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DISENTANGLING THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN MANAGEMENT, SOIL HEALTH, AND CROP PRODUCTIVITY AT FIELD AND REGIONAL SCALES

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dc.contributor.authorRubio, Valentina
dc.contributor.chairVan Es, Harolden_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberMcDonald, Andrewen_US
dc.contributor.committeeMemberRossiter, Daviden_US
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-05T18:47:46Z
dc.date.issued2023-08
dc.description219 pagesen_US
dc.description.abstractThe expansion of agriculture and unsustainable management strategies have resulted in severe soil depletion, compromising soil functionality, and the ecosystem services it provides. Understanding the drivers of Soil Health (SH) is crucial for developing effective strategies and promoting sustainable management. This research presents the results of four interrelated projects conducted in Uruguay, and New York State, USA. The projects aim to enhance our understanding of SH drivers at different scales and their connection with anthropogenic management and crop productivity. The research highlights the negative impacts of replacing natural grassland with annually cultivated areas, and underscores the benefits of various conservation practices. It provides a comprehensive set of reference values for evaluating SH indicators in the Pampas region. The study also demonstrates the critical influence of soil organic carbon degradation on cereal productivity losses under annual crop rotations and its relationship with a broader set of SH indicators. To understand the driving force of management in SH, a methodological framework based on the critical zone approach is presented. It proposes using aboveground biomass inputs, which account for 50% of SH variations, as an indicator for potential agronomic management effects on SH. Management scenarios for the Pampas region are evaluated to showcase the applicability of this approach in assessing sustainable management practices. Furthermore, high-resolution spatial data, machine learning models, and digital soil mapping techniques are employed to develop SH prediction models and maps, as well as identify the main drivers of SH at a regional scale in New York State, USA. Overall, the findings emphasize the complexity of SH drivers and the need for comprehensive assessments that consider context-specific conditions, which includes an understanding of management effects on biomass fluxes within a land use system and region. Overall, this research contributes to advancing our knowledge of the complex interplay between inherent soil properties and human activities on SH and provides insights into the design of management strategies that promote sustainable soil management.en_US
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.7298/0xzg-2f70
dc.identifier.otherRubio_cornellgrad_0058F_13822
dc.identifier.otherhttp://dissertations.umi.com/cornellgrad:13822
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1813/114749
dc.language.isoen
dc.subjectCROPen_US
dc.subjectDIGITAL SOIL MAPPINGen_US
dc.subjectSOIL HEALTHen_US
dc.subjectSOIL QUALITYen_US
dc.subjectSUSTAINABILITYen_US
dc.titleDISENTANGLING THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN MANAGEMENT, SOIL HEALTH, AND CROP PRODUCTIVITY AT FIELD AND REGIONAL SCALESen_US
dc.typedissertation or thesisen_US
dcterms.licensehttps://hdl.handle.net/1813/59810.2
thesis.degree.disciplineSoil and Crop Sciences
thesis.degree.grantorCornell University
thesis.degree.levelDoctor of Philosophy
thesis.degree.namePh. D., Soil and Crop Sciences

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