Abstract Soil health assessment tools such as the Soil Management Assessment Framework (SMAF) improve the interpretation of soil health status and functional capacity to guide land management decisions. While SMAF has been used in diverse global environments, it has yet to be applied to Native American lands in hot semiarid regions. This study utilizes SMAF to evaluate soil health as affected by land use and temporal variation on San Carlos Apache tribal agricultural land in the Southwestern United States. Soil samples collected in 2023 and 2025 from six land uses (main garden, regeneration, research, pomegranate Punica granatum L., mesquite Neltuma spp., and pasture) were analyzed for soil organic C, pH, electrical conductivity, P, K, sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), and bulk density to calculate SMAF soil quality indices (SQIs). The primary drivers of SQI were SAR and pH, with SAR likely being influenced by differential soil Ca, Mg, and Na accumulation and precipitation patterns. Land management practices steered soil health, notably with the addition of sheep in pasture systems, where SQI increased from 95% to 98%. After 2 years, SQI in the research land use (76%) was lower than perennial, low‐soil disturbance management areas (e.g., mesquite, pasture, and pomegranate; 97%–98%). Principal component analysis between soil properties and terrain attributes showed positive relationship between ground cover and SQI, with mesquite trees creating SQI hotspots within the pasture due to greater soil organic matter. These findings offer insights into natural resource management to enhance productivity in salt‐affected or water‐limiting environments over time and space.
Rockey et al. (Fri,) studied this question.