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Soil health indicators for water-limited regions: sensitivity to compost and cropping intensification

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dc.contributor.authorNoble Strohm, Tess, author
dc.contributor.authorSchipanski, Meagan, advisor
dc.contributor.authorFonte, Steven, advisor
dc.contributor.authorRoss, Matthew, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2024-09-09T20:51:18Z
dc.date.available2024-09-09T20:51:18Z
dc.date.issued2024
dc.description.abstractIn the water-limited agroecosystems of the Great Plains, USA, management strategies such as compost application and cropping system intensification have been promoted to increase soil health and help adapt to climatic variability. However, accurately assessing soil health to support production systems in such regions hinges upon a selection of indicators sensitive to management and linked to essential soil functions, especially those related to soil water dynamics. Using a suite of soil physical and biological parameters, this study assessed the effects of management on soil health metrics and evaluated the extent to which these metrics were related to soil water dynamics utilizing long-term studies in Akron, CO, and Clovis, NM. Soil physical indicators included aggregate stability (mean weight diameter; MWD), bulk density and saturated hydraulic conductivity, while biological indicators included measures of soil macrofauna and microbial communities. Compost application was the primary driver of increased aggregate stability and abundance of soil biota at both sites, though effects of cropping system intensification were observed for some indicators. Measures of soil microbial abundance were correlated with MWD, but saturated hydraulic conductivity was generally not correlated with other measured variables. Our findings indicate that MWD and microbial abundance are linked and sensitive to management, and further research to connect measures of soil biological and physical health to soil water dynamics in semi-arid systems is necessary to develop regionally relevant frameworks for soil health assessments.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierNobleStrohm_colostate_0053N_18571.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/239184
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2020-
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectcompost
dc.subjectsoil health
dc.subjectagroecology
dc.subjectwater-limited
dc.subjectcropping intensification
dc.titleSoil health indicators for water-limited regions: sensitivity to compost and cropping intensification
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineSoil and Crop Sciences
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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