| Title | Assessing and monitoring the quality of rangeland soils: Early warning indicators of desertification |
| Publication Type | Conference Paper |
| Year of Publication | 1997 |
| Authors | Herrick JE, Whitford WG |
| Conference Name | International Symposium and Workshop Combating Desertification: Connecting Science with Community Action |
| Date Published | May 12-16, 1997 |
| Conference Location | Tucson, AZ |
| Abstract | Soil quality can be defined as the soil's capacity to perform selected functions, resist degradation, and recover after disturbance. Soil quality depends upon interactions between soil, soil microflora and fauna, and vegetation. Direct and indirect measures of these interactions may therefore serve as useful indicators of overall ecosystem condition. We examined several indicators of soil quality on grazing intensity gradients, exclosed as grazed plots, degration sequence plots, and plots subjected to ecosystem reconstruction. Indicators examined include penetrometer resistance, final infiltration rate, soil surface stability (resistance to slacking), soil surface properties, obstruction value of vegetation, and soil texture. Other soil properties examined include abundance of soil microarthropods and activity of organisms that cause soil turnover. We present approaches for calibrating data and linking data to ecosystem processes and an approach for combining indicators of soil quality for a variety of management objectives. |
Jornada
Science-based management strategies for sustainability of agriculture and other land uses
