NewsDrop May 2023

FIELD RESEARCH PARK

Volunteers at the Field Research Park.

healthy soil, healthy water

Soil is often overlooked and undervalued as an important resource even though there are many reasons to consider soil health and appreciate the functions it serves for humans and our environment. Soil health is defined by the Nat ural Resources Conservation Ser vice to be the capacity of soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans.

Water quality is directly influenced by soil due to its ability to provide chem ical, biological, and physical filtration of water that is retained within it and infiltrates through it. Rainfall is relatively free from harm ful substances. However, surface runoff from rainfall can pick up con taminants, depending on what lies in the path of runoff. Soil’s ability to fil ter water depends on the health of the soil and other physical factors.

Infiltration of water into soil pro vides moisture for plants and the soil food web, which are the organ isms that live within the soil such as fungi, bacteria, protozoa, nema todes and arthropods, among other soil life. These organisms break down leaves, roots, stems and even feed on each other to create decom posed organic matter and carbon within the soil.

Field Research Park.

Healthy soils contribute to quality of crops, water, air, rangelands, forests, and wildlife. The EAA is particularly interested in how healthy soils are potentially con tributing to the quality and quantity of water entering the Edwards Aquifer.

While a majority of water enters the Edwards Aquifer through faults, fractures, and sinkholes within river and stream beds, what happens to that water before it gets there is important.

It is this soil organic matter that plays an important role in the capacity of soil to hold water and aid in purifying that water. There fore, healthy soil and water begin with the health of the soil food web.

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