The minerals and microbes in soil are responsible for filtering, buffering, degrading, immobilizing, and detoxifying organic and inorganic materials, including industrial and municipal by-products and atmospheric deposits. Carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and many other nutrients are stored, transformed, and cycled through soil. Buildings need stable soil for support, and archeological treasures associated with human habitation are protected in soils. Inherent soil quality is a soil s natural ability to function. For example, sandy soil drains faster than clayey soil.
Deep soil has more room for roots than soils with bedrock near the surface.
These characteristics do not change easily. Dynamic soil quality is how soil changes depending on how it is managed. Management choices affect the amount of soil organic matter, soil structure, soil depth, water and nutrient holding capacity. One goal of soil quality research is to learn how to manage soil in a way that improves soil function. Soils respond differently to management depending on the inherent properties of the soil and the surrounding landscape.