Sample Collection, Processing, and Archival Field Evaluations Summary Acknowledgments References 3 Soil Organic Carbon Assessment Methods Summary Introduction References 4 Water‐Stable Soil Aggregate Assessment Introduction Soil sampling and preparation Water‐stable aggregation (WSA) Materials and Procedures Aggregate Sieving Apparatus Construction Supplies Water‐stable aggregate size distribution with the slaking method Sand‐Free Water‐Stable Soil Aggregates Supplies and procedure for sand content determination Aggregate mean weight diameter Summary References 5 Determination of Infiltration Rate and Bulk Density in Soils Soil Infiltration Soil Bulk Density Acknowledgments References 6 Chemical Reactivity: pH, Salinity and Sodicity Effects on Soil Health Introduction Natural Soil Salinization Processes Salt Accumulation and Solute Transport Mechanisms Anthropogenic Soil Salinization Processes Chemical Characterization of Salinity Sources Soil Chemistry, Biota and Ecosystem Services Chemistry Effects on Soil Biota Habitat Heterogeneity and Soil Microbial Diversity Agricultural Ecosystems: Degradation Prevention and Conservation Soil Health Indices Technological Advances in the Study of Soil Biogeochemical Interfaces Conclusions References 7 Nutrient Availability: Macro‐ and Micronutrients in Soil Quality and Health Introduction Conclusions References 8 Assessment and Interpretation of Soil‐Test Biological Activity Introduction Literature Review of Indicator and Method Method Interpretations References 9 Permanganate Oxidizable Carbon Soil Organic Carbon Pools Indicators of Biologically Active soil Carbon Permanganate‐Oxidizable Carbon Procedure to Quantify Poxc References 10 Is Autoclaved Citrate‐Extractable (ACE) Protein a Viable Indicator of Soil Nitrogen Availability? Introduction Nitrogen Availability Indices Autoclaved Citrate‐Extractable Protein Soil Sampling Considerations Methods and Materials for Protein Quantification Summary and Conclusions References 11 Metabolic Activity– Enzymes Introduction Enzymes as Soil Health Indicators Soil Sampling and Handling Method Interpretation– Putting Enzyme Measurements into Context References 12 PLFA and EL‐FAME Indicators of Microbial Community Composition Introduction PLFA Using the Buyer and Sasser (2012) High‐throughput Extraction Method Paired with the MIDI‐Sherlock System EL‐FAME Extraction Paired with the MIDI‐Sherlock System
