Optimising sustainable land management

Useful for planning sustainable catchments or landscapes.

The BIOSIS platform and method selection tool can support land managers and decision makers in further understanding which soil biological processes and actors support sustainable agricultural production and how we can measure these to asses multi-functionality (soil quality/health) of soils in relation to land management for a range of land-uses.

The assessment of soil biota and associated processes in soil quality and health assessments has, and still often is, excluded or minimal. This platform provides a clear framework to understand which measurements should be considered for which soil functions or overall multi-functionality. When assessing soil quality/health cost of a measurement can become a critical determinant of what measurements to apply. The BIOSIS method selection tool enables the users to determine the key selection criteria that they consider important. This includes for examples the relative cost of analyses or lack of access to more specialised facilities. At this scale of assessment users should prioritise methods based on reliability and reproducibility as the results may be used to inform future management decisions.

Drawing created in collaboration with Marije Barel (www.mybesign.nl)

Method Selection Tool