Restoring Degraded Lands

This book presents state-of-the-art scientific evidence and technological innovations to restore lands on the Loess Plateau of China, known worldwide for its serious land degradation and desertification problems. Supported by a rapidly developing Chinese economy and the dissemination of effective technology, the Grain-for-Green Project and Western Development Action launched by the Chinese government have resulted in successful ecological restoration and protection over the past 30 years. These programs have contributed not only to conservation of soil and water, but also to economic development. At the same time, however, these developmental interventions have brought new challenges that have not yet been fully addressed. The book describes (1) case studies of success and failure in practice, including rare success stories of combating desertification; (2) technical issues such as erosion control and breeding of stress-tolerant plant species, and socioeconomic measures taken by the Chinese government and lending policies with support from the World Bank; and (3) comprehensive measures against desertification, such as water and wind erosion, salinization, and deforestation. This volume is recommended for researchers and students above the undergraduate level in diverse fields including soil science, rural engineering, social technology and civil engineering, biology, ecology, climatology, physical and human geography, and developmental economics, among others. It also serves as a valuable resource for engineers, government officials, and NPOs and NGOs involved in afforestation, ecological restoration, combating desertification, disaster prevention, and sustainable rural development.

This book gives a broad coverage of modern restoration and the management needed after restoration. It deals with relevant topics such as restoration ecology; restoration planning; ecological and ecotoxicological risk assessment; management and adaptive management; restoration in the broader context of sustainable development; as well as case studies and examples related to the Asian region. Major emphasis is placed on the Asian region, but the techniques described in the book can also be applied to other regions. It concludes with an important overview of the steps that must be taken in the management of any project.The Restoration and Management of Derelict Land serves as an important reference for undergraduate and postgraduate students, professors, decision-makers and engineers in environmental science and management.

Land Restoration: Reclaiming Landscapes for a Sustainable Future provides a holistic overview of land degradation and restoration in that it addresses the issue of land restoration from the scientific and practical development points of view. Furthermore, the breadth of chapter topics and contributors cover the topic and a wealth of connected issues, such as security, development, and environmental issues. The use of graphics and extensive references to case studies also make the work accessible and encourage it to be used for reference, but also in active field-work planning. Land Restoration: Reclaiming Landscapes for a Sustainable Future brings together practitioners from NGOs, academia, governments, and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to exchange lessons to enrich the academic understanding of these issues and the solution sets available. Provides accessible information about the science behind land degradation and restoration for those who do not directly engage with the science allowing full access to the issue at hand. Includes practical on-the-ground examples garnered from diverse areas, such as the Sahel, Southeast Asia, and the U.S.A. Provides practical tools for designing and implementing restoration/re-greening processes.

Remediation and Management of Degraded Lands presents the program of the first International Conference on the Remediation and Management of Degraded Lands. This collection reviews the extent of resource debasement and offers solutions for their restoration. The 14-part first section deals with mine management and rehabilitation. Topics include the devastating results of open-cut mining, open-pit mining, lignite surface mining and acid mining. Despite such ruin, the articles reveal the possibilities for reclamation. Part two devotes nine chapters to the management of derelict lands. Reforestation, soil fertility prognosis, and the uses of nitrogen are just a few of the covered subjects. This portion of the book pays special attention to the successful results of remediation in China and Hong Kong. The final division addresses soil contamination and reclamation. There are eleven chapters on subjects that include the single and interactive effects of aluminum, the effectiveness of EDTA/HCI and the value of pig-on-litter compost as a tool for edible crop growth. These and other innovative techniques make Remediation and Management of Degraded Lands a valuable addition to any environmental library.

It is clear that serious efforts are needed to arrest dryland degradation and restore degraded lands. The simple but urgent aim of these guidelines is to support such efforts It is the first time that global guidelines on dryland restoration are made available. These guidelines target two main groups - policymakers and other decision-makers, and practitioners - because both have the power to bring about positive change.

Restoring Ecological Health to Your Land is the first practical guidebook to give restorationists and would-be restorationists with little or no scientific training or background the “how to” information and knowledge they need to plan and implement ecological restoration activities. The book sets forth a step-by-step process for developing, implementing, monitoring, and refining on-the-ground restoration projects that is applicable to a wide range of landscapes and ecosystems. The first part of the book introduces the process of ecological restoration in simple, easily understood language through specific examples drawn from the authors’ experience restoring their own lands in southern and central Wisconsin. It offers systematic, step-by-step strategies along with inspiration and benchmark experiences. The book’s second half shows how that same “thinking” and “doing” can be applied to North America’s major ecosystems and landscapes in any condition or scale. No other ecological restoration book leads by example and first-hand experience likethis one. The authors encourage readers to champion restoration of ecosystems close to where they live . . . at home, on farms and ranches, in parks and preserves. It provides an essential bridge for people from all walks of life and all levels of experience—from land trust member property stewards to agency personnel responsible for restoring lands in their care—and represents a unique and important contribution to the literature on restoration.