How Does Land Use And Management Affect Soil Quality?

1 Introduction
Changes in land use and management can affect soil characteristics as well as soil quality. The term soil quality can be defined as the overall activity of a soil within an ecosystem that preserves biological activity and environmental quality, thus promoting plant and animal health (Doran et al. 1994). Alterations in soil properties and processes can affect functions that soils perform in the environment, which in turn influence patterns of plant growth (Ahuja 2003). Changes in land use influence several soil processes, such as oxidation, mineralization, leaching, and erosion, thus modifying soil function (Wang et al. 2001). Therefore, serious concerns about soil quality exist. In this context, concerns about soil as a major
Estimation of soil-quality indices (SQIs) is a common and easy way to quantify soil quality (Andrews et al. 2002); they can improve understanding of soil ecosystems and allow more efficient soil management (Wang and Gong 1998). There is no universal method or tool to assess soil quality, although conceptual frameworks and models have been proposed to evaluate soil quality based on a three-step process involving indicator selection, indicator scoring, and integration of scores into an index (Andrews et al.
At present, approximately 60% of the study area (Jafarabad region of Golestan Province, Iran) has changed in recent years from forest to agricultural land and subsequently runoff and soil erosion have increased. However, the impact of this conversion on parameters of soil quality is unknown. The present study evaluated the influence of different land-use types on soil physicochemical properties in loess soils of Jafarabad region of Golestan province, Iran. The specific aims of the current study were (i) to monitor the variability of soil biological properties in four land-use types (forestland, grassland, orchard land, and arable land) and (ii) to assess the impact of these different land-use types on soil quality by studying a combination of biological attributes of the soil. The results are expected to provide information on loss of soil quality and thus be useful for adoption of practical management strategies in the