Abstract

Soil structure is a physical property that can be used to assess the state of pasture systems and their biodiversity as a consequence of agricultural management. Volcanic ash soils are characterized by a high capacity to store and conduct water, air and nutrients through an interconnected pore system associated with their structure, which in turn allows them to host a great diversity of organisms. This dynamic behavior can be conserved over time through pasture improvement management strategies (PIMs). The objective of this chapter is to explore the following question: Can we expect pasture improvement strategies that conserve soil structure to improve pasture herbage mass accumulation and maintain soil biodiversity? To answer this question, we used the results from studies carried out from 2010 to 2016 on a volcanic ash soil in southern Chile, where we analyzed how pasture management affected soil structure and pore functions over time