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See what healthy soil looks like File Type jpg | Picture Size 2850 x 1900 The rich, deep color of this soil indicates exactly what healthy soil looks like. Use of a diverse blend of crops, grasses, and cover crops creates a protective blanket that feeds and nurtures the soil. USDA-NRCS photo by Catherine Ulitsky. Keywords Soil. Soil Health. Organic matter. Cover crops. Crop residue. Location: MA Learn more at the &quot;Soil Health | NRCS&quot; web site: <a href="http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wp

Soil Health Literature

Literature compiled from peer-reviewed papers relating to the impact of conservation practices on soil properties important for soil health.

These files are compiled from peer-reviewed papers relating to the impact of conservation practices on soil physical and chemical properties important for soil health, as summarized by our soil health specialists. Please note that the peer-reviewed papers and conservation practices included are not exhaustive and will be added to periodically. While the literature review currently primarily focuses on soil physical and chemical properties and cropland, soil biological properties and economics and other land uses will be included in future revisions.

Summaries of Soil Health Literature

Soil Health Literature Summary Effects of Conservation Practices Jan. 2015 (886.73 KB)
Effects of Implementation of Soil Health Management Practices on Infiltration, Saturated Hydraulic Conductivity, and Runoff (660.77 KB)
Effects on Soil Water Holding Capacity and Soil Water Retention Resulting from Soil Health Management Practices Implementation (708.94 KB)


Practice Effects, Programs, etc.

Crop Residue Removal for Biomass Energy Production (284.16 KB)
Soil Quality Considerations in the Conversion of CRP Land to Crop Production (22.31 KB)
Protecting Urban Soil Quality (527.88 KB)
State and Transition Models and Dynamic Soil Properties Databases (144.64 KB)


Filterable Soil Health Literature Listings

Soil Health Literature Matrix Data Dictionary (235.49 KB)
Soil Health Literature - Matrix of Soil Properties (416.4 KB)
Soil Health Literature - Summaries and Citations (319.88 KB)

Soils and Science and Technology for Soil Health SharePoint - USDA employees and others with USDA Active Directory accounts have full access to reprints of peer-reviewed papers and the interactive database matrix, summaries, and citations.

"The Science Behind Healthy Soil: NRCS' Soil Health Literature Review Project" - Webinar, presented January 13, 2015, and designed primarily for USDA employees, covers how to use the Science, Soils & Technology for Soil Health SharePoint site, and is available on-demand. (requires no-cost registration at the Science and Technology Training Library).

"The Science Behind Healthy Soil: NRCS' Soil Health Literature Review Project" Webinar Slides (9.02 MB)