Advancements in Soil Health Assessment

Abstract:

Recognition of the role of soil health in ecosystem function, particularly in agricultural production systems, has led to renewed interest in linking soil properties to ecosystem services. In general, ecosystem services are inherently difficult to measure directly due to high cost and high spatial and temporal variability. Resolving this challenge requires 1) improved techniques for real-time measurement of soil processes or outcomes related to ecosystem services, or 2) measurement of surrogate indicators that can serve as proxy measurements. Furthermore, in applied soil health assessment, there is still a need for a strong, quantitative interpretation framework. Ongoing work by a team of USDA, University of Missouri, and Cornell University scientists includes development of the Integrated Soil Health Index (ISHI) that simultaneously accounts for inherent site-specific factors at the continental scale and is sensitive to anthropogenic activities.