Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #429679
Research Project: Innovative Cropping System Solutions for Sustainable Production on Spatially Variable Landscapes

Location: Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research

Title: Benchmarking soil health in soil survey using soil organic carbon stocks and SHAPE scores

Author
item DYNARSKI, KATHERINE - NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS, USDA)
item WILLS, SKYE - NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS, USDA)
item CARTER, TIFFANY - NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS, USDA)
item ADELEKE, EKUNDAYO - NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS, USDA)
item KANDANOOL, DIVYA - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI
item VEUM, KRISTEN

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/25/2025
Publication Date: 10/1/2025
Citation: Dynarski, K.A., Wills, S.A., Carter, T., Adeleke, E., Kandanool, D., Veum, K.S. 2025. Benchmarking soil health in soil survey using soil organic carbon stocks and SHAPE scores [abstract]. College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources (CAFNR) Research Symposium, University of Missouri, October 1, 2025, Columbia, Missouri.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objective of the Dynamic Soil Properties for Soil Health (DSP4SH) initiative by USDA-NRCS is to integrate DSP data into soil survey processes to deliver soil health benchmark values across diverse soil and management systems to address the soil health gaps. Soil health indicators vary among soils due to soil-forming factors unrelated to land management and should be interpreted in pedogenic-specific contexts. Dynamic Soil Properties (DSPs) include soil health indicators that vary with land use and management. Connecting DSPs with soil survey map units can help define benchmark and reference values for those indicators. Soil health benchmarks can be tied to ecological sites, which model changes under different management scenarios, and help define reference conditions and assess soil health gaps. These findings demonstrate the importance of context-specific soil health interpretation and show that DSP, soil health metrics, and SOC stocks can be used with soil survey products.