The Effects Of Soil Management On Environmental Quality...

1. Literature Review Capacity of a soil to function in supporting important ecosystems without producing a negative interaction with the environment is referred to as soil quality (Larson and Pierce, 1991). This concept integrates physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil (Idowu et al, 2009). As there is an increased awareness regarding the impact of soil management on environmental quality and production of agriculture (Doran and Parkin, 1994), this concept of soil quality has gained increased attention all over the world (Idowu et al, 2009). These interactions determine the ability of the soil to perform some of its very important functions such as retention and release of nutrients, moisture, and resistance to degradation†¦show more content†¦Indicators of soil quality can be defined as those soil properties, which are most responsive to changes in soil processes (Andrews et al, 2004). These indicators play an important role in assessing the management-induced changes in the so il system. These must be diverse enough to represent the different physical, chemical and biological properties of the soil and the various soil processes (Gregorich et al, 1994; Doran and Parkin, 1996). Management Data set (MDS) has been created by using a group of selected soil quality indicators, which provide an evaluation of change in soil system as influenced by different management techniques. (Idowu et al, 2009). MDS has been created for a particular management goal (Andrews et al, 2002; Karlen et al, 2006). Easily measurable soil indicators are often required by the land managers for assessing the soil functions in relation to different management practices (Idowu et al, 2009). It was argued by Larson and Pierce (1991) that soil quality measurement should not be limited to agricultural productivity, as this concept has led to the degradation of the soil in the past. There is a need to develop a generalized assessment tool, which should be able to include the multiple soil functions in different combinations (Idowu et al, 2009). This will include the laboratory analysis, site-specific interpretations, and understanding the effect of management on a particular soil