Soil and Ecosystem Dynamics in Soil Survey NRCS Susan Andrews,
Ph.D. Ecology NRSC NSSC National Leader Soil Quality and Ecosystems
June 17, 2013
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Three Main Areas of Responsibility: Soil Quality (SQ) Soil
Quality (SQ) Dynamic Soil Properties (DSPs) Dynamic Soil Properties
(DSPs) Ecological Sites (ESs) Ecological Sites (ESs) 103 250
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1. Soil Quality in Soil Survey NRCS Soil Health Initiative NRCS
Soil Health Initiative SQEB has technical development
responsibility SQEB has technical development responsibility
Emphasis on decision support and assessment tools Emphasis on
decision support and assessment tools
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Soil Quality Definitions fitness for use - Larson & Pierce,
1991 capacity of the soil to function - Karlen et al. 1997
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reflects natural characteristics reflects natural
characteristics based on soil forming factors based on soil forming
factors climate, parent material, topography, and biota, all acting
over time Jenny, 1941 climate, parent material, topography, and
biota, all acting over time Jenny, 1941 INHERENT SOIL QUALITY
DYNAMIC SOIL QUALITY -after Pierce and Larson, 1993 describes
status or condition of soil result of land use or management
practice Kinds of Soil Quality
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Relative Assessment Soil A Soil B Soil Function Inherent SQ
Dynamic SQ 50% 85% Dynamic SQ with respect to Inherent capability -
After Andrews et al., 2004
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Soil Health v. Soil Quality Soil health is used as a synonym
for soil quality - Doran and Parkin, 1996 Soil health is used as a
synonym for soil quality - Doran and Parkin, 1996 Minor exceptions:
Minor exceptions: Health often includes only dynamic quality Health
often includes only dynamic quality Health some greater emphasis on
biology Health some greater emphasis on biology A soil may have
poor inherent soil quality but still have good soil health.
-Gregorich and Carter, 1997
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Improvement of Kits and Guides
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Tool to assess soil health, by: Tool to assess soil health, by:
Selecting simple indicators Selecting simple indicators
Interpreting results Interpreting results Based on function Based
on function WRT inherent soil properties WRT inherent soil
properties Providing basic management advice Providing basic
management advice Part of the CDSI Mobile Planner Part of the CDSI
Mobile Planner Will beta-test MS Access version Will beta-test MS
Access version Soil Health RAT
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Soil Quality Priorities Develop tools and interpretations
Develop tools and interpretations Revision of test kits and guides
Revision of test kits and guides Identify and interpret effects of
soil function Identify and interpret effects of soil function
Simple tools for conservation planning (RAT) Simple tools for
conservation planning (RAT) Advise the Soil Health Management
Initiative Advise the Soil Health Management Initiative Inform
trainers & others of the latest science Inform trainers &
others of the latest science Inform farm bill policy Inform farm
bill policy
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An inventory of soil change over the human time scale, due to:
- human management - natural disturbance -Richter and Markowitz,
2001 Millennia Centuries Decades Decades and less - the management
time scale Decades and less - the management time scale Decades to
centuries - the recovery time scale Decades to centuries - the
recovery time scale -Tugel et al., 2005 2. Dynamic Soil Properties
in SS
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Improve Accuracy of SS Databases (and provide reference values
for SQ indicators) Soil Database estimate Grassland-measured
Cultivated- measured Aksarben 2-4 % 6.03.0 Monona 3.62.9 Important
for C-sequestration, water holding capacity, agg. stability,
pesticide applications, nutrient applications Important for
C-sequestration, water holding capacity, agg. stability, pesticide
applications, nutrient applications Soil organic matter (Grossman,
unpublished)
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Develop Interpretations of Management Effects on Soil Function
The importance of soil change is its affect on function. The
importance of soil change is its affect on function. The
consequences of change depend on its reversibility. (Arnold et
al.,1990) The consequences of change depend on its reversibility.
(Arnold et al.,1990) Productivity Land degradation 103 250 Land use
impacts
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Differences in Resistance and Resilience Soil Function Time
(years) Compaction Disturbance Soil with high resistance Soil with
low resistance and high resilience -Seybold et al., 1999 Soil with
low resistance and low resilience
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Main DSP Priorities Identify best ways to inform conservation
Identify best ways to inform conservation Develop new methodologies
to rapidly populate the database Develop new methodologies to
rapidly populate the database Models and pedotransfer functions
Models and pedotransfer functions Validation sampling design
Validation sampling design Hire postdoc for data mining and
modeling Hire postdoc for data mining and modeling Sampling,
assessment & analyses training Sampling, assessment &
analyses training Standards and database requirements Standards and
database requirements
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3. Ecological Sites in Soil Survey Partnership with S&T
Ecological Sciences Division and National Grazinglands Team
Partnership with S&T Ecological Sciences Division and National
Grazinglands Team New standards follow basic MLRA planning New
standards follow basic MLRA planning Soil Survey offers procedures
for control and assurance and the correlation process Soil Survey
offers procedures for control and assurance and the correlation
process To succeed, we (NCSS) must work in interdisciplinary teams
To succeed, we (NCSS) must work in interdisciplinary teams
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Ecological Site Definition An ecological site is a distinctive
kind of land based on: recurring soil, landform, geological, and
climatic characteristics that differs from other kinds of land
recurring soil, landform, geological, and climatic characteristics
that differs from other kinds of land in its ability to produce
distinctive kinds and amounts of vegetation, and in its ability to
produce distinctive kinds and amounts of vegetation, and in its
ability to respond similarly to management actions and natural
disturbances. in its ability to respond similarly to management
actions and natural disturbances.
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State-and-Transition Definitions STATE - a recognizable,
resistant and resilient complex of two ecosystem components: the
soil base and the vegetation structure - Soils help determine the
sites capabilities - The interaction between soil and vegetation
determines the functional status of the site and its inherent
resistance to change. Stringham, et al., 2003 Time Vegetation
attribute(s) Steady States
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TRANSITION - the trajectory of a change - change is
precipitated by natural events, management actions, or both -
degrades the integrity of one or more of the states primary
ecological processes beyond the point of self-repair THRESHOLD
boundary in space and time between two states - irreversible for
practical purposes Time Vegetation attribute(s) thresholds
transitions State-and-Transition Definitions
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Post oak/blackjack oak/little bluestem ESD, Missouri Hot summer
burn and /or long-term grazing Burn, Site prep & Planting /
Seeding. No grazing or limited controlled grazing Post
oak/flowering dogwood/ tick trefoil-goldenrod. Multi- story.
Canopy: 30-90 % Post oak/buckbrush (or similar) Lacks mid-story.
Understory single species woody dominated Canopy: open 30-90%
Pasture (improved) Non-native grass sod Abandonment for 20+ yr with
recruitment of woody natives Harvest, site prep, seeding Westoby,
et. al., 1989 Stringham et.al., 2001 State-and-Transition
Model
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Working Definition of a Agroecological Site An agroecological
site is a subset of an Ecological Site (ES) based on: recurring
soil, landform, geological, and climatic characteristics that
differs from other kinds of land (within one ES) recurring soil,
landform, geological, and climatic characteristics that differs
from other kinds of land (within one ES), and in its potential to
support distinctive ranges of soil functions (as indicated by
dynamic soil properties), and in its ability to respond similarly
to management actions and natural disturbances. in its ability to
respond similarly to management actions and natural
disturbances.
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Low Degradation / Resilience Threshold Resource Concern /
Function Threshold Soil Functions / Ecosystem Services High
Attainable for Grain Rotations Production Group Grain Rotation
Agricultural Production Groups within an Agroecological Site Forage
Crops Vegetable Rotation Ecological Potential Attainable for Forage
Crops Production Group Native/ Naturalize d States Land Management
Optimization (LMO) Model
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Degradation / Resilience Threshold Resource Concern Threshold
Soil Functions / Ecosystem Services Disturbance within one
Agricultural Production Group Ecological Potential Attainable for
Grain Rotations Production Group Grain Rotations Rotation,
low-till, no cover crops Organic system w/ cover crops Monocrop,
Deep tillage Continuous no-till w/ cover crops Diverse rotation,
tillage Land Management Optimization for one Production Group
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Main ES Projects and Priorities ES Policy and Standards (final
revisions) ES Policy and Standards (final revisions) Database
Requirements (review stage) Database Requirements (review stage) ES
for Additional Land Uses ES for Additional Land Uses Crop (pilot
stage) & pasture (planning stage) Crop (pilot stage) &
pasture (planning stage) Riparian (review stage) Riparian (review
stage) Wetlands, Subaqueous (new, some work) Wetlands, Subaqueous
(new, some work) Development of Hierarchical Classification
Development of Hierarchical Classification Training, Communications
and Outreach Training, Communications and Outreach