The LDSF is a comprehensive method for assessing soil and land health, from the field to the use of new and advanced data analytics. Land health generally refers to the degree to which the integrity of the soil, vegetation, water and air, as well as ecological processes, are balanced and sustained.

The LDSF provides a consistent set of indicators and field protocols to assess the “health” of an ecosystem. This includes vegetation cover and structure, tree, shrub and grass species diversity, current and historic land use, infiltration capacity, soil characteristics and land degradation status. It can also be used as part of monitoring frameworks to detect changes over time.