SOIL PROVIDES FOOD AND FIBER IN AGRICULTURAL ECOSYSTEMS AND REGULATES THE PARTITIONING OF RAINFALL BETWEEN RUNOFF OR INFILTRATION. PARTITIONING OF RAINFALL BY SOIL, IS A CRITICAL BUT POORLY UNDERSTOOD PROCESS, WHICH AFFECTS THE SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES IN THE FIELD AND THROUGHOUT THE WATERSHED. STANDARD AND NEW MEASURES ARE NEEDED TO BETTER QUANTIFY SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND NOVEL TERMINOLOGY IS NEEDED TO COMMUNICATE SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES TO INCREASE LIKELIHOOD OF ADOPTION OF SOIL FUNCTION PROMOTING PRACTICES.THE OVERALL GOAL OF OUR TEAM IS TO INTEGRATE SOIL SCIENCE, HYDROLOGY, ECONOMICS, AND SOCIOLOGY TO FOSTER SOIL SECURITY BY DEVELOPING PROTOCOLS FOR MEASURES OF SOIL PROCESSES, VALUE SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES, AND DEVELOP COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO INCENTIVIZE IMPROVED SOIL MANAGEMENT. THE SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES INCLUDE:1) DEVELOP ON-SITE AND OFF-SITE POTENTIAL LINKING INDICATORS ASSOCIATED WITH MEASURES OF CHANGES IN SOIL CONDITION;2) IDENTIFY AND QUANTIFY THE SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES PERCEIVED BY ON-SITE SOIL MANAGERS AND OFF-SITE STAKEHOLDERS; AND3) DETERMINE IF AND HOW LINKING INDICATORS CAN SUCCESSFULLY COMMUNICATE AND CHANGE THE BASIS FOR SOIL MANAGEMENT DECISIONS.WE WILL COMBINE FIELD MEASUREMENT, MODELING, AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC ANALYSES TO ACHIEVE THE OBJECTIVES. OUTCOMES INCLUDE: 1) A SOIL MEASUREMENT AND HYDROLOGY MODELING APPROACH THAT IS SENSITIVE TO CHANGES IN SOIL CONDITION 2) QUANTIFIED ON- AND OFF-SITE SOIL ECOSYSTEM SERVICES THAT RESULT FROM SOIL MANAGEMENT; AND 3) MEANINGFUL USE OF LINKING INDICATORS TO ENHANCE DIALOGUE BETWEEN FARMERS, WATERSHED STAKEHOLDERS, AND SCIENTISTS AND ADOPTION OF MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT SECURE OUR SOIL RESOURCE FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS.