A Hierarchical Evaluation of Soil Quality Indicators in Disturbed Systems

Excerpt

Soil quality is defined as the capacity of soil to function within a specific kind of ecosystem in a manner that sustains plant and animal productivity, maintains or enhances water and air quality, and supports human health and habitation (Karlen et al. 1992). Soil quality is therefore not controlled or determined by any single process but is defined variably, depending on land use, ecosystem type, location, soil type, and interactions in the soil (Kennedy and Papendick 1995).

In recent years, a growing interest in soil quality has stemmed from the need to develop more sustainable land management (e.g., Arshad and Coen 1992; Karlen et al. 1992; Parr et al. 1992; Islam and Wed 2000). Most of this interest has focused on agricultur-al systems, and has been descriptive, rather than quantitative (Pierce and Larson 1993; Romig et al. 1995).

Soon, however, more people will live in cities than in rural areas. The National Science Foundation recently recognized the importance of urban areas through the extension of the Long Term …