ABSTRACT
The soil ecosystem is composed of a diverse array of organisms carrying out crucial services, including nutrient cycling, filtering of pollutants, and maintaining conditions favorable for plant growth. In agricultural systems, the methods employed to control weed populations in crop fields can have both adverse and stimulatory effects on the organisms present in soil and the functions they carry out. Some of the more commonly used weed control practices include tillage, cover crops, and herbicide application. This chapter discusses how each of these weed management strategies influence soil ecosystems and soil health, with respect to chemical, physical, and biological processes.
