Methods for assessing soil quality

Abstract

Everyone is in favor of excellent water and air quality. Likewise no one would argue against having excellent soil quality. The concepts of water quality and air quality have been accepted by both the public and the scientific community. For example, if water is suitable for drinking or human consumption, it is considered to have acceptable water quality. For many, the concept of soil quality is newer and the standard against which soil quality is compared has not been as well defined. In fact, soil quality is evaluated against the intended use of the soil. It is for this reason that the concept of soil quality is still a bit controversial. What is soil quality anyway? Soil quality, as referenced in the preface of this publication, states that it is “the capacity of the soil, within land use and ecosystem boundaries, to sustain biological productivity, maintain environmental quality, and promote plant, animal, and human health”. An SSSA-ASA symposium in 1992 entitled “Defining Soil Quality for A Sustainable Environment” attempted to define more clearly the soil quality concept. The contents of that symposium were published in 1994 in SSSA Special Publication 35.