WHAT IS REGENERATIVE LANDSCAPING?
A HOPEFUL PROMISE FOR TOMORROW
*This page is currently a work in progress and is intended to give everybody an understanding of regeneration. This page is predicted to be complete by 05/01/2026*.
What I’m about to tell you is something most schools never taught you, yet it may be one of the most important lessons of your lifetime. Your life — and the lives of future generations — will depend on how you respond. I write this with nearly a decade of experience in the landscaping industry, as a graduate of the New York Institute of Art and Design in Landscape Design, and with a strong foundation in soil biology shaped by continued education and the work of communities like Kiss the Ground.
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Most landscapes are quietly declining — even the ones that look “healthy.” Regeneration challenges that hidden reality. While degeneration weakens soil year after year and sustainability aims to simply maintain the current state, regeneration rebuilds what has already been lost and improves it. Regeneration means living systems regrow and repair themselves to restore full function. In soil, this restores biology, increases organic matter, stores carbon, improves water infiltration, strengthens biodiversity, reduces chemical dependence, and rebuilds ecosystem function. Through practices like terracing, cover crops, no-till systems, compost integration, diverse planting, and living ground cover, regeneration does not just maintain land — it upgrades it.
Sustainability may slow damage, but erosion, carbon loss, and disrupted water cycles can continue beneath the surface. Over time, this leads to flooding, drought, and instability within larger watershed systems. As soil microbiomes weaken, biodiversity fades and resilience declines. Our land must thrive — not just survive.
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This index will walk you through our current crisis, what erosion is, the mission of regenerative landscaping, how carbon and water move through soil, and real-world practices that help restore ecosystem balance. Regeneration is not a theory. It is a practical path forward. The underlined sections above will direct you to the corresponding section of this page. There is a terminology guide at the bottom of this page.
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Written by Megan Banich, Owner of Next Generation Landscapers and Magic Beans Landscaping. Photo taken at the Chihuly Garden and Glass in Seattle, Washington 2020.
IF THE SOIL DIES, WE DIE
The universe is big. So big. There are billions of galaxies and trillions of stars. In all of that space, there is only one place we know that supports life. It’s our home and we call it Earth. Only a small part of our planet holds something amazing — soil. Soil is home to many species and animals, including us. Yet humans are the one species that continues throughout history reshaping the Earth, destroying habitats and ecosystems, and damaging our soils — the very thing that gives us clean air and a promise for tomorrow. If we keep going at the rate we are now, projections say that 90% of our soils could be degraded within the next 15 years.
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Throughout history, we have done this before:
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Nazca Culture (around 100 BCE – 800 CE): Deforestation for fuel and land clearing led to severe desertification and likely the collapse of their society.
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Ancient Sumerians (around 4500 BCE – 1900 BCE): Heavy deforestation and long-term farming practices caused soil degradation and salt buildup in Mesopotamia, leading to lower crop yields, economic stress, and contributing to the decline of their civilization.
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Minoan Civilization (around 3000 BCE – 1100 BCE): Environmental mismanagement appears to have contributed to their collapse.
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The Dust Bowl (United States, 1930s): Poor farming practices and drought caused massive dust storms, crop failure, and displacement of families.
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Current Crisis: About 75% of global soils are already degraded, affecting 3.2 billion people, with forecasts suggesting 90% degradation by 2050 if trends continue (LLNL.gov). Human activity currently causes soil erosion more than 100 times faster than natural processes.
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We have found ourselves in a race toward extinction. If the soil dies, we die. I am not writing this to scare you. I am writing this as a promise that we can still change course. Regeneration means bringing soil back to life and letting it do the job it was made to do. Soil is part of our ecosystem. It connects plants, water, air, animals, and humans. Healthy soil grows food. It holds rainwater so it doesn’t flood or run off. It feeds plants, which feed animals, which feed us. It stores carbon and helps balance our climate. When soil is alive, the whole system works. When soil is damaged, the whole system struggles.
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Working with nature instead of against it simply means helping the ecosystem stay in balance — because we are not separate from it. We are part of it.
DISAPPEARANCE OF SOIL
Erosion is something almost every Colorado has seen before. As we discussed earlier, healthy soil grows food. It holds rainwater so it doesn’t flood or run off. It feeds plants, which feed animals, which feed us. It stores carbon and helps balance our climate. When soil is alive, the whole system works. When soil is damaged, the whole system struggles.
Erosion is the loss of topsoil. It happens when soil moves off the land because of wind or water. Signs of erosion include cracking, peeling, and lighter-colored soil. Erosion can be caused by bare soil, heavy tilling, chemical or synthetic use, and monoculture ecosystems where only one type of plant is grown. The good news is that eroded soil can be renewed through regenerative practices. This includes adding biodiversity to plant life, keeping soil covered with plants, mulch, or compost, and building carbon in the soil to increase its ability to hold water and nutrients. All of this will be explained more in depth in later chapters.
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The ongoing loss of topsoil around the world could shape the future of our civilization. It’s important to remember that the Dust Bowl of the 1930s was caused by erosion, drought, and poor land management. Today, we are seeing warning signs again. Dust storms in the U.S. Great Plains have doubled in frequency and intensity over the past 20 years, driven by climate-related drought and expanded agriculture. Some experts have called this a potential “Dust Bowl 2.0.”
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While these modern storms are not yet as severe as those in the 1930s, they are becoming more common in states like Colorado, Texas, and Oklahoma. They cause serious damage to crops, create dangerous “brownout” conditions on highways, and increase health risks from airborne dust. The environmental danger never truly disappeared — it has simply became easier to ignore.
ARE YOU DOING ENOUGH?
Overall, there are two main approaches to landscaping: Conventional and Regenerative. The difference between them determines whether your land becomes stronger over time — or weaker. To make this simple, here is a clear comparison. Regenerative landscaping focuses on building soil health instead of depending on chemicals. It avoids constant tilling, which breaks apart soil structure and increases erosion. Instead, it protects soil life. It uses cover crops and diverse plant species so the soil is never left bare or exposed to wind and rain. Healthy soil does not rely on synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, insecticides, or herbicides because the goal is to strengthen the soil so it can naturally resist pests and grow strong plants on its own.
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Animal integration also plays a role. While most residential properties cannot support livestock like cows, they can support wildlife such as birds, pollinators, deer, and other native animals. These living systems help fertilize soil, manage plant growth, and create ecological balance.
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Conventional landscaping may appear neat and controlled in the short term, but frequent soil disturbance, chemical reliance, monoculture planting, and exposed soil weaken the ecosystem over time.
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The question is simple.
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Are you building soil — or breaking it?
REBUILDING CARRYING CAPACITY
The goal of regeneration is simple: improve the land so it can support life long-term. When soil health increases, ecosystem function strengthens. The land stores more carbon, absorbs more water, grows stronger plants, supports wildlife, in turn stabilizing communities.
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When soil degrades, it loses its carrying capacity — its ability to sustain life and remain productive over time. Regenerative landscaping rebuilds that capacity by restoring soil structure, increasing organic matter, supporting biodiversity, and reinforcing natural systems so they improve each season instead of slowly declining.
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When land improves at a local level, the impact does not stay local. Healthy soil absorbs rainfall and snowmelt, supports stronger plant systems, and stabilizes surrounding ecosystems. As more properties rebuild soil carbon and increase organic matter, water cycles become more balanced, erosion decreases, and biodiversity strengthens across entire regions. One yard may seem small, but thousands of households operating with the same mindset can shift carbon storage, water retention, and resilience at scale. The idea that individual landscapes do not matter is simply a lie. Every choice we make on any scale matters.
If soil degradation continues, erosion increases, water cycles become less stable, biodiversity declines, and communities face greater risk of drought, flooding, and rising land management costs. History has shown that when soil health is ignored — as during the Dust Bowl era — the economic and environmental consequences can be severe and cannot be ignored.
Decline compounds over time, just as regeneration does. The direction we choose matters. Regeneration offers a way to reverse course by rebuilding soil, restoring balance, and strengthening the systems that support life. Our future is shaped from the ground up.
THE CARBON DEBATE
Carbon. A word that triggers many individuals and is constantly debated. So here are the facts. Carbon is the building block of life. Every plant, animal, and human is carbon-based. Plants pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and convert it into sugars. A significant portion of that carbon moves below ground through roots, feeding soil organisms and becoming part of the soil system. Without carbon, life as we know it would not exist. The more stable carbon we store in our soil as organic matter, generally the stronger and more resilient that soil becomes. Carbon is not the enemy — imbalance of atmospheric COâ‚‚ is.
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When land is heavily disturbed through excessive tillage, overgrazing, or chemical disruption, stored soil carbon is exposed to oxygen and released back into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Elevated atmospheric carbon contributes to rising global temperatures. But when soil is healthy and biologically active, carbon remains stored underground as soil organic matter. That stored carbon improves soil structure, increases water retention, strengthens nutrient cycling, and supports a thriving soil microbiome. This process is called carbon sequestration.
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Healthy soil rich in carbon supports strong microbial communities that help plants absorb nutrients more efficiently, often leading to more nutrient-dense crops. Regenerative practices protect this cycle by limiting soil disturbance, increasing plant diversity, reducing synthetic inputs, and building organic matter so the land stores carbon instead of releasing it. Carbon, however, does not function alone. It works closely with nitrogen in a balance known as the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Microorganisms use carbon for energy and nitrogen to build proteins and grow. When this balance is stable, nutrients cycle properly, plants thrive, and soil becomes more resilient each season. When it is disrupted, fertility declines and biological activity slows. Together, carbon and nitrogen form the foundation of healthy soil and long-term ecosystem strength.
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I’ll go further into why all of this matters in the next few sections.
OUR FRIEND NITROGEN
One of the early pioneers of regenerative agriculture was Dr. George Washington Carver (1864–1943). He was an agricultural scientist and educator at the Tuskegee Institute who helped transform Southern agriculture at a time when soil was severely depleted from continuous cotton monocropping. Carver introduced sustainable farming practices designed to rebuild soil health rather than exhaust it.
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He championed crop rotation — especially rotating cotton with nitrogen-fixing legumes such as peanuts, cowpeas, sweet potatoes, and clover — to restore nutrients naturally. At a time when many farmers could not afford commercial fertilizers, his methods reduced dependence on external inputs by rebuilding fertility directly in the soil. He understood that nitrogen was essential for plant growth and promoted crops that worked with natural biological systems to return nitrogen to the land.
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Carver emphasized that feeding soil life should be the primary work of the farmer, gardener, or landscaper. He warned that monocropping — growing the same crop repeatedly on the same land — was stripping soil of its vitality. His solution was simple but powerful: diversify plant species and rotate crops. Legumes such as peanuts, clover, vetch, beans, and black-eyed peas host beneficial bacteria in root nodules that convert atmospheric nitrogen into forms plants can use, naturally replenishing the soil.
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After his lifetime, agriculture in the United States shifted dramatically. Following World War II, technologies developed for wartime production — including synthetic nitrogen production derived from fossil fuels through the Haber-Bosch process — were redirected toward fertilizer manufacturing. This marked the beginning of large-scale industrial agriculture and the Green Revolution. While yields increased, unintended consequences followed: soil degradation, pest resistance, chemical dependence, and ecological imbalance. What began as a push for productivity gradually moved away from the soil-building principles Carver had advocated.
EATING A PIPELINE OF LIES
During the Green Revolution (approximately 1940s–1970s), a term that refers to a period of rapid agricultural modernization aimed at increasing food production through science and technology, agriculture shifted toward high-yield crop varieties, synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, and large-scale mechanization. In 1974, the herbicide glyphosate was introduced commercially under the brand name Roundup by the Monsanto Company. Its widespread adoption increased dramatically over the following decades, especially with the development of genetically engineered “Roundup Ready” crops in the 1990s.
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Today, glyphosate is one of the most widely used herbicides in the world. It is used by homeowners, municipalities, and large-scale industrial farms. Because of its extensive agricultural use, trace residues have been detected in water sources and certain food products, and some small-scale studies have reported detection in human breast milk, though findings have varied and remain debated. Regulatory agencies in multiple countries continue to assess its safety. In 2015, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified glyphosate as “probably carcinogenic to humans,” while other regulatory bodies, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), have stated that it is unlikely to pose a cancer risk when used as directed. Scientific, regulatory, and legal discussions surrounding glyphosate have been ongoing for nearly 50 years since its commercial introduction in 1974.
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In 2018, Bayer AG acquired Monsanto for $63 billion and inherited thousands of lawsuits alleging that exposure to Roundup caused non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other blood cancers. Bayer disputes these claims. In one of the early landmark cases in 2018, a California jury initially awarded $289 million in damages to a groundskeeper who claimed Roundup exposure caused his cancer. That amount was later reduced on appeal, but the case triggered widespread litigation. Bayer has since paid billions of dollars in settlements related to Roundup claims while continuing to maintain that glyphosate is safe when used properly.
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It is important to note that Bayer is a life sciences company with both agricultural and pharmaceutical divisions. The fact that the same corporation produces herbicides and also develops cancer treatments, including therapies used to treat certain blood cancers such as non-Hodgkin lymphoma, has fueled public concern and criticism. Many people find it disturbing that a chemical debated for potential cancer risk is still permitted in food production within the United States. While regulatory agencies maintain that approved residue levels are considered safe, the ethical and public health debate continues to this day,
THERE IS NO PLANET B
So what happens when we use herbicides, pesticides, and fungicides? These products are designed to kill living organisms. By definition, they are meant to eliminate weeds, insects, fungi, or other forms of life. But soil is alive. When these chemicals are applied, they do not only target the intended pest — they can also impact beneficial microbes and microorganisms living within the soil. Over time, soil biology can weaken.
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What happens when we apply synthetic fertilizers — products designed to artificially boost nutrients like nitrogen? While nutrients are essential for plant growth, supplying them in large, readily available doses can reduce the natural biological processes that build soil fertility over time. In healthy systems, microbes help cycle carbon and nitrogen in balanced ways. When nutrients are consistently added from outside sources, soils can become less biologically active and more dependent on continued inputs rather than building fertility naturally.
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Both heavy chemical use and synthetic dependency can degrade soil structure and disrupt ecosystem balance. These disruptions extend beyond the soil itself. Pollinators such as bees have experienced population decline, and nutrient runoff from agricultural land has contributed to water pollution and marine dead zones, impacting larger species and aquatic ecosystems.
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For our ecosystems to function properly, soil must remain biologically alive. Healthy soil supports plant life, regulates water, cycles nutrients, and forms the foundation for the entire food web. Without living soil, the system begins to weaken from the ground up.
SCIENCE THAT MONEY CAN BUY
If you look closely at how the United States food system operates, you will see that large corporations have enormous influence over agricultural policy. The USDA — the United States Department of Agriculture — is an agency many Americans believe should protect farmers, soil, and public health. Yet the agricultural and chemical industries spend millions of dollars lobbying lawmakers to shape regulations, pesticide approvals, and farm subsidies. In some years, the number of registered lobbyists in Washington has far exceeded the number of members of Congress. Corporate influence in food policy is real.
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The U.S. government heavily subsidizes major commodity crops like corn and soybeans. These crops form the base of many processed foods and industrial feed systems. Glyphosate, one of the most widely used herbicides in the world, is commonly applied to these crops. Regulatory agencies such as the EPA maintain that glyphosate residues found in food fall within legal safety limits. However, public debate continues over long-term exposure, environmental effects, and the broader health impact of chemical-dependent agriculture.
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Many low-income communities rely on cheaper, highly processed foods made from subsidized commodity crops. Organic standards prohibit the intentional use of synthetic herbicides like glyphosate, and regenerative systems aim to reduce or eliminate synthetic inputs altogether. These options often cost more, which raises concerns about access and equity in the food system.
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The deeper concern for many critics is structural: when one sector profits from selling chemical inputs, and another sector profits from treating chronic disease, it creates a system where sickness and solution can both generate revenue. Whether intentional or not, the result is a cycle that rewards volume and treatment more than prevention. Avoiding unnecessary chemical exposure, supporting regenerative practices, and strengthening soil health are ways individuals attempt to step outside of that cycle.
WATER FOLLOWS SOIL HEALTH
Just as we want soil to hold carbon, we also want soil to naturally hold moisture. Soil carbon and water cycles are deeply interconnected. Healthy soil holds water like a sponge because it contains organic matter made from carbon. When rain or snowmelt soaks into carbon-rich soil, that water is stored underground instead of running off. Plants then draw that water up through their roots and release some of it back into the air through their leaves. This natural process is called transpiration.
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This movement of water from soil to plants and back into the atmosphere is part of what scientists call the small water cycle. When landscapes are healthy, this cycle helps form clouds, regulate temperature, and support steady rainfall patterns. When land is compacted, bare, or degraded, water runs off quickly instead of entering the soil. Less water is stored, fewer plants transpire, and the local cooling and moisture cycle weakens.
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Carbon and water work together in this system. The more carbon stored in soil as organic matter, the more water that soil can hold. That means stronger plant growth, reduced irrigation needs, and more resilience during dry periods. For homeowners, this translates into lower water bills and healthier landscapes. On a larger scale, it strengthens the land’s ability to manage snowmelt and seasonal moisture.
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In Colorado, snowmelt feeds rivers and mountain streams, including the watersheds that support places like Rocky Mountain National Park and Alberta Falls. When soil across neighborhoods and open spaces absorbs snowmelt slowly, groundwater is recharged and streams flow more steadily throughout the year. When soil cannot absorb water, snowmelt rushes downhill too quickly, increasing erosion early in the season and leaving less moisture available later in the summer.
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One backyard will not change the entire watershed. But thousands of properties managed with regenerative practices can. Healthy soil strengthens small water cycles. Strong small water cycles support larger watershed systems. That is how individual decisions connect to the bigger picture.
STRATEGIES FOR YOUR LAND
Now that you understand what regeneration is, the next step is implementation. Regeneration is not an optional upgrade, it is a responsibility. If we want future generations to inherit functioning ecosystems, rebuilding soil is no longer negotiable. Regeneration becomes real through action, whether at a backyard scale or across larger properties.
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- Start with a holistic approach to gardening by removing synthetic chemicals and replacing them with natural inputs such as seasonal compost applications, kelp extracts, and fish-based nutrients.
- Avoid tilling whenever possible, as tilling disrupts soil structure, damages microbial life, and accelerates carbon loss. Compost integration builds organic matter and strengthens long-term soil biology.
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- On sloped land, terraced farming or terraced landscaping slows water movement, reduces erosion, and allows rainfall to soak into the soil rather than wash nutrients away.
- Plant cover crops between growing seasons to protect soil, increase organic matter, and support nitrogen fixation. Add living ground cover to maintain permanent root systems that keep soil active year-round and strengthen the microbiome.
FROM BACKYARD TO ECOSYSTEMS
​Homeowners can also increase biodiversity through companion planting systems like the Three Sisters method, which combines corn, beans, and squash in a cooperative system. Corn provides structure, beans fix nitrogen, and squash acts as living mulch to retain moisture and suppress weeds. This same principle can be expanded by mixing deep-rooted plants, nitrogen fixers, pollinator species, and ground covers to create year-round blooms and continuous soil protection.
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For larger properties, managed grazing can stimulate plant growth and cycle nutrients naturally when stocking density aligns with the land’s carrying capacity​. Regeneration is a eco-friendly way to reduce reliance on synthetic inputs and builds biologically available nutrients through living soil processes.
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By improving soil biology, reducing disturbance, managing water wisely, and strengthening plant diversity, these practices restore ecosystem function. Even one change can improve water retention and plant health. When adopted collectively, regenerative practices strengthen watersheds, increase carbon storage, improve water retention, reduce erosion, lower drought vulnerability, decrease flood risk, support biodiversity, stabilize food systems, reduce long-term land management costs, improve soil fertility, and build lasting environmental and economic resilience for future generations.
THE SHIFT TO A GREENER TOMORROW
From soil biology to carbon sequestration, from water infiltration to plant diversity, regeneration strengthens the systems that support life. It restores ecosystem function, rebuilds carrying capacity, lowers long-term input costs, and increases resilience across residential and commercial landscapes. What begins as a soil decision becomes a water decision, a carbon decision, and ultimately a climate decision. What begins in one yard can influence an entire watershed.
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We do not need instant perfection. We need steady participation. When homeowners, businesses, and communities choose regenerative landscaping, they rebuild soil organic matter, stabilize water cycles, reduce erosion and drought stress, support biodiversity, and strengthen long-term environmental and economic stability.
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Regeneration is not a trend. It is the natural tendency of life to heal when given the right conditions. When practiced consistently and collectively, small decisions compound — restoring balance, strengthening communities, and shaping a more stable future from the ground up. Together.
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Explore this topic in greater depth in my blog.
TERMINOLOGY
Biological Soil Testing
Some soil tests measure only chemical nutrients. Regenerative systems also measure biological activity — the living organisms that drive nutrient cycles. Living soil is more important than chemical numbers alone.
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Brittle Environments
Dry climates, like much of Colorado, are considered brittle environments. In these areas, water management and soil cover are critical. Without proper care, degradation can happen quickly.
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Carbon
Carbon is a basic building block of life. It is found in plants, soil, animals, and even in the air. Plants pull carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and use it to grow. When soil is healthy, much of that carbon stays underground as organic matter. When soil is disturbed or degraded, carbon is released back into the air.
In regenerative systems, carbon is not waste — it is fuel for soil life.
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Carbon Dioxide (COâ‚‚)
Carbon dioxide (COâ‚‚) is a naturally occurring gas made of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. It is released through processes such as respiration, decomposition, and the burning of fossil fuels. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and use it to grow. While COâ‚‚ is essential for life, excessive levels in the atmosphere contribute to global warming by trapping heat. Healthy soils and plant systems help regulate atmospheric COâ‚‚ by storing carbon underground through a process known as carbon sequestration.
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Carrying Capacity
Carrying capacity is the amount of life a piece of land can support without breaking down. If too much is taken from the land without rebuilding it, that limit is crossed and decline begins.
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Community Investment and Regeneration
Healthy land and healthy communities are connected. When capital flows into land stewardship, soil restoration, and responsible agriculture, communities become more stable. Economic resilience and ecological resilience often move together.
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Compounded Results
Compounded results occur when consistent small actions create larger long-term impacts. In regeneration, soil health improvements build over time, leading to stronger ecosystems and greater resilience.
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Cover Crops
Cover crops are plants grown to protect and rebuild soil rather than to be harvested. They are typically planted during off-seasons or between main plantings to prevent erosion, increase organic matter, improve soil structure, and support beneficial microbes. Some cover crops, such as legumes, also help add nitrogen to the soil through natural biological processes.
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Degeneration
Degeneration happens when land slowly loses its strength. Soil becomes compacted and starts to crack. Organic matter disappears. Water runs off instead of soaking in. Plants become weaker. Over time, productivity drops. Degeneration is not dramatic at first. It happens quietly, season after season.
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Dust Bowl Era
Refers to a period in the 1930s when severe drought and poor land management practices caused massive soil erosion across the Great Plains of the United States. Native grasses had been removed and intensive tillage left soil exposed. Without strong root systems to hold it in place, dry topsoil turned to dust and was carried away by windstorms. The event led to widespread crop failure, economic hardship, and migration, and it remains one of the most significant examples of how degraded soil can impact communities and food systems.
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Ecosystem Function
An 'ecosystem' is a network of living plants, animals, and soil organisms working together with water, air, and land. Healthy ecosystems maintain balance, support biodiversity, and allow natural systems to function properly. 'Ecosystem function' describes how well natural systems work. Healthy ecosystems filter water, cycle nutrients, store carbon, grow food, and support wildlife. When soil health declines, ecosystem function weakens.
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Forage Production
Forage production measures how much plant growth the land can produce. Healthy soil increases natural growth without forcing it.
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Free-Range Livestock
Integrating free-range livestock into regenerative systems allows animals to play a functional role in ecosystem restoration. When stocking density and recovery periods are properly managed, livestock help cycle nutrients, distribute manure naturally, stimulate plant regrowth, and strengthen soil biology. In well-managed systems, ranchers may be able to improve both forage production and livestock productivity, effectively supporting farming and ranching within the same regenerative framework. The goal is not to maximize short-term output, but to increase long-term land health and resilience so the system becomes more self-sustaining over time.
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Input Costs
Input costs are the outside materials added to keep land functioning — fertilizers, chemicals, irrigation, and feed. When soil health is weak, input costs rise. When soil health improves, dependence on outside inputs decreases.
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Living Ground Cover
Living ground cover refers to plants that continuously cover and protect the soil surface year-round. These can include grasses, clover, native plants, or diverse low-growing plant mixes. Unlike temporary cover crops, living ground cover is designed to remain in place long-term, protecting soil from erosion, regulating temperature, supporting biodiversity, and maintaining active root systems in the soil.
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Microbiome
A microbiome is the community of microscopic living organisms — such as bacteria, fungi, and other microbes — that exist in a specific environment. In soil, the microbiome plays a critical role in breaking down organic matter, cycling nutrients, supporting plant roots, and storing carbon. A healthy soil microbiome strengthens plant growth, improves water retention, and increases overall ecosystem resilience.
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Nitrogen Fixation
Nitrogen fixation is a natural process where soil organisms capture nitrogen from the air and convert it into forms plants can use. Healthy soil biology reduces the need for synthetic fertilizers.
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Organic Matter
Organic matter is the natural material in soil made from decomposed plants, roots, leaves, and microorganisms. It feeds soil life, improves soil structure, increases water retention, and helps store carbon underground. Soil rich in organic matter is more resilient, fertile, and better able to support healthy plant growth. ​
Planned Grazing
Planned grazing is a land management strategy that uses livestock in carefully timed and controlled rotations to mimic natural herd movement. Animals are moved intentionally to prevent overgrazing and allow pasture recovery. When managed properly, planned grazing can stimulate plant growth, improve root depth, increase soil organic matter, enhance water infiltration, and support carbon sequestration. Over time, healthier forage systems may allow ranchers to increase carrying capacity — meaning the land can support more livestock without degrading.
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Plant Community Shift
When soil degrades, plant communities can change. Native grasses may disappear and be replaced by invasive shrubs. This shift shows imbalance. Regeneration works to restore diversity and stability.
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Regeneration
The process where living things regrow and repair damaged parts, tissues, and organs to restore full function. In essence regeneration means rebuilding life. It restores soil biology, improves plant systems, and strengthens water cycles. Regeneration does not just stop decline. It reverses it. The land becomes more productive and more resilient over time.​
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Sequestration
Sequestration means storing something safely over time. In land management, carbon sequestration refers to the process of capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in soil and plants. This happens naturally when plants grow and when soil biology is active. Healthy soil acts like a carbon bank. The more organic matter in the soil, the more carbon it can store. Regenerative practices increase sequestration by reducing disturbance, increasing plant diversity, and building soil structure. Sequestration is not about removing carbon from the planet — it is about putting it back where it belongs.
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Sustainability
Sustainability means holding something steady. It aims to prevent further damage and maintain balance. But if land is already damaged, keeping it the same does not restore what was lost.
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Stocking Density
Stocking density refers to how many animals land can support at one time. When managed carefully, animals can help cycle nutrients and improve soil. When unmanaged, they can accelerate decline.​
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'Three Sisters'
The 'Three Sisters' is a traditional Indigenous agricultural system that plants corn, beans, and squash together in one space. Each plant supports the others: corn provides structure, beans add nitrogen to the soil, and squash covers the ground to retain moisture and reduce weeds. The system demonstrates how biodiversity strengthens soil health and ecosystem function.
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Time in Production
Land changes over time. Whether land improves or declines depends on how it is managed while it is being used. Regenerative systems improve land even while it is productive.​​​​​
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Transpiration
Transpiration is the process by which plants release water vapor into the air through their leaves. As plants pull water up from the soil, some of that moisture evaporates into the atmosphere. This process helps cool the surrounding environment, supports local water cycles, and connects soil health to climate regulation.
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Watershed
A watershed is an area of land where all rainfall and snowmelt drain into a common body of water, such as a stream, river, or lake. The health of soil and vegetation within a watershed directly affects water quality, flood risk, and long-term water availability for surrounding communities.