Soil health is defined as the continued capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals and humans. This concept attracted significant attention as a potential approach to assess dynamics in soil biological function and resilience to stresses. Many farming systems are interested in using ecosystem-based management practices to enhance soil health and resilience. There is also an increasing interest in better understanding the functionalities of soil organic carbon (SOC) and their role in improvement of soil resilience and productivity. Ecosystem-based management can increase soil carbon storage, nutrient bioavailability and microbial biodiversity. However, the yield responses may also depend on environmental factors and soil initial properties. Therefore, proper understanding of soil functional health and resilience is essential to the sustainability of the agricultural ecosystem. This project assessed the role of ecosystem-based managements on quality and quantity of SOC and soil resilience. The project used the concept of soil resistance (ability of soil to maintain its functional stability after disturbance) and resilience (speed with which soil system can return to its pre-disturbance level) developed in Soil CRC Project 4.1.003 (led by Dr Rezaei Rashti) to assess the changes to soil function and resilience in long-term Soil CRC field sites.
Evaluating the role of ecosystem processes in the enhancement of soil carbon stocks and functional resilience – Final project report
