1. Soil Quality and Soil Health: Are they different? and Do they matter? Susan Andrews, National Leader Soil Quality and Ecosystems National Soil Survey Center August 9, 2012

2. Soil Quality Definitions “fitness for use” - Larson & Pierce, 1991 “capacity of the soil to function” - Karlen et al. 1997

3. Soil Functions Recognized by USDA-NRCS  Maintaining biodiversity & productivity  Partitioning water and solute flow  Filtering and buffering  Cycling and storing nutrients [and energy]  Structural support and stability - after Seybold et al., 1997

4.  reflects natural characteristics  based on soil forming factors  climate, parent material, topography, and biota, all acting over time – Jenny, 1941 - after Pierce and Larson, 1993  INHERENT SOIL QUALITY  DYNAMIC SOIL QUALITY Types of Soil Quality  describes status or condition of soil  result of land use or management practice

5. Similar Terms  Genetic v. Kinetic - Richter, 1987  State v. Behavioral  Koolen, 1987; Carter et al., 1997  Genoform v. Phenoform  Droogers and Bouma, 1997

6. Both Types of SQ are Important Soil A Soil B Soil Function Inherent SQ Dynamic SQ 50% 85% Dynamic SQ with respect to Inherent capability - after Andrews et al., 2004

7. Soil Health v. Soil Quality  Soil health is used as a synonym for soil quality - Doran and Parkin, 1996  Minor exceptions:  Soil health includes only dynamic quality  Sometimes greater emphasis on biology A soil may have poor inherent soil quality but still have good soil health. -Gregorich and Carter, 1997

8. SQ and SH Use in NRCS  Assessment: Conservation Delivery Streamlining  Soil Survey: Dynamic Soil Properties Inventory  Policy and Programs: EQIP; CSP  Chief’s Initiative: Soil Health Management Systems It’s not enough for planners to memorize practices, there must be an understanding of principles

9. Why is soil quality/health important? v Foundation resource v Fundamental to sustainability v Values and Value

10. Soils are the Foundation Resource With loss of soil function air and water quality degrade

11. Soil Quality Air Quality Water Quality Environmental Quality Agricultural Sustainability EnvironmentalQuality EconomicViabilitySocialAcceptability -after Andrews et al., 1998; 2002 Soil Quality as a Component of Sustainability

12. Soil Quality and Sustainability  Considered an indicator of sustainable land management – Doran and Zeiss, 2000  Change in SQ with time is the primary indicator of sustainable land management – Karlen et al., 1997

13. Value-Laden Term  Human values (and social mores) can’t be ignored  Values are represented in management goal - oriented definition of soil quality  Values may be monetary or non-monetary  Farmers define SQ in economic terms  Economists use multiple ways to assign value  Building quality is linked to several f.b. programs

14. Principal Threats to Soil Quality:  Erosion  Organic matter decline  Salinization  Soil biodiversity loss  Compaction  Landslides  Contamination  Sealing - EUC: Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection, 2008 Why do some soils resist degradation better than others?

15. Components of Functional Stability  Soil Resilience The ability of a soil to recover its previous level of function after a disturbance  Soil Resistance The ability of a soil to resist change in function throughout a disturbance - Pimm, 1984; Seybold et al., 1999; Andrews, 2003

16. Differences in Resistance and Resilience Soil Function Time (years) Compaction Disturbance Soil with high resistance Soil with low resistance and high resilience -Seybold et al., 1999 Soil with low resistance and low resilience

17. Some Factors Affecting Resistance and Resilience  Disturbance  Diversity & Complexity  Water, Nutrients & Energy -after Carter et al., 2003 These factors can be managed! Soil Texture Soil Depth Soil Horizon Sequence These factors are difficult to manage! (Organic Matter)

18. Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis Diversity Disturbance frequency or intensity - Connell, 1978 -Neher, 1999, Carter et al., 2003, Andrews, 2003 / Function

19. Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis Diversity Disturbance frequency or intensity - Connell, 1978 -Neher, 1999, Carter et al., 2003, Andrews, 2003 / Function

20. Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis Diversity Disturbance frequency or intensity - Connell, 1978 -Neher, 1999, Carter et al., 2003, Andrews, 2003 / Function There are many paths to the sustainable land management

21. What is a disturbance? A natural or human induced stress Examples for agricultural systems include: Heavy traffic load Tillage Fertilizers Pesticides Monoculture Pollutants Saline irrigation water Grazing pressure Weeds Climate

22. Rotational Grazing is intermediate disturbance Reeder (2002) found the highest levels of SOM under intermediately grazed grasslands

23. Manage for Reduced Disturbance -after Carter et al., 2003 Types of Disturbance Physical Biological Chemical Management Strategies Minimize tillage Increase diversity Precision application

24. Conservation Tillage

25. Soil Function Time Disturbance Soil Resilience Decreasing with Time -Seybold et al., 1999 (with frequent disturbance )

26. Effect of Improved Management Soil Function Time Disturbance Reduced Disturbance -Seybold et al., 1999

27. Manage for Increased Diversity (biological disturbance) -after Carter et al., 2003 Some Types of Diversity & Complexity Species & Genetic Habitat Temporal Food Web ‘Health’ Targeted solutions Management Examples Cover crops, varieties Intercrop, trap crops Use of Rotations Organic amendments Limit-specific crops

28. Cover Crops (PMC SH Study)

29. The Roller Crimper The Roller Crimper

30. Tools to Apply SQ Principles to meet NRCS needs  Simple tools for conservation planning (CDSI)  DSP database and interpretations  Identify and quantify soil function  Agronomics, forestry, range, economics  Soil Health Management System Initiative

31. Tools for á la carte Assessment  Visual assessment to determine likely problems  Simple decision tool to aide choice of tests  Needs to be interactive to suggest appropriate tests by region and management system Observed ConcernRelated Soil FunctionSQ Indicator PondingWater partitioningPenetration, bulk density Gully erosionWater partitioningInfiltration, ocular estimate Poor yield areaProductivityCarbon; other limiting factors

32. Inventory of Dynamic Soil Properties (DSP)  Database of affects of management on function  Focus on reversibility of function loss (Arnold et al.,1990)  Different effects for various soils and climates  Useful to suggest mgt. alternatives and programs Productivity Land degradation 103 250 Land use impacts

33. SH Management Systems  Must adhere to principles of IDH by allowing many paths to build soil health  Can encourage innovation to address site- specific issues and management goals  Need a simple tool to mix and match practices  Tool can then point user to management templates or job aids, specific to building SH

34. Tool to Build a Custom SHMS PhysicalChemicalBiological Tillage and Residue MgtIntegrated Pest MgtCover Crops Controlled TrafficOrganic CertificationConservation Rotations Mulch ApplicationNutrient ManagementAlley Cropping Strip TillagePrecision ApplicationStrip Cropping Example: Choose a minimum of five practices, at least one from each disturbance category Could weight practices by effectiveness and require a minimum score (similar to CMT or SWET) Practices that Alleviate Physical, Chemical and Biological Disturbance

35. Summary  Soil Health and Quality are synonymous  Resistance and resilience dictate the soil’s function response to disturbance  Intermediate levels of disturbance, regardless of method, relate to higher function  For greatest sustainability, manage for:  Reduced physical, chemical & biological disturbance  Increases overall function and diversity  Increases system stability  Optimizes cycling of nutrients, water and energy

36. Questions? Contact: Susan Andrews susan.andrews@lin.usda.gov

37. “To skin and exhaust the land will result in undermining the days of our children.” Theodore Roosevelt