ABSTRACT
Assessment of soil degradation by monitoring or simulation requires definition of some standard by which the degree of degradation of any given piece of land can be judged. Soil Taxonomy has always played an important role in defining legends of soil maps, emphasizing processes of soil genesis. Soil structure is defined as the physical constitution of a soil material as expressed by the size, shape and arrangement of the elementary particles and voids. Soil structure within each soil horizon reflects the effect of land use. Soil structure can be characterized with morphological and physical methods. Curves express the relation between the pressure head and the water content. Soil degradation is considered in a dynamic context focusing on physical, chemical and biological processes before and after what is considered to be soil degradation.
