This is the first of two volumes that together provide a global overview of the impact of agriculture on soil degradation, tracing the most critical drivers like the use and abuse of agrochemicals, mechanization, overgrazing, irrigation, slash and burn agriculture, and the use of plastics. This book covers the main effects of agriculture practices on soil degradation in several countries from Africa, America, Asia, and Oceania, and it elucidates the impact of chemical agents on soil quality, namely, the use of fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, soil acidification and microplastics pollution. In these continents, a large number of the population depend on agriculture, which sets an enormous pressure on the ecosystems. Divided into 13 chapters, the book offers authoritative contributions about the fundamental soil degradation problems in countries such as Argentina, Australia, Peru and Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Colombia, India, Israel, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, the United States of America. As soil degradation issues are often linked with biodiversity loss and poverty, readers will also find in this book an important discussion of the different social, economic, political, and environmental aspects contributing to soil quality and sustainable management. Given the breadth and depth of its coverage, the book offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, students, environmental managers and policymakers alike.

This is the second of two volumes that together provide a global overview of the impact of agriculture on soil degradation, tracing the most critical drivers like the use and abuse of agrochemicals, mechanization, overgrazing, irrigation, slash and burn agriculture, and the use of plastics. Soil degradation caused by agriculture practices is a complex issue which depends on the interaction of social, economic, political, and environmental aspects. In this book, expert contributors elucidate the extension of the effects of agriculture on soil degradation in Europe, a continent with different cultures and political backgrounds that affect agricultural practices. Readers will also find in this book authoritative solutions to minimize the effects of agriculture intensification and land-use in this continent. Divided into 12 chapters, the book offers a European perspective on soil quality and sustainable management, including case studies about the impact of chemical agents like fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and soil acidification and microplastics pollution in agriculture practices from countries such as Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Germany, Portugal and Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine. Given the breadth and depth of its coverage, the book offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, students and environmental managers alike. Chapter “Agricultural Land Degradation in the Czech Republic” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com.

Evaluating the impact of soil degradation o food security. Past and present effects of soil degradation. Future effects of soil degradation and threats to developing-country food security. Policy and research priorities.

Agriculture in developing countries has been remarkably productive during the last few decades; however, the production levels were achieved at the cost of placing more stress on natural resources and the environment. This volume brings together state-of-the-art applied, practical research related to agriculture, development, and the environment in the developing world. It attempts to distill current knowledge and to summarize it in readable form for development practitioners. Where possible, authors use specific examples to indicate which approaches have worked and which have not, under which conditions, and why.

Contents: Dirt poor: poverty, farmers and soil resource investment/ by Leslie Lipper; Methodological issues in analysing the linkages between socio-eocnomic and environmental systems/ by Dan Osgood and Leslie Lipper. Includes 1-page abstracts in French, Spanish and Arabic

In this book, readers embark on a journey through the intricate web of climate change, its causes, and the far-reaching consequences it has on our world. From the greenhouse gas effect to shifting weather patterns, this book meticulously dissects the science behind climate change. It explores its impact on vital sectors like agriculture, food production, horticulture, and even the intricate relationships between microorganisms and our changing climate. Offering practical insights, the book unveils adaptation and mitigation strategies essential for safeguarding our planet. This is a comprehensive book that equips readers with the knowledge needed to understand and address one of the most pressing global challenges of our time.

Farmland abandonment is one of the major land use changes occurring in many rural territories, especially in mountainous regions. Without intervention (passive land management), farmland abandonment leads to an expansion of shrubs and forest on formerly cultivated hillslopes and grazing areas. All these land use changes affect the hydrological and geomorphological dynamics of slopes and channels, having important implications for water resources and soil conservation. However, the heterogeneity of abandoned scenarios complicates the assessment of farmland abandonment on water resources and soil conservation. In this Special Issue, we will publish papers that examine the hydrological and geomorphological consequences of farmland abandonment in one (or several) of these abandoned scenarios. Our final purpose is to help water and land managers to select the most sustainable strategy (in terms of water resources and soil conservation) for the land management of marginal rural areas.

This volume focuses on tackling the harmful impact of agricultural waste with the use of sustainable practices, bio-techniques, and new technologies that either make use of the waste as a raw material or convert the waste into a useful resource that can help achieve environmental sustainability. The agriculture sector is one of the major producers of waste around the world. These wastes are produced at various stages of the various processes in the agricultural industry. Agricultural practices such as mechanical tillage, mono-cropping, application of agro-chemicals, irrigation with waste and industrial waters affect soil health and productivity. The resulting agricultural wastes can have a deleterious impact on the different components of the environment, resulting in harmful problems that pose a huge risk to ecological stability. The book investigates the sources and impacts of agri-waste on the environment and goes on to offer effective techniques, processes, and sustainable practices that can be implemented for effective agricultural waste management. Chapters also discuss a selection of innovative engineering-based technologies. The volume includes discussions of many remediation techniques, such as the use of biofertilizers, biocontrol agents, vermicomposting, green chemistry, microbial interventions, and more. The book explores the various uses of agri-waste with special emphasis on their applications in the plant-soil system. This book is a valuable reference source for academicians, professionals, researchers, students, and policymakers who are interested in the innovative management of the agricultural waste.

The proceedings book of the Global Symposium on Soil Erosion (GSER19) contains all papers presented both orally and in poster format during the symposium (15-17 May 2019, FAO HQ). The papers presented have provided sufficient scientific evidence to show that soil erosion is a global threat to food production systems, available land for future demand, rural livelihoods, human health and biodiversity, and that coordinated effective action needs to be fostered and accelerated to address this issue. Studies presented provided scientific evidence that soil erosion is accelerated by anthropogenic action. In the current context of population increase and climate change, urgent action is needed from governments to support farmers and land-users in the transition to sustainable production systems, and crucial action is needed at global level to raise awareness of the importance of healthy and productive soils, to ensure a sustainable future and the achievement of many of the SDGs targeting hunger, water quality, and life on land, amongst others.

Soil degradation has serious global impacts on agronomic, economic, and sociopolitical conditions, however, statistics regarding the degree of these impacts has been largely unreliable. This book aims to standardize the methodology for obtaining reliable and objective data on soil degradation. It will also identify and develop criteria for assessing the severity of soil degradation, providing a realistic scenario of the problem.