Summary
This review article, published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, critically appraises the concept of soil health, tracing its scientific and practical evolution and distinguishing it from related terms such as soil quality. The authors — prominent soil scientists — likely argue that soil health must integrate biological, chemical, and physical dimensions and be context-dependent, reflecting the capacity of soil to sustain ecosystem functions and services. The paper is expected to propose a forward-looking research agenda addressing gaps in measurement, governance, and cross-disciplinary integration of soil health science.
UK applicability
As a global conceptual review, the findings are broadly applicable to UK soil science, policy, and land management; they are particularly relevant given ongoing UK policy developments around soil health targets under the Environmental Land Management scheme and the Farming in Protected Landscapes programme.
Key measures
Soil health indicators (biological, chemical, physical); conceptual frameworks for soil function; ecosystem services metrics
Outcomes reported
The paper examines the conceptual foundations of soil health, critically reviews existing definitions and indicators, and outlines future directions for research and application across agricultural and natural ecosystems.
Topic tags
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