil science. Soil biota perform a plethora of processes that are fundamental to soil quality. As the concept of soil quality developed, so have the attempts to integrate soil biological measurements into monitoring schemes from field to regional scale. To date, however, soil science has not yet succeeded to provide flexible yet objective biological indicator methods to assess soil multifunctionality, customised to the user's context.We present an integrative framework and elucidate the who and how of soil multifunctionality. The framework encompasses the current scientific understanding of the role of soil biota in supporting the many soil processes that underly soil quality. We specified these relationships for four soil functions (Carbon and Climate Regulation, Water Regulation and Purification, Nutrient Cycling, and Disease and Pest Regulation). We identify challenges often encountered in soil quality assessment and monitoring schemes and discuss how the framework can be applied to provide a flexible selection tool. Soil quality assessments are conducted in different contexts. As assessment objectives range from mechanistic understanding, to functional land management and large spatial scale monitoring so will the practical and logistical constraints for method selection vary.Biological assessments need to move beyond the quest for a one-size-fits-all minimum dataset, and adopt a more nuanced selection approach founded in soil biology. We stress that biological attributes should not be considered in isolation but alongside soil chemical and physical attributes, as well as management and environmental contextualisation. The presented framework offers a structure to further quantify, understand and communicate the who and how of soil biology in defining multifunctionality.

Harvest impacts to stand development and soil properties across soil textures: 25-year response of the aspen Lake States LTSP installations

In addition to long-standing concerns about sustaining forest productivity, maintaining forest ecosystems under changing conditions and emerging threats has become increasingly important when planning forest management. With the aim of understanding effects of management on both productivity and recovery, we quantified the 25-year impact of varying degrees of organic matter (OM) removal and soil compaction on above-ground biomass, soil carbon and nutrients, soil bulk density, and stand development in aspen-dominated forests in the upper Lake States region of the US. Treatment impacts were assessed at three different sites with comparable overstory composition, but with varying soil texture, site quality, and climate. Across all sites, soil C and N generally decreased with increasing OM removal, and bulk density increased with increasing compaction; 25-year observations indicate recovery of bulk density at the surface (0–10 cm) but not at deeper portions of the soil profile. At the most productive site (loamy soils) with favorable initial soil porosity, severe compaction decreased mean aboveground biomass (-46%), particularly of trees (-73%). Biomass at 25 years did not differ among organic matter removal treatments (e.g. stem-only harvest), but a greater increase in soil C occurred with stem-only harvest relative to whole-tree harvest plus forest floor removal. In contrast, at a less productive site with sandy soils poorly buffered to nutrient and C removals, whole-tree harvest reduced biomass by 25% (tree biomass declined 35%) relative to stem-only harvest while compaction treatments did not differ in effects on biomass production, soil C or soil N. On clay soils, compaction treatments did not significantly impact biomass production, but whole-tree harvest plus forest floor removal reduced tree biomass by 47% relative to whole-tree harvest alone. Assessment of mean relative density indicates canopy closure has not yet occurred at the least productive site (clay soils) or the more severely disturbed stands at the intermediate site (sandy soils), suggesting the possibility for treatment impacts not yet discernible to become more pronounced as stands develop and nutrient uptake continues in the future. Our results align with concepts of soil quality and texture-specific limitations to growth, underlying a need to understand key soil limitations when considering forest management impacts to aboveground structure and productivity.

Long-term soil quality effects of soil and crop management in organic and conventional arable cropping systems

Improving or maintaining soil health is crucial to support human needs, with the concept of soil quality connecting soil functions and sustainability concerns. In 2019, we assessed soil chemical, physical and biological properties in a long-term crop rotation experiment initiated in 1997 at Foulum, Denmark, with the aim of determining the long-term soil quality effects of the use of cover crops, animal manure, different crop sequences (with or without a legume-based ley) and organic vs conventional management. The concentration of soil organic carbon has been relatively stable across all treatments for 14 years prior to this investigation; in 2019, we found high aggregate stability, porosity, air permeability and pore organization in all treatments. Bulk density, air permeability and pore organization were affected to some extent by soil and crop management, with bulk density being the lowest in the organic treatment without cover crops, which had the most frequent harrowing. Earthworm density was the greatest in the organic system with grass-clover, especially following the ley year, thanks to a combination of high quality plant input and reduced soil disturbance. From a system perspective, none of the treatments investigated represented extremes, and all maintained good soil quality in the long-term. This indicates that long-term management should take into account the combination of different factors affecting soil quality.

Targeting the soil quality and soil health concepts when aiming for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the EU Green Deal

Abstract. The concepts of soil quality and soil health are widely used as soils receive more attention in the worldwide policy arena. So far, however, the distinction between the two concepts is unclear, and operational procedures for measurement are still being developed. A proposal is made to focus soil health on actual soil conditions, as determined by a limited set of indicators that reflect favourable rooting conditions. In addition, soil quality can express inherent soil conditions in a given soil type (genoform), reflecting the effects of past and present soil management (expressed by various phenoforms). Soils contribute to ecosystem services that, in turn, contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and, more recently, to the EU Green Deal. Relevant soil ecosystem services are biomass production (SDG 2 – zero hunger), providing clean water (SDG 6), climate mitigation by carbon capture and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions (SDG 13 – climate action), and biodiversity preservation (SDG 15 – life on land). The use of simulation models for the soil–water–atmosphere–plant system is proposed as a quantitative and reproducible procedure to derive single values for soil health and soil quality for current and future climate conditions. Crop production parameters from the international yield gap programme are used in combination with soil-specific parameters expressing the effects of phenoforms. These procedures focus on the ecosystem service, namely biomass production. Other ecosystem services are determined by soil-specific management and are to be based on experiences obtained in similar soils elsewhere or by new research. A case study, covering three Italian soil series, illustrates the application of the proposed concepts, showing that soil types (soil series) acted significantly differently to the effects of management and also in terms of their reaction to climate change.

Análise visual da qualidade estrutural de solos com diferentes sistemas de uso e manejo no Marajó, Município de Breves, Estado do Pará, Brasil

O conceito qualidade do solo é recente e tem sido mais utilizado para avaliar a sustentabilidade de diferentes práticas de manejo no solo. A avaliação visual é uma ferramenta eficiente, prática e simples para a determinação da qualidade de solos. O objetivo do trabalho é identificar, por meio do método visual de campo a qualidade estrutural de solos com diferentes sistemas de uso e manejo do solo na região de Breves, PA. Os usos do solo comparados foram: área com cultivo de açaí, área com cultivo de mandioca consorciada com milho, área de capoeira, e área contígua com fragmento florestal, como referência de qualidade estrutural do solo. As avaliações foram realizadas com o auxílio da carta de avaliação visual da estrutura do solo. A classificação foi o resultado final em função de cinco escores visuais para qualidade estrutural (Qe), sendo: Qe = 1 (melhor qualidade estrutural) e Qe =5 (pior qualidade estrutural). Valores elevados para Qe são indicativos de deterioração da qualidade estrutural do solo. Foi observado diferenças visuais na qualidade dos solos, possibilitando identificar diferentes formas de estruturação em função do manejo. A área sob vegetação nativa representa maior qualidade do solo pelo indicador visual avaliado, quando comparada aos demais ambientes, seguida pela área cultivada com açaizal, capoira e mandioca consorciada com milho. Pelos resultados obtidos foi possível observar que o índice de qualidade visual é um método eficaz em diferenciar a qualidade do solo submetido a diferentes usos e que as atividades agropecuárias diminuem a qualidade visual do solo.

Soil quality indices for metal(loid) contamination: An enzymatic perspective

AbstractSoil degradation by metal and metalloid (metal[loid]) contamination represents a widespread environmental threat. Most studies investigating soil metal(loid) contamination have disregarded the soil quality concept. Enzyme activities (EAs) are good soil quality indicators due to their direct connection to functions related to C, N, P, and S cycles and their sensitivity to metal(loid) contamination. This review (a) provides an overview of the development of soil quality indices (SQIs) based on EAs in metal(loid) contaminated soils, and (b) evaluates the effects of individual metal(loid)s and their combinations on the activities of the most common enzymes involved in the C, N, P, and S cycles. Four intracellular mechanisms dominate the inhibition of EAs by metal(loid)s: (a) transcription inhibition, (b) protein denaturation, (c) cell division inhibition, (d) cell membrane disruption. These mechanisms can also be further exacerbated in soil by nonspecific exoenzyme inhibition. The main EAs used as indicators for metal(loid) contaminated soils are dehydrogenase (DHA), arylsulfatase (ARY), urease (UA), acid phosphatase (Pacid), alkaline phosphatase (Palk), and catalase (CAT). These enzymes are sensitive to metal(loid) contamination, with DHA and ARY being the most sensitive indicators (62 and 56% inhibition, respectively, when averaged over all metal[loid] contamination levels). Other enzymes are inhibited by 32% (UA), 23% (Palk), 18% (Pacid), and 18% (CAT). We suggest principles for the development of SQIs considering biotic soil functions via the use of EAs. This review is the first presenting SQIs based on EAs for metal(loid) contaminated soils, and represents the first quantitative analysis of metal(loid) effects on EAs.

Soil quality concepts and assessment

Soil quality concepts and assessment

Potencial en el uso de las propiedades químicas como indicadores de calidad de suelo. Una revisión

La necesidad de entender y evaluar la calidad de los suelos en sistemas de productivos agrícolas es un tema de creciente importancia en la actualidad, debido al interés sobre la determinación de los impactos de las distintas prácticas de manejo en la sostenibilidad del recurso suelo. El objetivo de esta revisión es brindar un panorama general sobre el concepto de calidad de suelo, indicadores para su evaluación y exponer algunas investigaciones realizadas con respecto al potencial de las propiedades químicas para ser usadas como indicadores de calidad de suelos. Entre las propiedades químicas que pueden considerarse como indicadores se encuentran la disponibilidad de nutrimentos, el contenido de carbono orgánico total y carbono orgánico lábil, el pH, la capacidad de fijación de fosfatos, la conductividad eléctrica, la capacidad de intercambio catiónico, contenido de nitrógeno total y mineralizable, y de materia orgánica. Se resalta la importancia de las técnicas multivariantes para definir aquellas propiedades químicas con potencial para ser indicadores de calidad de suelo. La creciente preocupación sobre el uso sostenible del recurso suelo, genera la necesidad de desarrollar enfoques y herramientas que permitan generar diagnósticos acerca de los efectos que tienen las prácticas de manejo implementadas en los sistemas de producción agrícola, es decir, que brinden información acerca de la calidad del suelo en un determinado contexto.

Soil quality indices; special focus on salt-affected soil: review and case study in Northern Egypt.

Soil plays an important role in human health and environmental quality. Therefore, there is an urgent need to enhance soil quality and its capacity to function within land use and ecosystem boundaries. Measuring the change in soil properties is important and critical for monitoring change in soil quality. Although the concept of soil quality is clear, there is a little consensus about its measurement because multiple functions of soil and interaction between its properties. Soil quality can be measured by using soil properties as indicators or measurable alternative about soil performance in relation to specific function(s). The integration between soil properties through establishing minimum data sets (MDS) is required to identify an appropriate method to assess soil quality. The MDS is specific to each soil type and functions. For example, MDS for soils in arid and semi-arid regions should include salinity as indictor, but not for those in the humid regions. The synthesis of soil quality indicators into appropriate index is essential to assess the soil status and choose an appropriate method for enhancing soil quality. Salt-affected soils in arid and semi-arid regions have been degraded and have low economic yields. Salt-affected soils occur in about 75 countries, and occupy at least 20% of the irrigated lands in the world. Therefore, it is necessary to establish MDS to assess and enhance the quality of these soils because the restoration of these soils not only leads to increase in productivity and improvement in environmental quality but also to soil carbon sequestration.

Changes in soil physical and chemical properties following organic matter removal and compaction: 20-year response of the aspen Lake-States Long Term Soil Productivity installations

Soil functions that control plant resource availability can be altered by management activities such as increased organic matter (OM) removal and soil compaction during forest harvesting. The Long Term Soil Productivity study was established to evaluate how these practices influence soil and site productivity using experimental treatments that span a range of forest types and soil conditions at sites across North America. Here we report on the effects of these treatments on soil properties after 20years at three of the oldest sites in the study. The sites all are located in aspen (Populous tremuloides) forests of the Lake States region USA, and span a soil texture (silt loam, sand, and clay) and productivity gradient. Treatments were applied in a 3×3 factorial design that included three levels of OM removal (stem only harvest, SOH; whole tree harvest, WTH; and WTH plus forest floor removal, FFR) and three levels of soil compaction (no additional, intermediate, and high). After 20years, effects of OM removal were primarily associated with the extreme FFR treatment, and generally limited to the lower productivity sand and clay texture sites. At the sand texture site with low initial pools of C and nutrients, FFR resulted in soil C and Ca reductions over the 20-year period, which may have caused large reductions in aspen growth that were previously observed at that site. Although treatment effects of SOH and WTH were limited, soil P tended to decrease at all sites during the study period, which may affect future productivity at these sites. Effects of soil compaction treatments were generally linear and only apparent at the silt loam and sand texture sites. At all sites, bulk density in the upper 10cm had fully recovered from harvest- and treatment-induced increases after 20years, but remained elevated and increased with increasing compaction at depths below 10cm. Previous work indicates that soil compaction had neutral to positive effects on growth at the sand texture site, but strongly negative effects on growth at the silt loam texture site. These 20-year results demonstrate that the effect of OM removal and soil compaction on soil properties is site-specific, which generally aligns with concepts of soil quality and its influence on vegetation growth. Although the LTSP study has proved invaluable in clarifying these linkages across North America, there are some limitations with measurement protocols that limit the overall utility of the soil assessment. These limitations inhibit the development of soil-based indices to identify high risk sites and practices at odds with sustainable forest management.

Assessment of soil quality index for wheat and sugar beet cropping systems on an entisol in Central Anatolia.

The sustainable use of agricultural lands is significantly affected by the implemented management and land processing methods. In sugar beet and wheat cropping, because the agronomic characteristics of plants are different, the tillage methods applied also exhibit significant variability. Soil quality concept is used, as a holistic approach to determining the effects of these applications on the sustainable use of soil. Agricultural soil quality evaluation is essential for economic success and environmental stability in rapidly developing regions. At present, a variety of methods are used to evaluate soil quality using different indicators. This study was conducted in one of the most important irrigated agriculture areas of Çumra plain in Central Anatolia, Turkey. In the soil under sugar beet and wheat cultivation, 12 soil quality indicators (aggregate stability (AS), available water capacity (AWC), surface penetration resistance (PR0-20), subsurface penetration resistance (PR20-40), organic matter (OM), active carbon (AC), potentially mineralizable nitrogen (PMN), root health value (RHV), pH, available phosphorus (AP), potassium (K), and macro-micro elements (ME) (Mg, Fe, Mn, and Zn)) were measured and scored according to the Cornell Soil Health Assessment (CSHA) and the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF). The differences among 8 (AS, AWC, PR0-20, PR20-40, AC, PMN, AP, and ME) of these 12 soil quality characteristics measured in two different plant cultivation were found statistically significant. The result of the soil quality evaluation with scoring function in the examined area revealed a soil quality score of 61.46 in the wheat area and of 51.20 in the sugar beet area, which can be classified as medium and low, respectively. Low soil quality scores especially depend on physical and biological soil properties. Therefore, improvement of soil physical and biological properties with sustainable management is necessary to enhance the soil quality in the study area soils.

Teaching Sustainable Soil Management: A Framework for Using Problem-Based Learning

Postsecondary institutions are currently developing and applying innovative curricula to meet the future demand for land managers and planners with a solid knowledge of soil science. The objective of this study was to describe and evaluate the University of British Columbia (UBC) Farm problem-based learning (PBL) case study within the upper level, undergraduate/graduate Sustainable Soil Management course. The UBC Farm case led to compilation of a student-generated data set that dates back to 2004 and allowed students to work in collaboration with the UBC Farm managers and staff. Preliminary student feedback indicated that the UBC Farm case was effective at presenting the impacts of agricultural management practices on soil chemical properties and overall soil quality concepts. In addition, students found the hands-on activities of soil sampling, data interpretation, and working in collaboration with the farm staff to be stimulating. Having the opportunity to involve students in data collection each year allows instructors to build depth into the case, to ask more complex questions, and to cooperate with the farm manager in focusing on specific issues of relevance to the farm that change over time. This educational approach could serve as a framework for using PBL within postsecondary soil science curriculum in ways that support both student learning and natural resource management.

The soil quality concept as a framework to assess management practices in vulnerable agroecosystems: A case study in Mediterranean vineyards

Land management aiming to sustain ecosystem services is an important issue, especially in biodiversity hot spots such as found in Mediterranean areas. In Mediterranean areas, viticulture is an important land use. Vineyards are frequently found on inherently poor soils and are submitted to intensive management practices, which threaten soil functioning and associated ecosystem services. To encourage winegrowers and stakeholders to be reflective and adapt their vineyard practices, we evaluated the effects of three soil management practices (inter row plant cover duration, weeding and fertilization strategies) on soil functioning in 146 commercial plots distributed in Southern France, by a complementary set of biological and physico-chemical indicators. We used the concept of soil dynamic quality to evaluate some soil management practices on soil functioning. The influence of inherent soil properties derived from pedogenesis on soil dynamic indicator response was accounted for by considering the response of soil indicators for three soil groups differing in their stoniness and Ca carbonate content. The three soil management practices systematically influenced some nematode-based indicators, whereas other indicators were ascribable to a specific soil type or practice. We demonstrated that the potential of soil management practices to enhance soil functioning is restricted by soil type. In particular for calcareous soils, the soil functioning is very stable limiting effects of soil management practices. The presence of a cover crop, even temporary, in the inter row, is the only practice which benefits soil functioning whatever the soil type whereas organic fertilization and chemical weeding exhibit contrasting results on soil functioning.