Soil conservation

Abstract

Soil fertility relies primarily on the presence of organic matter in soil, as it is the substrate for the vital processes needed for plant growth. Organic matter is the most important component of soils because of its influence on soil structure and stability and it plays the principal role in maintaining soil functions. For many relevant problems, such as physical soil degradation, soil carbon (C) concentrations in the topsoil are more meaningful than total carbon content. From the C storage point of view (C sequestration), ideally, changes in the SOM should refer to equivalent soil masses (C stocks).