Biological Tests for Soil Health

For the past decades, soil health testing has largely been on soil physical characteristics such as soil texture and soil chemical analysis for e.g phosphorus and potassium.  Biological soil testing, still in its infancy, is little understood.  This factsheet provides a background to biological soil testing covering:

• Soil respiration as an indicator of soil health
• Quantifying the diiversity and abundance of soil macroorganisms such as earthworms and microorganisms e.g. fungal communities as a measure of soil biological health

A case study on biological soil testing at Balbirnie Home Farms in Fife, Scotland, is also included.