Soil Quality Assessment and Management

Key points 1. Soil quality is related to the capacity of soil to deliver ecosystem services on a sustainable basis. 2. Effective management of soil within grasslands can deliver many benefits to mankind but poor management may cause loss of soil quality from erosion, loss of organic matter, physical deterioration etc. 3. Services are delivered from soil by biological processes. Soil quality depends on the form and condition of the soil habitat. Fixed factors (e.g. texture) are useful for assigning soil to types. Variable factors (e.g. organic carbon) can then be used to assess quality within soil types, by reference to percentiles of the distribution of values for a given type. 4. Systematic monitoring of soil quality is useful for identifying the possible need for field level actions at regional to landscape scales. Assessment and management of soil quality at a local scale is supported more efficiently and effectively by in-field observation of soil profiles