Soil quality is an account of the soil’s ability to provide ecosystem and social services through its capacities to perform its functions under changing conditions.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service,
Soil quality is the capacity of a specific kind of soil to function, within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries, to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain or enhance water and air quality, and support human health and habitation.
Soil quality is said to be a measure of the condition of soil relative to the requirements of one or more biotic species and or to any human need or purpose.
Soil quality reflects how well a soil performs the functions of maintaining biodiversity and productivity, partitioning water and solute flow, filtering and buffering, nutrient cycling, and providing support for plants and other structures. Soil management has a major impact on soil quality.
Soil quality in agricultural terms is measured on a scale of soil value (Bodenwertzahl) in Germany.
Read more about Soil Quality: See Also
Famous quotes containing the words soil and/or quality:
“Let the soil squeal I am the biting man
And the velvet dead inch out.”
—Dylan Thomas (1914–1953)
“The quality of mercy is not strained.
It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest:
It blesseth him that gives, and him that takes.
‘Tis mightiest in the mightiest. It becomes
The thronèd monarch better than his crown.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)