| News Details |
Soil Quality
2024-04-21
Assistant Professor Dr. Muneer Naji Ahmed
Head of the Natural Resources Development Department at the Upper Euphrates Basin Developing Center / University of Anbar
Soil is one of the important natural resources on which the elements of human life are based from food, clothing and others, man has realized since ancient times the importance of soil and the importance of preserving it, Civilizations have prevailed and sustained throughout the ages in places where fertile soils are available that have the elements of sustainability, the soil is a dynamic natural body consisting of a mixture of different sizes of mineral particles (sand, silt, clay), organic materials and multiple types of living organisms, and therefore the soil has biological, chemical and physical properties, some of which are dynamic, the soil has many important services and functions, it supports the growth and diversity of plants and animals by providing the biological, chemical and physical environment necessary for the exchange of both water and nutrients. Energy and air. The soil also regulates the distribution of irrigation water between infusion and surplus, the flow and storage of water and dissolved nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, pesticides and other nutrients and compounds dissolved in water, and also stores the soil and facilitates the process of launching nutrients for plants and other elements and works to organize their production periodically, as well as works to support plant life and plays many functions in the ecosystem and that any deterioration that occurs in soil qualities will reflect negatively on human life and various living organisms, Deforestation, overgrazing, salinization and desertification are factors that lose the soil ability to carry out its tasks and this is related to the various processes of soil management by humans.
Soil quality is the ability of a particular type of soil to function within the limits of a natural or tropical ecosystem, in order to maintain plant and animal productivity, maintain or improve water and air quality, and support human health and habitat. Soil quality reflects the performance of soil functions for biodiversity conservation and productivity. The idea of soil quality should include soil productivity, soil fertility, soil degradation, and environmental quality. The term soil quality is used to compare the capabilities of one soil with another to assess the value or suitability of the soil for specific uses, the assessment of soil quality depends on its physical, chemical and biological qualities, and these qualities are subject to soil management processes by humans, management options affect the amount of organic matter in the soil, soil structure, and the ability to retain water and nutrients. One of the objectives of soil quality research is to learn how to manage soils in a way that improves their functions, soil quality is the focal point for assessing and maintaining healthy soil resources, the ability of soil to perform any of the specific functions (at certain levels) depends on its physical, biological and chemical properties also referred to as internal qualities. Achieving performance is conditional on natural factors (such as regression) or factors referred to as external factors. Both internal characteristics and external factors depend on time and human, among the most influential players, change performance directly or indirectly. Maintaining soil quality is a condition for sustainability Sustainable soil management is defined according to the revised Global Soil Charter as follows: Soil management is sustainable if the support, supply, organization and cultural services provided by the soil are maintained or enhanced without significantly compromising either the soil functions that enable these services or biodiversity. Of particular concern is the balance between support and supply services for plant production and soil regulation services to ensure water quality, availability and the atmospheric composition of greenhouse gases.
The guide finds that there are challenges to achieving sustainable soil management, as soils have diverse chemical, physical and biological properties. As a result, soil types respond differently to management practices, their potential to provide ecosystem services, as well as their resilience to disruption and risk of degradation. These threats include: soil erosion by water and wind, loss of organic carbon in soil, nutrient imbalance in soil, soil salinization, pollution, and acidification, loss of soil biodiversity, clogged soil pores, soil compactness, and waterlogging. The guide argues that these threats vary in intensity and directions vary according to geographical contexts, although all of them need to be addressed in order to achieve sustainable soil management.
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