The study looked at how different ways of using and managing land affected the quality of soil in a sandy area over 14 years. They found that soil quality varied depending on the type of land use, with the best results seen in orchards with crops and grass, followed by well-managed farmland, and the worst in poorly managed dry farmland. While some improvements were seen in well-managed areas, soil carbon and nitrogen levels were still lower than in the original grassland. This suggests that adding organic matter over time is important for restoring soil health in degraded areas. To protect soil quality and promote sustainable land use, it may be best to stop farming on severely degraded land and use better soil management practices instead.