> According to the study, published in NPJ Sustainable Agriculture, the most severe danger to soil resilience is erosion driven by over-plowing, overgrazing, and deforestation. This process can strip away fertile layers that take centuries to develop. Other significant threats include the build-up of salts in irrigated soils (salinization), pollution from pesticides and plastic residues, and soil compaction caused by intensive livestock operations.
> Abstract: Soil has supported terrestrial food production for millennia; however, agricultural intensification may affect its resilience. Using a systems-thinking approach, we reviewed the impacts of conventional-agriculture practices on soil resilience and identified alternative practices that could mitigate these effects. We found that many practices only affect soil resilience with their long-term repeated use. Lastly, we ranked the impacts that pose the greatest threats to soil resilience and, consequently, food and feed security.
> [...] Resilience theory describes a spectrum of system responses to drivers or perturbations from gradual, near-linear and reversible, to abrupt, non-linear and strongly hysteretic
westurner•4h ago
> According to the study, published in NPJ Sustainable Agriculture, the most severe danger to soil resilience is erosion driven by over-plowing, overgrazing, and deforestation. This process can strip away fertile layers that take centuries to develop. Other significant threats include the build-up of salts in irrigated soils (salinization), pollution from pesticides and plastic residues, and soil compaction caused by intensive livestock operations.
ScholarlyArticle: "Agricultural practices can threaten soil resilience through changing feedback loops" (2025) https://www.nature.com/articles/s44264-025-00098-6 :
> Abstract: Soil has supported terrestrial food production for millennia; however, agricultural intensification may affect its resilience. Using a systems-thinking approach, we reviewed the impacts of conventional-agriculture practices on soil resilience and identified alternative practices that could mitigate these effects. We found that many practices only affect soil resilience with their long-term repeated use. Lastly, we ranked the impacts that pose the greatest threats to soil resilience and, consequently, food and feed security.
> [...] Resilience theory describes a spectrum of system responses to drivers or perturbations from gradual, near-linear and reversible, to abrupt, non-linear and strongly hysteretic
westurner•3h ago
> Though it may be more efficient to grow without soil; soil depletion isn't prevented by production processes that do not generate topsoil
> Where do soil amendments come from, and what would deplete those stocks?
> [JNF, KNF, JADAM], No-Till, Mini-forest, avoid compaction and allow diverse roots to break up the soil and hold moisture
"Inoculating soil with mycorrhizal fungi can increase plant yield: study" https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38527264 :
> [...]
> Soil fertility > Soil depletion: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_fertility#Soil_depletion