What is soil biological fertility?
Soil fertility is the combined effects of three major interacting components. These are the chemical, physical and biological characteristics of the soil. The physical and chemical characteristics of soil are far better understood than that of the biological component, therefore we know quite a lot about the desired chemical and physical status of soils. It is still difficult to define the desired biological status of soil because they are so dynamic and changes occur in much shorter time periods than physical and chemical changes. Biological fertility, while difficult to define, provides us with great opportunities for land management and monitoring because of its dynamic nature. It is thought the biological state of soils may be able to provide early warning of land degradation, therefore enable us to employ more sustainable land management practices. The biology of soil is complex and we need a better understanding of the mediatory effect that biological components have on chemical
