Soil Erosion And Conservation

Provides comprehensive treatment of soil erosion processes and their control and a practical approach of the design of soil conservation methods.

Discusses the latest information regarding the processes and mechanisms responsible for runoff and erosion by water in arable lands--detailing state-of-the-art water and soil conservation methods. Elucidates the rehabilitation of agricultural lands depleted by human activity.

In view of the grave consequences of soil degradation on ecosystem functions, food security, biodiversity and human health, this book covers the extent, causes, processes and impacts of global soil degradation, and processes for improvement of degraded soils. Soil conservation measures, including soil amendments, decompaction, mulching, cover cropping, crop rotation, green manuring, contour farming, strip cropping, alley cropping, surface roughening, windbreaks, terracing, sloping agricultural land technology (SALT), dune stabilization, etc., are discussed. Particular emphasis is given to soil pollution and the methods of physical, chemical and biological remediation of polluted soils. This book will lead the reader from the basics to a comprehensive understanding of soil degradation, conservation and remediation.

“Principles of Soil Management and Conservation” comprehensively reviews the state-of-knowledge on soil erosion and management. It discusses in detail soil conservation topics in relation to soil productivity, environment quality, and agronomic production. It addresses the implications of soil erosion with emphasis on global hotspots and synthesizes available from developed and developing countries. It also critically reviews information on no-till management, organic farming, crop residue management for industrial uses, conservation buffers (e.g., grass buffers, agroforestry systems), and the problem of hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico and in other regions. This book uniquely addresses the global issues including carbon sequestration, net emissions of CO2, and erosion as a sink or source of C under different scenarios of soil management. It also deliberates the implications of the projected global warming on soil erosion and vice versa. The concern about global food security in relation to soil erosion and strategies for confronting the remaining problems in soil management and conservation are specifically addressed. This volume is suitable for both undergraduate and graduate students interested in understanding the principles of soil conservation and management. The book is also useful for practitioners, extension agents, soil conservationists, and policymakers as an important reference material.

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.

This Book Has Been Prepared To Serve As A Textbook For Undergraduate And Graduate Students, Teachers And A Book Of Reference For Researchers. The Unique Feature Of This Book Is That Theory And Practice Have Been Dealt Together. The Basic Principles Have Been Dealt Systematically In A Concise Form Considering The Need Of Average Student.First Four Chapters Deal With Principles Of Erosion, Causes, Effects, Mechanisms Involved In Erosion By Water And Wind. Various Aspects Of Soil Conservation Are Discussed In Five Subsequent Chapters. A Separate Chapter On Watershed Management And A Chapter On Overview Of Soil Conservation Work In India And A Glossary Of Selected Terms In Soil Erosion And Conservation Are Also Given. This Book Should Interest To Students And Professionals In The Fields Of Agriculture, Soil Science, Agronomy, Horticulture, Forestry, Agroforestry, Hydrology, Agricultural Engineering/Soil And Water Conservation Engineering, Economics And Environmental Sciences.