Redefining soil structural vulnerability to enhance ecosystem services in a changing world

Soil structural degradation is a significant threat to both NZ and global ecosystems. This degradation has profound consequences, including substantial losses in production, soil erosion, nutrient loss, and GHG emissions, costing NZ billions annually. Urgent action is required to manage soil vulnerability amid changing landuse and climate, and to identify areas requiring immediate sustainable soil management practices. Current methods for assessing soil vulnerability rely on traditional, non-functional properties. These provide inadequate predictions for soil ecosystem services like plant production and GHG mitigation. Our research aims to fundamentally alter this approach by focusing on the dynamic functional properties of soil structure. We hypothesise that soil vulnerability assessment based on dynamic functional properties will bridge the gaps between landuse pressures, climate, and ecosystem services. Through experimentation and modelling, we will evaluate how dynamic functional properties respond to compaction and its impact on crop production and N2O emissions. We will develop predictive models for soil vulnerability assessment parameterised by easily measurable soil properties. Our team comprises experts in soil science, environmental science, biophysical modelling, and crop production. The team is uniquely positioned to tackle this challenge. Through collaboration with an Advisory Panel representing industry, grower entities, government stakeholders, and Māori, we will develop an outcomes-focused soil management framework by integrating new knowledge and soil vulnerability. This framework, continuously enriched by new knowledge from the science team and practical insights from the panel, will guide future research directions. This will lead to recalibration of soil-based tools like S-map and APSIM. By shifting from a one-size-fits-all approach to a dynamic soil management framework, our research will benefit growers, land stewards, policymakers, and Māori stakeholders, supporting a sustainable future for NZ's economy, environment, and society. This projects is in collaboration with: * Lincoln University * Leibniz University