Link to Macaulay Land Use Research Institute homepageSoil Quality
 
 

Soil is a key resource for mankind. It provides a number of functions that are vital to the environment and for societies across the world. The quality of soil - its ability to provide these various functions - depends on many different processes that reflect biological, chemical and physical interactions.

Understanding how soils carry out its functions is imperative if we are to maintain soil quality to meet the needs of society.

Our understanding of these processes will help inform the development of management techniques capable of maintaining and improving the condition of soil for current and future needs.

Field of potatoes
 
Related Projects

National Soil Inventory of Scotland resampling

Soil biodiversity



News

Scottish scientists dig around for worms
Such is the importance of earthworms to Scotland’s soil, scientists from SCRI, Scotland’s leading crop research institute at Dundee and the Macaulay Land Use Research Institute are joining forces to conduct a nationwide survey of them.

• Re-sampling
The National Soils Inventory is a regular grid of sample locations that were sampled in 1978 – 87 and we are currently re-sampling to measure any changes in the last 25 years, test new indicators of soil health, test UK and EU monitoring methods, and report on the status and stock of organic carbon and nutrients in the soil and their risk from threats such as climate change.

 

 

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