In the field we can’t measure soil quality directly, so we use indicators to give us a sense of how well the soil functions. Indicators can be physical, chemical, and biological properties; we can also use visual clues from the morphology and condition of plants growing in the soil such as leaf color, size, and vigor of the plant.
Soil quality indicators affect soil health in different ways. Click the heading below to open the activity. You will be asked to complete the table by dragging each type of soil quality indicator in the list on the left to its appropriate location in the Indicator column.
