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Soil and Ecosystem Dynamics in Soil Survey NRCS Susan Andrews, Ph.D. Ecology NRSC NSSC National Leader Soil Quality and Ecosystems June 17, 2013

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Three Main Areas of Responsibility: Soil Quality (SQ) Soil Quality (SQ) Dynamic Soil Properties (DSPs) Dynamic Soil Properties (DSPs) Ecological Sites (ESs) Ecological Sites (ESs) 103 250

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1. Soil Quality in Soil Survey NRCS Soil Health Initiative NRCS Soil Health Initiative SQEB has technical development responsibility SQEB has technical development responsibility Emphasis on decision support and assessment tools Emphasis on decision support and assessment tools

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Soil Quality Definitions fitness for use - Larson & Pierce, 1991 capacity of the soil to function - Karlen et al. 1997

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reflects natural characteristics reflects natural characteristics based on soil forming factors based on soil forming factors climate, parent material, topography, and biota, all acting over time Jenny, 1941 climate, parent material, topography, and biota, all acting over time Jenny, 1941 INHERENT SOIL QUALITY DYNAMIC SOIL QUALITY -after Pierce and Larson, 1993 describes status or condition of soil result of land use or management practice Kinds of Soil Quality

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Relative Assessment Soil A Soil B Soil Function Inherent SQ Dynamic SQ 50% 85% Dynamic SQ with respect to Inherent capability - After Andrews et al., 2004

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Soil Health v. Soil Quality Soil health is used as a synonym for soil quality - Doran and Parkin, 1996 Soil health is used as a synonym for soil quality - Doran and Parkin, 1996 Minor exceptions: Minor exceptions: Health often includes only dynamic quality Health often includes only dynamic quality Health some greater emphasis on biology Health some greater emphasis on biology A soil may have poor inherent soil quality but still have good soil health. -Gregorich and Carter, 1997

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Improvement of Kits and Guides

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Tool to assess soil health, by: Tool to assess soil health, by: Selecting simple indicators Selecting simple indicators Interpreting results Interpreting results Based on function Based on function WRT inherent soil properties WRT inherent soil properties Providing basic management advice Providing basic management advice Part of the CDSI Mobile Planner Part of the CDSI Mobile Planner Will beta-test MS Access version Will beta-test MS Access version Soil Health RAT

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Soil Quality Priorities Develop tools and interpretations Develop tools and interpretations Revision of test kits and guides Revision of test kits and guides Identify and interpret effects of soil function Identify and interpret effects of soil function Simple tools for conservation planning (RAT) Simple tools for conservation planning (RAT) Advise the Soil Health Management Initiative Advise the Soil Health Management Initiative Inform trainers & others of the latest science Inform trainers & others of the latest science Inform farm bill policy Inform farm bill policy

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An inventory of soil change over the human time scale, due to: - human management - natural disturbance -Richter and Markowitz, 2001 Millennia Centuries Decades Decades and less - the management time scale Decades and less - the management time scale Decades to centuries - the recovery time scale Decades to centuries - the recovery time scale -Tugel et al., 2005 2. Dynamic Soil Properties in SS

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Improve Accuracy of SS Databases (and provide reference values for SQ indicators) Soil Database estimate Grassland-measured Cultivated- measured Aksarben 2-4 % 6.03.0 Monona 3.62.9 Important for C-sequestration, water holding capacity, agg. stability, pesticide applications, nutrient applications Important for C-sequestration, water holding capacity, agg. stability, pesticide applications, nutrient applications Soil organic matter (Grossman, unpublished)

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Develop Interpretations of Management Effects on Soil Function The importance of soil change is its affect on function. The importance of soil change is its affect on function. The consequences of change depend on its reversibility. (Arnold et al.,1990) The consequences of change depend on its reversibility. (Arnold et al.,1990) Productivity Land degradation 103 250 Land use impacts

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Differences in Resistance and Resilience Soil Function Time (years) Compaction Disturbance Soil with high resistance Soil with low resistance and high resilience -Seybold et al., 1999 Soil with low resistance and low resilience

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Main DSP Priorities Identify best ways to inform conservation Identify best ways to inform conservation Develop new methodologies to rapidly populate the database Develop new methodologies to rapidly populate the database Models and pedotransfer functions Models and pedotransfer functions Validation sampling design Validation sampling design Hire postdoc for data mining and modeling Hire postdoc for data mining and modeling Sampling, assessment & analyses training Sampling, assessment & analyses training Standards and database requirements Standards and database requirements

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3. Ecological Sites in Soil Survey Partnership with S&T Ecological Sciences Division and National Grazinglands Team Partnership with S&T Ecological Sciences Division and National Grazinglands Team New standards follow basic MLRA planning New standards follow basic MLRA planning Soil Survey offers procedures for control and assurance and the correlation process Soil Survey offers procedures for control and assurance and the correlation process To succeed, we (NCSS) must work in interdisciplinary teams To succeed, we (NCSS) must work in interdisciplinary teams

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Ecological Site Definition An ecological site is a distinctive kind of land based on: recurring soil, landform, geological, and climatic characteristics that differs from other kinds of land recurring soil, landform, geological, and climatic characteristics that differs from other kinds of land in its ability to produce distinctive kinds and amounts of vegetation, and in its ability to produce distinctive kinds and amounts of vegetation, and in its ability to respond similarly to management actions and natural disturbances. in its ability to respond similarly to management actions and natural disturbances.

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State-and-Transition Definitions STATE - a recognizable, resistant and resilient complex of two ecosystem components: the soil base and the vegetation structure - Soils help determine the sites capabilities - The interaction between soil and vegetation determines the functional status of the site and its inherent resistance to change. Stringham, et al., 2003 Time Vegetation attribute(s) Steady States

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TRANSITION - the trajectory of a change - change is precipitated by natural events, management actions, or both - degrades the integrity of one or more of the states primary ecological processes beyond the point of self-repair THRESHOLD boundary in space and time between two states - irreversible for practical purposes Time Vegetation attribute(s) thresholds transitions State-and-Transition Definitions

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Post oak/blackjack oak/little bluestem ESD, Missouri Hot summer burn and /or long-term grazing Burn, Site prep & Planting / Seeding. No grazing or limited controlled grazing Post oak/flowering dogwood/ tick trefoil-goldenrod. Multi- story. Canopy: 30-90 % Post oak/buckbrush (or similar) Lacks mid-story. Understory single species woody dominated Canopy: open 30-90% Pasture (improved) Non-native grass sod Abandonment for 20+ yr with recruitment of woody natives Harvest, site prep, seeding Westoby, et. al., 1989 Stringham et.al., 2001 State-and-Transition Model

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Working Definition of a Agroecological Site An agroecological site is a subset of an Ecological Site (ES) based on: recurring soil, landform, geological, and climatic characteristics that differs from other kinds of land (within one ES) recurring soil, landform, geological, and climatic characteristics that differs from other kinds of land (within one ES), and in its potential to support distinctive ranges of soil functions (as indicated by dynamic soil properties), and in its ability to respond similarly to management actions and natural disturbances. in its ability to respond similarly to management actions and natural disturbances.

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Low Degradation / Resilience Threshold Resource Concern / Function Threshold Soil Functions / Ecosystem Services High Attainable for Grain Rotations Production Group Grain Rotation Agricultural Production Groups within an Agroecological Site Forage Crops Vegetable Rotation Ecological Potential Attainable for Forage Crops Production Group Native/ Naturalize d States Land Management Optimization (LMO) Model

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Degradation / Resilience Threshold Resource Concern Threshold Soil Functions / Ecosystem Services Disturbance within one Agricultural Production Group Ecological Potential Attainable for Grain Rotations Production Group Grain Rotations Rotation, low-till, no cover crops Organic system w/ cover crops Monocrop, Deep tillage Continuous no-till w/ cover crops Diverse rotation, tillage Land Management Optimization for one Production Group

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Main ES Projects and Priorities ES Policy and Standards (final revisions) ES Policy and Standards (final revisions) Database Requirements (review stage) Database Requirements (review stage) ES for Additional Land Uses ES for Additional Land Uses Crop (pilot stage) & pasture (planning stage) Crop (pilot stage) & pasture (planning stage) Riparian (review stage) Riparian (review stage) Wetlands, Subaqueous (new, some work) Wetlands, Subaqueous (new, some work) Development of Hierarchical Classification Development of Hierarchical Classification Training, Communications and Outreach Training, Communications and Outreach

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Comments and Questions? Contact:susan.andrews@lin.usda.gov