Knowra Soil health Soil health Soil health is the capacity of soil to function as a living ecosystem, sustaining plants, animals, and people while maintaining environmental roles such as water filtration and nutrient cycling.
Soil structure : The arrangement of soil particles into aggregates and pores that shapes water movement, aeration, and root growth. Stable aggregates and connected pores are physical foundations of healthy soil.
Nutrient cycling : The movement and transformation of nutrients among organisms, soil, water, and the atmosphere. Soil organisms make nutrients available to plants and return them through decomposition.
Cover cropping : Growing crops primarily to cover and protect soil rather than to harvest them. Living cover reduces erosion and can add roots and organic matter between cash crops.
Soil carbon sequestration : The transfer and storage of carbon in soil organic matter and other soil pools. Soil management can influence carbon storage, although gains depend on place and persistence.
Soil quality : The capacity of soil to function within natural or managed ecosystem boundaries and sustain productivity and environmental quality. The term overlaps with soil health but often emphasizes measurable capacity and management goals.
Soil organic matter : The decomposing and living carbon-containing material in soil, including plant residues, organisms, and humus. It supports nutrient supply, water retention, aggregation, and microbial activity.
Soil aggregation : The binding of soil particles into aggregates by organic compounds, roots, fungi, and other agents. Aggregates create pore spaces that support infiltration, aeration, and resistance to erosion.
Conservation agriculture : A farming approach based on minimal soil disturbance, continuous soil cover, and crop diversification. Its practices target soil structure, erosion control, and biological function.
Watershed : An area of land that drains water to a shared outlet or water body. Soil condition affects runoff, sediment, and water quality across the whole drainage area.
Soil resilience : The capacity of soil to resist disturbance or recover its functions after disturbance. Resilience asks whether healthy functioning persists through drought, cultivation, or other stress.
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