Issue:
When soil is left exposed or repeatedly damaged it can cause decreased fertility, compaction, and erosion of soils into our waterways. For example, damaging agricultural practices combined with a drought caused the Dust Bowl and contributed to the Great Depression.
Functions & Benefits
Healthy soil is the foundation of any garden or landscape and includes nutrients, a developed structure, and millions of microorganisms. It can take hundreds of years to form just 1 inch of topsoil. But when soil is managed properly, it can regenerate, support plant growth, provide habitat, and store and filter water.
How to Promote Soil Health
- Cover soil with plants or mulch to armor it against erosion, compaction, high temperatures, evaporation, and weeds.
- Minimize Disturbance such as tilling or overgrazing to maintain soil structure and prevent compaction, ponding, or crusting.
- Plant a diversity of species to encourage microorganism growth and the resulting nutrient development.
- Maintain living roots to prevent erosion and compaction and increase nutrient, pore space, and water infiltration.
- Integrate livestock to help balance carbon-nitrogen ratios and manage for weeds.