Summary

The demand for agricultural products with the increasing global population drives the use of intensive cultivation practices and consequently may affect soil health. However, maintaining soil health can preserve sustainable agriculture, increasing social resilience and food security. Understanding the linkages between indicators of soil health, such as soil aggregate stability, soil organic carbon, and soil microbial community structure, can help to build valuable tools for sustainable agriculture systems. This study examines 1m soil cores split into four depths and taken from three contrasting management practices (adaptive multi-paddock grazing, rotational grazing, and annual cropping) from the Dry Mixed Grass ecoregion Taber site in Alberta, Canada. Soil organic carbon was determined by combustion. And soil physical and chemical data were gathered from Lethbridge University. This study assesses how soil organic carbon, total soil carbon, and total soil nitrogen might be influenced under various environmental and land management conditions. We will evaluate whether soil organic carbon is a good indicator for defining soil health. Changes to soil properties will be discussed. The results will inform land users and agricultural stakeholders for more sustainable management of their lands in the future.