Alternative Soil Function Lists

While there is no dispute that soils provides very important and useful services, there is no one way to categorize these services. Scientists have grouped these services in various ways, some of which are listed below.

Larson and Pierce, 1991

Provide a medium for plant growth and biological activity
Regulate and partition water flow and storage in the environment
Serve as an environmental filter and buffer in the immobilization and degradation of environmentally hazardous compounds

Dailey, 1997

Buffering & moderation of hydrological cycle
Disposal of wastes and dead organic matter
Physical support
Retention and delivery of nutrients
Renewal of soil fertility
Regulation of elemental cycles

Doran & Parkin, 1994

Sustain plant & animal productivity
Maintain or enhance water & air quality
Support human health & habitation

Seybold et al., 1997

Sustain biological activity, diversity, & productivity
Providing support for socioeconomic structures
Protection of archeological treasures associated with human habitation
Water and solute flow
Filtering & buffering of contaminants
Nutrient cycling

Karlen et al., 1994

Water entry, retention and supply
Resistance to stress and disturbance
Plant growth

Harris et al., 1996

nutrient relations
water relations
toxicant relations
pathogen relations
rooting relations
aesthetic relations
physical stability

Also see Singer and Ewing, 2000. Section 11.2.1, p. G-276, in Handbook of Soil Science.

Dailey, G. 1997. Nature's Services. Island Press, Washington DC.

Doran, J.W. and T.B. Parkin. 1994. Defining and assessing soil quality. In J.W. Doran, D. C. Coleman, D.F. Bezdicek and B.A. Stewart, eds. Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment. SSSA, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Harris, R.F., D.L. Karlen and D.J. Mulla. 1996. A conceptual framework for assessment and management of soil quality and health. In J.W. Doran and A.J. Jones, eds. Methods for Assessing Soil Quality. SSSA, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Karlen, D.L. and D.E. Stott. 1994. A framework for evaluating physical and chemical indicators of soil quality. In J.W. Doran, D.C. Coleman, D.F. Bezdicek and B.A. Stewart, eds. Defining Soil Quality for a Sustainable Environment. SSSA, Inc., Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Larson, W.E. and F.J. Pierce. 1991. Conservation and enhancement of soil quality. Evaluation of Sustainable Land Management in the Developing World, International Board for Soil Research and Management, Bangkok, Thailand.

Seybold, C.A., M.J. Mausbach, D.L. Karlen and H.H. Rogers. 1997. Quantification of soil quality. In R. Lal, J.M. Kimble, R.F. Follett and B.A. Stewart, eds. Soil Processes and the Carbon Cycle. CRC Press. Washington, D.C., USA.

Singer, M.J., and S. Ewing. 2000. Soil Quality. In: M.E. Sumner (Ed.-in-Chief) Handbook of Soil Science. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.