Current Status and Prospects of Soil Health Assessment Research Management at Home and Abroad

Soil health as a core element for the sustainable development of terrestrial ecosystems has become a key area of global soil science research. This research systematically reviewed the historical evolution of the soil health concept, analyzed the distribution of research topics on soil health assessment (1980-2024) globally using bibliometrics and VOSviewer software, compared the common international soil health assessment frameworks, comprehensively summarized research advances in soil health indicator systems and assessment methodologies, and identified gaps and future directions for soil health research in China. The study reveals that the conceptualization of soil health has shifted from a singular focus on food production to a broader recognition of multiple ecosystem services. Research on soil health assessment were predominantly centered on agricultural and forest soils (accounting for 76.65% of total publications), while studies on urban, wetland, and grassland ecosystems remain limited. Assessments of agricultural soil quality/health primarily emphasized the aspects of cultivated land quality, minimum data set (MDS) development, soil organic matter, and nutrient status, whereas urban soil quality/health assessments focused on evaluation methods, urban green spaces, and heavy metal/organic pollutant content. Current soil health assessment frameworks are predominantly relying on physical and chemical indicators, and need to underscor the biological indicators as the most direct indicators of soil health and to develop convenient, low-cost, real-time monitoring tools. Traditional assessment frameworks prioritized the cultivated soils and small-scale soil management; future efforts should establish integrated technical systems that align with multi-ecosystem services and synergistic management goals (pollution reduction-carbon sequestration-safety-green development).