Building a Soil Health Database for Florida Ranchlands
Florida ranchlands cover millions of acres and play a critical role in agricultural production, environmental stewardship, and ecosystem services. Yet, information on soil health across these landscapes has historically been limited. Through support from the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board, Dr. Yang Lin and Dr. Franky Celestin developed a statewide soil health database to better understand how management practices influence soil function in Florida pasture systems.
The project evaluated biological and chemical soil health indicators across grazed pastures and hayfields. Results showed that management intensity strongly influences soil health. Grazed pastures generally exhibited greater soil organic matter, protein, active carbon, and water-extractable organic carbon than hayfields, highlighting the benefits of grazing systems for maintaining soil biological activity and organic matter.
The study also revealed strong relationships among biological soil health indicators, suggesting that simple and cost-effective measurements such as soil organic matter can provide valuable insights into overall soil condition. While climate factors showed limited and inconsistent effects, management practices consistently emerged as one of the strongest drivers of soil health variability across ranchlands.
This database provides a foundation for future soil health monitoring, benchmarking, and management recommendations for Florida producers. By improving our understanding of how grazing systems affect soil function, the project supports more informed decisions that enhance productivity, resilience, and long-term sustainability in Florida ranchlands.
Funding: This work was supported by the Florida Cattle Enhancement Board.
