HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Abstract Full Text Free Full Text (PDF) Free An erratum has been published Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (4) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Tugel, A. J. Articles by Hipple, K. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Tugel, A. J. Articles by Hipple, K. GeoRef GeoRef Citation Agricola Articles by Tugel, A. J. Articles by Hipple, K. Related Collections Plant and Soil Interactions Carbon Sequestration Soil Models Pedology Other Soil Management

Soil Change, Soil Survey, and Natural Resources Decision Making

A Blueprint for Action

^a USDA-NRCS, Box 30003, 3JER, Las Cruces, NM 88003
^b USDA-ARS, Jornada Experimental Range, Las Cruces, NM 88003
^c USDA-NRCS, Las Cruces, NM 88003
^d USDA-NRCS, Washington, DC 20250
^e USDA-NRCS, Washington, DC 20250
^f USDA-NRCS, Lincoln, NE 68508

View larger version (35K): [in a new window]   Fig. 1. Relative time scales of change. Soil change, a function of soil-forming factors, occurs over the pedogenic time scale (periods up to a few million years) and its subset, the human time scale (periods of centuries, decades, or less). Human factors can drive the degradation of an Alfisol from a state high in soil organic matter (SOM) to a state low in SOM, and eventually to an eroded soil phase of the Alfisol.

View larger version (26K): [in a new window]   Fig. 2. Centurial trends and decadal soil changes in response to management. Simulated soil organic carbon (SOC) of a sandy loam grassland soil (0–20 cm), La Copita Experimental Range, TX, for the period 1750 to 2000 (Hibbard, 1995; redrawn from Archer, 1989; Archer et al., 2001) illustrates two levels of equilibrium trend (Arnold et al., 1990) over periods of centuries. Attributes of change reflected in the decadal changes between 1850 and 1900 include pathways and rates of change and a possible threshold value. Historical levels of SOC decreased as the plant community shifted from tall- and mid-height perennial grasses to short perennial grasses and annuals in response to the onset of heavy grazing (1850s) followed by absence of fire. The historical range of variability is not fully depicted and depends on the frequency of observations. The SOC levels (0–20 cm) are higher in areas where woody plants encroach this grassland creating an even greater potential range of soil variability.

View larger version (24K): [in a new window]   Fig. 3. Function, disturbances, resistance, and resilience. Each soil can have unique resistance to disturbances and resilience to recover from the disturbances. Soil A resists the disturbance. Soil functional capacity declines for Soils B and C after the disturbance. Soil B recovers its functional capacity; Soil C does not. Redrawn from Herrick and Wander (1998) and Seybold et al. (1999).

View larger version (29K): [in a new window]   Fig. 4. A multicomponent blueprint for action. The strategy for including soil change information in agency soil survey programs is an iterative process.