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Soil quality refers to the condition of soil based on its capacity to perform ecosystem services that meet the needs of human and non-human life.Tóth, G., Stolbovoy, V. and Montanarella, 2007.
Soil Quality and Sustainability Evaluation - An integrated approach to support soil-related policies of the European Union
", EUR 22721 EN. 40 pp. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities,
Soil quality refers to the condition of soil based on its capacity to perform ecosystem services that meet the needs of human and non-human life.Tóth, G., Stolbovoy, V. and Montanarella, 2007. Soil Quality and Sustainability Evaluation - An integrated approach to support soil-related policies of the European Union
", EUR 22721 EN. 40 pp. Office for Official Publications of the European Communities,
Luxembourg
Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small land ...
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Soil quality reflects how well a soil performs the functions of maintaining biodiversity
Biodiversity or biological diversity is the variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of variation at the genetic ('' genetic variability''), species ('' species diversity''), and ecosystem ('' ecosystem diversity' ...
and productivity, partitioning water and solute flow, filtering and buffering, nutrient cycling
A nutrient cycle (or ecological recycling) is the movement and exchange of inorganic and organic matter back into the production of matter. Energy flow is a unidirectional and noncyclic pathway, whereas the movement of mineral nutrients is cyc ...
, and providing support for plants and other structures. Soil management has a major impact on soil quality.
Soil quality relates to soil functions. Unlike water or air, for which established standards have been set, soil quality is difficult to define or quantify.
Indicators of soil quality
Soil quality can be evaluated using the Soil Management Assessment Framework. Soil quality in agricultural terms is measured on a scale of soil value (''Bodenwertzahl'') inGermany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...
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Soil quality is primarily measured by chemical, physical, and biological indicators because soil function cannot easily be measured directly. Each of these categories comprises several indicators that provide insight into overall soil quality.
Physical
The physical category of soil quality indicators consists of tests that measure soil texture, bulk density, porosity, water content at saturation, aggregate stability, penetration resistance, and more. These measures provide hydrological information, such the level of water infiltration and water availability to plants.Chemical
Chemical indicators include pH and nutrient levels. A typical soil test only evaluates chemical soil properties.Biological
Biological measures include diversity of soil organisms and fungi. The movement and biological functions of soil organisms (including earthworms, millipedes, centipedes, ants, and spiders) impact soil processes such as the regulation of soil structure, degradation of contaminants, and nutrient cycling. Ruiz N, Lavelle P, Jiménez J. 2008. Soil macrofauna field manual. Food and Agriculture Organization. https://www.fao.org/3/i0211e/i0211e00.htmReferences
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