The first hands-on instruction guide to landform grading and revegetation Landform grading provides a cost-effective, attractive, and environmentally compatible way to construct slopes and other landforms that are stable and that blend in with the natural surroundings. Landform grading design and construction technology have advanced rapidly during the past decade, and this book explains the technique, its uses, its various applications, and its significant advantages. Landforming: An Environmental Approach to Hillside Development, Mine Reclamation and Watershed Restoration, presents the first comprehensive and practical guidebook to the innovative techniques of landform grading and revegetation. Citing numerous practical applications in such areas as hillside housing developments, mass grading operations, surface mining and watershed reclamation projects, the authors--one an internationally recognized instructor and the other an engineer with over thirty years of practical experience in the field--have teamed up to provide valuable information on: The aesthetic and ecological benefits of landform grading and revegetation Analyses that demonstrate the stability of landform designed slopes Real-world design/construction procedures Construction in both upland slope areas and in stream corridors Analytical procedures and design aids to assist implementation Well documented and comprehensive case studies of actual projects Written in straightforward language and liberally illustrated with informative photographs and schematic drawings, the text should prove of value to practicing professionals in such diverse fields as land planning, civil and geotechnical engineering, landscape architecture, and geology as well as to personnel in a variety of local, state and federal regulatory agencies and environmental interest groups. HORST J. SCHOR is the originator of the Landforming and Revegetation Concept and is Principal of H.J. Schor Consulting. He has developed landform grading designs that have been implemented in a variety of hillside grading and mining reclamation projects for a diverse list of clients. He has been a guest lecturer at The University of Wisconsin-Madison, The University of Dresden, Germany and The University of California at Irvine. DONALD H. GRAY, PHD, is Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at The University of Michigan. In addition to speaking and teaching internationally, he has co-authored three books on subjects related geotechnical engineering and biotechnical slope protection.

This last volume of the Energy in World Agriculture series is in many ways the series' Alpha and its Omega. It addresses the broad issues related to the use of energy in agricultural production, and also characterizes and quantifies the energy involvements of many agricultural production technologies. It is a compilation of descriptive and analytical information and design principles and data of energy use in this field. A significant aspect is the relationship between energy and agricultural productivity, increased knowledge and resulting improved management of energy-consuming operations on the farm. Information provided here has not been published elsewhere before. Throughout the book are examples of the important role that energy inputs have played in increasing productivity of the world's agricultural systems. Together with a revived interest in energy for agricultural production due to increases in energy costs, this volume meets that interest with valuable information and insights.

Healthy soil is key to sustaining life on Earth. While more and more people are starting to see the need for soil restoration, there is very little understanding of just how it can be accomplished. There is a rapidly emerging demand for a “how to” manual for soil restoration. Dale Strickler is an expert on building healthy soil and restoring degraded soil, and in The Complete Guide to Restoring Your Soil, he presents the science of soil, along with proven methods of restoring depleted soil and agricultural practices from around the world that continue to build soil, rather than cause it to deteriorate. Strickler provides a solid foundation in the science of healthy soil, explaining how soil has become so degraded over time and the dire consequences for the human species, not just in terms of food scarcity but also the social, health, and environmental consequences of growing food in poor soil. He addresses the chemical, physical, and biological principles behind soil function, and presents actual farming practices that can be used to regenerate soil, techniques and strategies for remediating contaminated soil, and agriculture systems both past and present that functioned to build soil, such as the ancient chinampas systems of Mexico and the permaculture systems of today. This publication conforms to the EPUB Accessibility specification at WCAG 2.0 Level AA.

Irrigated agriculture and the use of water resources in agriculture face the challenges of sustainable development. Research has advanced our knowledge of water use by crops, soil-water-solutes interactions, and the engineering and managerial tools needed to mobilize, convey, distribute, control and apply water for agricultural production. However, the achievements booked in user practice have revealed the need for new developments in the areas of resource conservation, control of environmental and health impacts, modernisation of technologies and management, economic viability and the social acceptance of changes. The contributions to Sustainability of Irrigated Agriculture cover most of the relevant disciplines. Besides its multidisciplinarity, the different origins, experience, backgrounds and practices of the authors provide a wide, in-depth analysis of the various aspects of water resource utilization in agriculture. The papers review scientific, technical and managerial aspects, highlighting the main problems, issues and future developments. The book covers the different aspects of sustainability, including environmental, technical, economic, institutional and social ones. Advances in irrigation science and engineering are dealt with, both on- and off-farm. Special attention is paid to the different components of water quality management, to the transfer of technology, and to capacity building.