• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.192-198
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• 2004

The heavy dependence of modern science-based agriculture on chemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides, and heavy machinery gave rise to questions about long-term sustainability of agriculture in relation to degradation of soil quality. The research achievements and trends in developing soil quality indicators were introduced and discussed in this report. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) established 13 agri-environment indicators including soil quality indicator in 1994, collected the soil data and methodologies for development of soil quality indicators in OECD member countries responded to OECD questionnaires and published the OECD reports, Environmental Indicators for Agriculture Volume 1, 2, and 3. Leading countries such as USA, Canada and New Zealand collected national data and evaluated the data in aspect of soil quality. They developed the various methods for selecting a minimum data set (MDS), scoring the soil properties and calculating soil quality index integrating the score of each soil property.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.15-24
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• 2015

The soil ecosystem is a complex system performing particularly complicated and varied functions, such as providing a habitat for organisms, acting as a medium for plant cultivation and growth, and functioning as a buffer against external materials in the environment. To assess whether these important functions of the soil ecosystem are executed appropriately, the concept of soil ecosystem health has been introduced, which is defined as the ability to perform the specific functions of the soil ecosystem. Understanding soil properties and soil indicators related to soil functions is essential to assess the soil health. In this study, systems, the indicators, and evaluation factors for assessing soil ecosystem health employed in a number of countries were investigated and discussed. In particular, it is necessary to introduce a technique for the evaluation of soil ecosystem health in Korea and to develop techniques and indicators appropriate to the soil ecosystem and status in Korea.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42 no.spc
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• pp.33-39
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• 2009

The practice of supplying nutrients for paddy soil with sustaining human health and ecological soundness is to utilize indicators considering soil chemical reactions. The long-term basis experiment of fertilizer and amendment of paddy soil and an experiment of yield response of soil types on nitrogen level from 2000 till 2002were used to search indicators of nutrient supplying capacity related to soil chemical reactions. Chemical reactions of paddy soil was composed of dissociating and/or adsorbing nutrients and of decomposing soil organic matter (SOM) into $H^+$, $e^-$, $CO_2$ in paddy soil. The indicators of nutrient supplying capacity, which were established by considering soil chemical reactions, were SOM or soil protein for nitrogen and available phosphate for phosphorus and cation exchangeable capacity (CEC) and exchangeable potassium for potassium. Korea has used fertilizer recommendation equations established with the indicators of nutrient supplying capacity for paddy soil.

• Journal of Soil and Groundwater Environment
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• v.26 no.5
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• pp.49-59
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• 2021

The effects of green manure crops, hairy vetch and sesban, supplemented with HS (humic substance) on biological soil health indicators was studied in a pot containing two kinds of reclaimed soil previously contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons; a soil remediated by land-farming (DDC) and another soil by low-temperature thermal desorption (YJ). Treatments include no plant (C), plants only (H), and plants+2% HS (PH), which were evaluated in a pot containing respective soil. Biological indicators include microbial community analysis as well as soil enzyme activities of dehydrogenase, 𝛽-glucosidase, N-acetyl-𝛽-D-glucosaminidase (NAG), acid/alkaline phosphatase, arylsulfatase, and urease. Results showed an increase of enzyme activities in pot soils with plants and even greater in soils with plants+HS. The enzyme activities of DDC soil with plants (DDC_P) and with plants+HS (DDC_PH) increased 1.6 and 3.9 times on average, respectively than those in the control. The enzyme activities YJ soil with plants (YJ_P) and with plant+HS (YJ_PH) increased 1.8 and 3.8 times on average, respectively than those in the control. According to microbial community analysis, the relative abundance of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in DDC and YJ soil was increased from 1.5% to 7% and from 0 to 5%, respectively, after planting hairy vetch and sesban. This study showed that mixed planting of green manure crops with a supplement of humic substance is highly effective for the restoration of biological health indicators of reclaimed soils.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.88-96
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• 2007

Organic farming systems based on ecological concepts have the potential to produce sustainable crop yields with no decline in soil and environmental qualities. Recent expansion of sustainable agricultural systems, including organic farming, has brought about need for development of sustainable farming systems based on value judgments for key properties of importance for farming. Chemical and microbiological properties were chosen as indicators of soil quality and measured at soil depth intervals of 5-20 and 20-35 cm in conventional and organic-based apple orchards located in Yeongchun, Gyeongbuk. The orchards were two adjacent fields to ensure the same pedological conditions except management system. Soil pH in organic farming was around 7.5, whereas below 6.0 in conventional farming. Organic farming resulted in significant increases in organic matter and Kjeldahl-N contents compared to those found with conventional management. Microbial populations, biomass C, and enzyme activities (except acid phosphatase) in apple orchard soil of organic farming were higher than those found in conventional farming. Higher microbial quotient ($C_{mic}/C_{org}$ ratio) and lower microbial metabolic quotient for $CO_2(qCO_2)$ in organic farming confirmed that organic farming better conserves soil organic carbon. Biological soil quality indicators showed significant positive correlations with soil organic matter content. These results indicate organic-based farming positively affected soil organic matter content, thus improving soil chemical and biological qualities.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.155-164
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• 2016

Soil has been recognized as an important resource due to its finitude and valuable functions. Therefore, many countries have adopted soil quality related indicators in Strategic Environment Impact Assessment(SEIA). However, Korean SEIA has used limited indicators such as soil contamination until now. In this study, the SEIA on "Development Basic Plan" was modified for considering complex characteristics of soil and applied to "Bogeumjari Housing Supply Plan" and "Urban Management Plan". The performance of the SEIA considering soil characteristics was evaluated using a checklist for assessing consistency with upper plan, adequacy of alternatives, and feasibility of siting. Soil organic matter and soil erosion were derived as main indicators for "Basic Development Plans". The proposed SEIA technique equipped with soil indicators is proved to contribute to the soil resource conservation.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.223-229
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• 2013

Sustainability index was calculated to determine the best management for rice productivity under long-term inorganic fertilizer management's practices. It is based on nutrient index, microbiological index and crop index related to sustainability as soil function. Indicators for calculating sustainability index were selected by the comparison of soil properties and rice response in paddy soil with fertilization. Total twenty two indicators were determined to assess nutrient index, microbiological index and crop index in order to compare the effect of different fertilization. The indices were applied to assess the sustainability with different inorganic fertilizer treatments such as control, N, NK, NP, NPK, NPK+Si, and NPK+Compost. The long-term application of compost with NPK was the highest sustainability index value because it increased nutrient index, microbial index and crop index. The use of chemical fertilizers resulted in poor soil microbial index and crop index, but the treatments like NP, NPK, and NPK+Si were maintained sustainability in paddy soil. These results indicate that application of organic and chemical fertilizer could be a good management to improve rice sustainability in paddy soil.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.379-383
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• 2015

Indicators of environmental conditions describe the state of the environment and the quantity and quality of natural resources. This study deduced the evaluation items to assess each sub-indicator for agricultural water quality and conducted the surveying using the Delphi method based on agricultural water quality experts. Considering its importance, environmental, state, and management indicators showed that state indicator such as COD concentration for surface water and $NO_3-N$ concentration for groundwater was ranked as first and followed by amount of fertilizer. Its indicators were correlated with state and environmental indicators in surface water and groundwater. The best management indicators were calculated to assess the agricultural surface water and ground water quality. The indicator could be used in established policies for management and conservation of water resources.

• KIEAE Journal
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• v.4 no.3
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• pp.15-26
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• 2004

This study aims at developing environmental indicators to evaluate sustainability of district unit planning in Seoul. The indicators are devised to evaluate three categories of influencing areas such as district planning area, surrounding areas of planning area, and city wide area. In order to formulate the environmental indicators, subsystems of the environment were reviewed and classified into seven sectors of the environment such as air and climate, soil, water, green space, fauna, noise, and landscape. 16 indicators were developed from the seven sectors. Weighing were given to each indicator resulting from AHP analysis of the questionnaire survey of environment and urban planning experts.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.42
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• pp.28-52
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• 2009