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CURIOSOIL

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Topic 2.2 — Soil components & DIY soil testing

What does healthy soil mean?

Notebook and pencil
Take a moment to reflect. © Ehécatl Cabrera, CC BY-SA 4.0.

In recent years, the concept of soil health has become increasingly important in science, agriculture, and environmental policy. Soil health is often defined as the capacity of soil to function as a living system within ecosystem and land-use boundaries, sustaining plant and animal productivity, maintaining or enhancing water and air quality, and promoting plant and animal health.

At the same time, it is essential to approach the concept critically. What is considered "healthy" is always context dependent. Soils differ naturally according to climate, vegetation, parent material, and land-use history. A sandy soil in a dry environment will behave very differently from a clay-rich soil in a humid region, and neither is automatically better or worse.

Pause for a moment and reflect. What does "healthy soil" mean to you personally? How would you describe or recognise soil health in your environment?