What Constitutes Healthy Soil in Riparian Ecosystems? Contrasting and Relating Soil Properties Between Riparian and Upland Zones
Charles Peacock1
1USDA-NRCS, MLRA Soil Survey Office, Grand Junction, Colorado, USA; charles.peacock@co.usda.gov
The explosion of interest in soil health (quality) in the agriculture sector in recent years has prompted questions about how these concepts apply to soils in riparian ecosystems. What makes healthy riparian soil and how does that compare to healthy soil properties in an agriculture setting? Do the same management principles apply (such as the 5 NRCS principles)? From a watershed perspective - What are the relationships between uplands and riparian lands in regard to soil properties and management? The purpose of this presentation and poster is not to provide succinct or definitive answers to these questions specifically but rather a call to encourage continued thinking and discussion to address them. The basics of agricultural soil health will be presented but the bulk of the presentation will be formatted towards a question and answer discussion versus a lecture regarding soil health in riparian systems.
