Analytical Methods

Suraj Melkani, Noel Manirakiza, Shirley Baker, andJehangir H. Bhadha

Soils have the capacity to function as a sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide and are crucial for climate regulation. Soil have the potential to store around 1.5 to 2.4 trillion metric tons of C in the soil globally. They contain large C pools that can store three times more C than the atmosphere and four times more than plants. These massive C sinks have the potential to reverse soil degradation, mitigate climate change, and enhance food security. It is therefore essential to monitor the C cycle by accurately measuring the amount of soil C in agricultural fields. This can help in developing sustainable management practices that can minimize C emissions and sequester C into the soil from the atmosphere. This publication describes the various current and emerging protocols that can be used to measure soil C.

Bridget Stice, Laura H. Bennett, Christa L. Kirby, Allison L. Williams, and Brittany N. Diehl

This article is meant to serve as a general guide to perform quantitative fecal egg counts on grazing small ruminants, specifically sheep and goats. This tool is utilized to estimate the extent of pasture parasite burden as well as individual animal parasite burden, and to determine the efficacy of dewormer or anthelmintic treatment. Written by Bridget Stice, Laura H. Bennett, Christa L. Kirby, Allison L. Williams, and Brittany N. Diehl, and published by the UF College of Veterinary Medicine, UF/IFAS Extension, December 2024.

Lilit Vardanyan andVimala D. Nair

Phosphorus (P) is essential for plant growth and productivity. Excessive application of P fertilizers has contributed to environmental degradation through runoff and leaching into waterways. Traditionally, the Mehlich 1-P and Mehlich 3-P soil tests have been used widely to guide fertilizer recommendations in Florida and many other regions. However, these may provide inaccurate estimates of plant-available P, especially in soils with diverse mineralogy or strong P-sorption capacity. This can result in suboptimal fertilization practices. Unlike standard soil tests, which rely on chemical extractants that may mobilize both labile and non-labile forms of P, the iron oxide strip P (FeO-P) method targets the fraction most relevant to plant uptake, offering a more reliable indicator of P availability. FeO-P mimics the absorptive behavior of plant roots to determine actual crop nutrient demand, providing an improved diagnostic tool for both agronomic and environmental applications.

Ashley Smyth, Laura K. Reynolds, Savanna Barry, Natalie C. Stephens, Joshua T. Patterson, andEdward V. Camp

Living shorelines are an increasingly popular way to protect and stabilize waterfronts for coastal property owners. Living shorelines provide valuable benefits to humans, including water quality improvement, habitat, fisheries, and carbon sequestration. Estimating the economic value of the ecosystem services living shorelines offer is an integral part of management decisions. The living shoreline valuation tool can help quantify the costs and benefits of living shorelines projects. This publication briefly describes the ecosystem services associated with living shorelines. The purpose of this publication is to introduce the ecosystem service valuation tool. Our target audience for the living shoreline evaluation tool includes natural resource extension agents, community organizations, and coastal homeowners who want to calculate the value of ecosystem services provided by coastal restoration projects, including living shorelines. 

Anil Kumar Chaudhary and Laura A. Warner

A UF/IFAS numbered Fact Sheet. in support of UF/IFAS Extension program: ==Special Handling==