World Soil Erosion and Conservation

by David Pimentel (Editor)

Overview

Land degradation from soil erosion has been considered by many to be a problem of significant proportion, affecting some 30–50% of the earth's land surface. At the time of the first publication of this book in 1993, estimates indicated that 10–15 million hectares of land were being lost each year through erosion and salinisation from irrigation and that at such a rate of loss, topsoil reserves on most sloping lands would be depleted within two hundred years. Since humankind's dependency on the land for food is almost total, soil erosion represents a real threat to the security of our food supply. The need for the immediate conservation of the world's soil resources is therefore clear. As part of the response to this need, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's Commission on Ecology convened a special working group to consider the problem of world soil erosion and to propose practical solutions for soil conservation. This important book presents the outcome of their work.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521104715
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	03/19/2009
Series:	Cambridge Studies in Applied Ecology and Resource Management
Pages:	364
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 9.50(h) x 0.90(d)

Table of Contents

Overview D. Pimental; 1. Soil erosion and conservation in West Africa R. Lal; 2. Land degradation, famine and land resource scenarios in Ethiopia H. Hurni; 3. Soil erosion and conservation in China Wen Dazhong; 4. A case study in Dingxi County, Gansu Province, China L. McLaughlin; 5. Soil erosion and conservation in India T. N. Khoshoo and K. G. Tejwani; 6. Soil erosion and conservation in Australia K. Edwards; 7. Soil erosion and conservation in Argentina J. S. Molina Buck; 8. Soil erosion and conservation in the United Kingdom C. Arden-Clarke and R. Evans; 9. Soil erosion and conservation in Poland L. Ryszkowski; 10. Soil erosion and conservation in the humid tropics S. A. El-Swaify; 11. The management of world soil resources for sustainable agricultural production E. T. Craswell; 12. Soil erosion and agricultural productivity D. Pimental et al; 13. Vetiver grass for soil and water conservation: prospects and problems M. V. K. Sivamohan, C. A. Scott and M. F. Walter; References; Index.