Agricultural practices can threaten soil resilience through changing feedback loops
Alison Carswell, Simon Willcock, M. S. A. Blackwell, Hari Ram Upadhayay, Paul G. Harris, Graham A. McAuliffe, Andrew L. Neal, M. Jordana Rivero, Laura M. Cárdenas, Stephan M. Haefele, A. P. Whitmore, John A. Dearing, Fusuo Zhang, Mark Farrell, Marijn Bauters, Pascal Boeckx, Yuri Jacques Agra Bezerra da Silva, Kwame Agyei Frimpong, Adrian L. Collins
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.