HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Wagenet, R. J. Articles by Hutson, J. L. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Wagenet, R. J. Articles by Hutson, J. L. Agricola Articles by Wagenet, R. J. Articles by Hutson, J. L.

Soil Quality and its Dependence on Dynamic Physical Processes

Department of Soil, Crop and Atmospheric Sciences, Bradfield Hall, Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY 14853

^* Corresponding author (rjw4{at}cornell.edu).

ABSTRACT

Protecting the ability of the soil resource to operate for the benefit of all biological entities is a necessary and unarguable goal. Soils are central to life, and the processes that occur in soils are crucial components of the global ecosystem. Protecting these resources from deterioration as a result of human activities is the present focus of many, not only in the scientific community, but in society at-large. Ecologists, climatologists, hydrologists and, of course, agriculturalists are well aware of the importance of protecting soil quality. So too, have land-use planners, public works engineers, water quality specialists, and fertilizer and pesticide dealers become aware of the importance of maintaining the ability of soil to sustain plant growth, infiltrate and redistribute water and chemicals, and act as natural biological filters. The dynamic processes that exist in a soil system are the determinants of the soil's condition, or quality, at any one time. These dynamic processes determine the potential of the soil to, for example, redistribute water, allow gas exchange, and bear a load at a specific time. Prediction of soil quality must project the effect of these dynamic processes in current or proposed management systems, if soil quality is to be maintained or enhanced.