ABSTRACT
The various factors that determine soil quality are essentially those properties that have a major influence on crop growth. A primary goal of good crop and soil management should be to create conditions for a highly diverse community of soil organisms. Biological diversity in the soil, just as diversity above ground, is an important part of agroecosystem stability and health. The quantity and quality of soil organic matter may change a soil's properties when structure and nutrient availability improves and more biological diversity exists in soils under good organic matter management. Numerous physical, chemical, nutritional, and biological influences all combine to give organic matter an overwhelming influence on soil quality. The best way to develop a high quality soil is to manage crops and soils to promote the buildup and maintenance of high organic matter levels, including a good amount of active organic matter.
