While organic soils have the potential to contribute greatly to agricultural production, the irreversible processes that occur from draining organic soils need to be managed with caution. The wise use of peatlands must include the avoidance of unacceptable ecological effects on the contiguous and global environment. Organic Soils and Peat Materials
While organic soils have the potential to contribute greatly to agricultural production, the irreversible processes that occur from draining organic soils need to be managed with caution. The wise use of peatlands must include the avoidance of unacceptable ecological effects on the contiguous and global environment. Organic Soils and Peat Materials
Thoroughly updated and revised, this second edition of the bestselling Soil Sampling and Methods of Analysis presents several new chapters in the areas of biological and physical analysis and soil sampling. Reflecting the burgeoning interest in soil ecology, new contributions describe the growing number and assortment of new microbiological
This Encyclopedia of Agrophysics will provide up-to-date information on the physical properties and processes affecting the quality of the environment and plant production. It will be a "first-up" volume which will nicely complement the recently published Encyclopedia of Soil Science, (November 2007) which was published in the same series. In a single authoritative volume a collection of about 250 informative articles and ca 400 glossary terms covering all aspects of agrophysics will be presented. The authors will be renowned specialists in various aspects in agrophysics from a wide variety of countries. Agrophysics is important both for research and practical use not only in agriculture, but also in areas like environmental science, land reclamation, food processing etc. Agrophysics is a relatively new interdisciplinary field closely related to Agrochemistry, Agrobiology, Agroclimatology and Agroecology. Nowadays it has been fully accepted as an agricultural and environmental discipline. As such this Encyclopedia volume will be an indispensable working tool for scientists and practitioners from different disciplines, like agriculture, soil science, geosciences, environmental science, geography, and engineering.
The aim of this guidebook is to support the reduction of GHG emissions from managed peatlands and present guidance for responsible management practices that can maintain peatlands ecosystem services while sustaining and improving local livelihoods. This guidebook also provides an overview of the present knowledge on peatlands, including their geographic distribution, ecological characteristics and socio-economic importance.
The field of experimental unsaturated soil mechanics has grown considerably over the last decade. In the laboratory and in the field, innovative techniques have been introduced into mechanical, hydraulic, and geo-environmental testing. Normally, this information is widely dispersed throughout journals and conference proceedings and it is often difficult to identify suitable equipment and instrumentation for research or professional purposes. In this volume, however, the authors bring together the latest research in laboratory and field testing techniques, and the equipment employed, and examine the current state-of-the-art in a forum devoted solely to experimental unsaturated soil mechanics. The papers published in the proceedings were peer-reviewed by internationally-recognized researchers. The topics tackled by the papers include suction measurement, suction control, mechanical and hydraulic laboratory testing, geo-environmental testing, and field-testing.
This book provides a comprehensive and up to date overview of peatland ecosystems. It examines the entire range of biota present in this habitat and considers management, conservation, and restoration issues.
Visual Soil Evaluation (VSE) provides land users and environmental authorities with the tools to assess soil quality for crop performance. This book describes the assessment of the various structural conditions of soil, especially after quality degradation such as compaction, erosion or organic matter loss. Covering a broad range of land types from abandoned peats to prime arable land, this useful handbook assesses yield potential across a range of scales. It also appraises the use of VSE in determining the potential of different land types for carbon storage, greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient leaching, and for diagnosing and rectifying erosion and compaction in soils.
BioPolymers could be either natural polymers – polymer naturally occurring in Nature, such as cellulose or starch…, or biobased polymers that are artificially synthesized from natural resources. Since the late 1990s, the polymer industry has faced two serious problems: global warming and anticipation of limitation to the access to fossil resources. One solution consists in the use of sustainable resources instead of fossil-based resources. Hence, biomass feedstocks are a promising resource and biopolymers are one of the most dynamic polymer area. Additionally, biodegradability is a special functionality conferred to a material, bio-based or not. Very recently, facing the awareness of the volumes of plastic wastes, biodegradable polymers are gaining increasing attention from the market and industrial community. This special issue of Molecules deals with the current scientific and industrial challenges of Natural and Biobased Polymers, through the access of new biobased monomers, improved thermo-mechanical properties, and by substitution of harmful substances. This themed issue can be considered as collection of highlights within the field of Natural Polymers and Biobased Polymers which clearly demonstrate the increased interest in this field. We hope that this will inspire researchers to further develop this area and thus contribute to futures more sustainable society.”
Soils are neither good nor bad, but some have inherent or acquired characteristics that may or may not suit our intended use. Unsuitable characteristics are considered to be soil problems, soil constraints or soil limitations. Only twelve percent of global land is right for agricultural production without much limitation. Some soils have severe limitations for crop production. These soils are so called ‘problem soils’. Many of them do not have enough fertility to be productive; some are arid and saline; some are very sandy and dry; and some are wet and waterlogged for most of the growing season. The global demand for food, wood, fuel, fiber, medicine and other plant products for the 7.2 billion current world population has created such an immense pressure on global soil resources that even the most fertile soils are losing their productive capacity. We are being compelled to bring more and more unsuitable or marginally suitable soils under cultivation. Unless innovative and integrated soil, crop and environmental management practices are adopted for their improvement and sustainable use, further degradation is inevitable. This book, Management of Soil Problems, identifies the problems and discusses management options in a smooth and reader-friendly style. It will be useful for students and professionals of soil science, agriculture, forestry, geography and environmental sciences.
