Sustainable Geoenvironmental Engineering Practice - Sustainable Practices in Geoenvironmental Engineering - page 484

Data management
Climate database
Soil database
Agriculture database
Agroecological
evaluation modelling
Model application
via software, web, or GIS
Sustainable agricultural
soil management and use
FIGURE 13.7
Components of the MicroLEIS Decision Support System. (Adapted from de la Rosa et al., 2003.)
2006) is related to sustainable soil use and management. Some indicators are shown in
Table 13.1. Physical, chemical, and biological factors are included in soil quality. Soil
functions can be deined for crop growth, soil erosion or soil contamination, and thus
other indicators must be added to address soil contamination in particular. For example,
heavy metal contents as the result of sewage soil application or for contaminated site
remediation are well deined by legislation. Biological indicators are less advanced. New
TABLE 13.1
Soil Quality Indicators
Group Soil Quality Indicator
Physical Aggregate strength and stability
Bulk density
Soil compaction
Soil texture
Soil structure
Topsoil depth
Chemical Plant nutrients
Reaction pH
Salinity
Biological Organism population
Respiration rate
Source: USDA, Soil Quality Institute, Natural resources conservation services.
Available at http://soils.usda.gov/sqi/, 2009.