The Science Behind Healthy Soil: NRCS' Soil Health Literature Review Project

Presented by:
Mike Kucera, Agronomist, USDA NRCS National Soil Survey Center, Soil Quality and Ecosystems Branch, Lincoln, NE
View the webinar at conservationwebinars.net to earn CEUs.
Soil Health Literature Review - www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/n...
Join the webinar for an overview of the USDA NRCS Soil Health Literature Review Project and its accompanying public Web site and USDA employee SharePoint that provide access to a searchable database of journal references related to physical and chemical soil health properties and conservation practices.
With more than 180 peer-reviewed journal articles reviewed for the impacts of conservation practices on soil physical and chemical properties important for soil health, NRCS' Soil Health Literature Review Project provides a scientific underpinning for the Agency's soil health initiative. While the literature review currently focuses primarily on soil physical properties and to a limited extent on chemical properties, biological properties and economic impacts are also being targeted for future summary and inclusion in the project. The peer-reviewed articles are not exhaustive, and the USDA employee SharePoint provides the ability for staff to submit a journal article to be included in the literature review.
All literature review users, whether public or USDA, are provided access to an interactive matrix for displaying journal article short citations sorted/filtered by common conservation practices, soil properties, irrigated or dryland management, moisture and temperature regimes, and other items. Public users receive access to the matrix via an Excel spreadsheet; USDA employees also have access to SharePoint. All users are provided access to the full citations and short summaries for each article. USDA employees are provided access to the full articles via SharePoint.
The 2014 Soil Health Literature Review Project was designed to support the soil health initiative’s science-based approach. It is a collaborative project involving NRCS' Soil Science and Resource Assessment and Science and Technology Deputy Areas.
Participants will gain an understanding of the literature review products available to them.