The chapter discusses the concept of soil health in agricultural systems, emphasizing its integrative nature and the importance of maintaining ecosystem services while optimizing agricultural yields. Soil health is defined as the capacity of soil to respond to agricultural interventions, supporting both agricultural production and other ecosystem services. The chapter outlines four major functions essential for soil health: carbon transformations, nutrient cycles, soil structure maintenance, and pest and disease regulation. These functions are realized through a variety of biological processes involving diverse soil organisms under the influence of abiotic factors. The authors argue that measuring individual groups of organisms, processes, or soil properties is insufficient to indicate soil health, and quantifying energy and carbon flow between functions is crucial for assessment and management. The introduction highlights the widespread degradation of agricultural soils and the need for measures to monitor and manage soil health. It distinguishes between reductionist and integrated approaches to soil health, favoring the latter for a more comprehensive understanding of soil functioning as an integrated subsystem of the agroecosystem. The authors define soil health in the context of sustainable agriculture, emphasizing the importance of balancing agricultural production with the delivery of ecosystem services. The chapter then delves into the integrated concept of soil health, describing soil as a complex, multifunctional system with interacting biological and abiotic components. It highlights the interconnectedness of soil functions and the role of soil organisms in maintaining these functions. The authors propose that soil health is a direct expression of the condition of these assemblages, which depend on the physical and chemical conditions of the soil habitat. The factors controlling soil health, including soil type, organisms, carbon and energy, and nutrients, are discussed. The chapter emphasizes the importance of understanding the interactions between these factors and their impact on soil health. It also addresses the challenges in assessing soil health, including the complexity of soil systems and the variability of environmental factors. Finally, the chapter explores the impacts of agricultural practices on soil health, noting that maximizing yields often leads to the loss of other ecosystem services. It concludes by discussing the need for sustainable agricultural practices that balance production and ecosystem functions to ensure long-term soil health.The chapter discusses the concept of soil health in agricultural systems, emphasizing its integrative nature and the importance of maintaining ecosystem services while optimizing agricultural yields. Soil health is defined as the capacity of soil to respond to agricultural interventions, supporting both agricultural production and other ecosystem services. The chapter outlines four major functions essential for soil health: carbon transformations, nutrient cycles, soil structure maintenance, and pest and disease regulation. These functions are realized through a variety of biological processes involving diverse soil organisms under the influence of abiotic factors. The authors argue that measuring individual groups of organisms, processes, or soil properties is insufficient to indicate soil health, and quantifying energy and carbon flow between functions is crucial for assessment and management. The introduction highlights the widespread degradation of agricultural soils and the need for measures to monitor and manage soil health. It distinguishes between reductionist and integrated approaches to soil health, favoring the latter for a more comprehensive understanding of soil functioning as an integrated subsystem of the agroecosystem. The authors define soil health in the context of sustainable agriculture, emphasizing the importance of balancing agricultural production with the delivery of ecosystem services. The chapter then delves into the integrated concept of soil health, describing soil as a complex, multifunctional system with interacting biological and abiotic components. It highlights the interconnectedness of soil functions and the role of soil organisms in maintaining these functions. The authors propose that soil health is a direct expression of the condition of these assemblages, which depend on the physical and chemical conditions of the soil habitat. The factors controlling soil health, including soil type, organisms, carbon and energy, and nutrients, are discussed. The chapter emphasizes the importance of understanding the interactions between these factors and their impact on soil health. It also addresses the challenges in assessing soil health, including the complexity of soil systems and the variability of environmental factors. Finally, the chapter explores the impacts of agricultural practices on soil health, noting that maximizing yields often leads to the loss of other ecosystem services. It concludes by discussing the need for sustainable agricultural practices that balance production and ecosystem functions to ensure long-term soil health.