A related, but more focused effort, is the new program to develop indicators of land quality (LQls) to ensure
more sustainable use of land, water, and biological resources and to monitor progress towards environmental
sustainability (Pieri et al., 1995). In this context, land refers not only to soil, but to the combined resources of
soil, water, vegetation and terrain that provide the basis for land use. Land quality is the condition or health of
the land relative to its capacity for sustainable land use and environmental management. LQls will be used to
address major land-related issues of national and global significance, such as land use pressures, land
degradation, and soil and water conservation, as well to monitor trends towards sustainable land management.