Soil Health: Carbon/Nutrient/Water Cycle Dynamics

Soil Health Principles:

Biological
1. Maximize Biodiversity (Diverse SFW)
2. Provide Continuous Living Roots
3. Maximize Soil Cover
4. Minimize Disturbance Sena, NM
- Integrate Grazing where applicable O2 Soil
CO2 Physical Health Chemical
Soil carbon is the key
driver for farm profit
Top Soil (the Farmers Capital)
Microbes, Soil Fauna & Root Healthy Soils have high
& Respiration Carbon Use Efficiency
Predator-Prey Carbon is the key
Soil Solution
(Matric + Osmotic Potential) driver of the soil
Dissolved Temperature Dissolved nutrient-microbial
Oxygen (O2) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) recycling system.
CO2 + H2OSalinity (ECss)
H2CO3 pH HCO3- + H+ Carbon is
Root hair Gases like CO2. are more Shredders
(& Diverse microbes) also the key
particles.

(Exudates) soluble in cooler solutions

Fungi and Bacteria free-living Precipitated Minerals driver for soil
Soil

than they are in warmer

can solubilize N-fixing bacteria
solutions. Precipitation moisture
mineral elements holding
from the mineral soil
Nutrient Assimilation
pH capacity.
. Dissolution (Dr. Christine Jones)
Predation (by protozoa, nematodes & other)
Salinity e.g. Calcium Carbonate,
C:N Ratio Fungal:Bacterial Ratio (ECss/TDS) Porosphere
Calcium
Immobilization Mineralization Phosphate,
Gypsum
Soluble Nutrients (e.g., OC, ON, OP, NH4+, NO3-, other: K+, Ca2+)

Aggregatusphere NH4+ NH3 Biomolecules

Microbial Food

Desorption
Sorption
pH

Organo - mineral Pore Space

Complexes & (Relative Humidity ≈ 100%)
The Ammonium ion (NH4+) protected POM
is largely predominant at The Soil Food Web (SFW) is a
neutral or slightly basic pH. complex association of organisms
responsible for breaking down crop
rudy.garcia Percolation
Exchangeable residues and cycling plant-available
USDA is an equal opportunity provider & employer Cations nutrients in the soil (& forming
Agro.Tech.Note.76 (http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/nm/technical/?cid=nrcs144p2_068965) aggregates & SOM / Humus)