The Soil: Physical, Chemical, and Biological Properties

This chapter provides a basic description of soil as a crucial resource for agriculture. Soil is a dynamic and living entity where complex interactions among its biological, chemical, and physical components take place. These components and their interactions determine the functioning of the soil; this functioning underlies the concept of “soil quality.” Soil quality is the capacity of soil to function within ecosystem boundaries to sustain ecosystem services, between them the biological productivity, and maintaining environmental quality. Thus, any given approach to soil quality will depend on each particular ecosystem. Land use and management can have a profound impact on soil quality that results in improvements or constraints for the productivity of agricultural lands and for agricultural sustainability in the long term.