This book examines the effects that land-use changes (notably agricultural intensification, logging, soil erosion, urbanisation and mining) have on soil characteristics and processes in tropical and savannah environments. It covers a range of geographical regions and environments as impacts of land use change are often site specific. The effects of land use change on various aspects of the soil ecosystem from both a chemical and biological perspective will be examined.

This open access book synthesizes leading-edge science and management information about forest and rangeland soils of the United States. It offers ways to better understand changing conditions and their impacts on soils, and explores directions that positively affect the future of forest and rangeland soil health. This book outlines soil processes and identifies the research needed to manage forest and rangeland soils in the United States. Chapters give an overview of the state of forest and rangeland soils research in the Nation, including multi-decadal programs (chapter 1), then summarizes various human-caused and natural impacts and their effects on soil carbon, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and biological diversity (chapters 2–5). Other chapters look at the effects of changing conditions on forest soils in wetland and urban settings (chapters 6–7). Impacts include: climate change, severe wildfires, invasive species, pests and diseases, pollution, and land use change. Chapter 8 considers approaches to maintaining or regaining forest and rangeland soil health in the face of these varied impacts. Mapping, monitoring, and data sharing are discussed in chapter 9 as ways to leverage scientific and human resources to address soil health at scales from the landscape to the individual parcel (monitoring networks, data sharing Web sites, and educational soils-centered programs are tabulated in appendix B). Chapter 10 highlights opportunities for deepening our understanding of soils and for sustaining long-term ecosystem health and appendix C summarizes research needs. Nine regional summaries (appendix A) offer a more detailed look at forest and rangeland soils in the United States and its Affiliates.

This book presents recent estimates on the rate of change of major land classes. Aggregated globally, multiple impacts of local land changes are shown to significantly affect central aspects of Earth System functioning. The book offers innovative developments and applications in the fields of modeling and scenario construction. Conclusions are also drawn about the most pressing implications for the design of appropriate intervention policies.

Poor land management has degraded vast amounts of land, reduced our ability to produce enough food, and is a major threat to rural livelihoods in many developing countries. This book provides a thorough analysis of the multifaceted impacts of land use on soils. Abundantly illustrated with full-color images, it brings together renowned academics and policy experts to analyze the patterns, driving factors and proximate causes, and the socioeconomic impacts of soil degradation.

Climate Change and Soil Interactions examines soil system interactions and conservation strategies regarding the effects of climate change. It presents cutting-edge research in soil carbonization, soil biodiversity, and vegetation. As a resource for strategies in maintaining various interactions for eco-sustainability, topical chapters address microbial response and soil health in relation to climate change, as well as soil improvement practices. Understanding soil systems, including their various physical, chemical, and biological interactions, is imperative for regaining the vitality of soil system under changing climatic conditions. This book will address the impact of changing climatic conditions on various beneficial interactions operational in soil systems and recommend suitable strategies for maintaining such interactions. Climate Change and Soil Interactions enables agricultural, ecological, and environmental researchers to obtain up-to-date, state-of-the-art, and authoritative information regarding the impact of changing climatic conditions on various soil interactions and presents information vital to understanding the growing fields of biodiversity, sustainability, and climate change. - Addresses several sustainable development goals proposed by the UN as part of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development - Presents a wide variety of relevant information in a unique style corroborated with factual cases, colour images, and case studies from across the globe - Recommends suitable strategies for maintaining soil system interactions under changing climatic conditions

The book presents the processes governing the dynamics of landscapes, soils and sediments, water and energy under different climatic regions using studies conducted in varied climatic zones including arid, semi-arid, humid and wet regions. The spatiotemporal availability of the processes and fluxes and their linkage to the environment, land, soil and water management are presented at various scales. Spatial scales including laboratory, field, watershed, river basin and regions are represented. The effect of tillage operations and land management on soil physical characteristics and soil moisture is discussed. The book has 35 chapters in seven sections: 1) Landscape and Land Cover Dynamics, 2) Rainfall-Runoff Processes, 3) Floods and Hydrological Processes 4) Groundwater Flow and Aquifer Management, 5) Sediment Dynamics and Soil Management, 6) Climate change impact on vegetation, sediment and water dynamics, and 7) Water and Watershed Management.

The patterns of land use that have evolved in Europe reflect the boundaries set by the natural environment and socio-economic responses to the needs of the population. Over the centuries man has been able to overcome increasingly the constraints placed on land use by the natural environment through the development of new technologies and innovations, driven by an increasing population and rising material expectations. However, activities are still ultimately constrained by natural limitations such as climatic characteristics and associated edaphic and vegetational features. A major problem for land management, in its broadest sense, can be a reluctance to foresee the consequent ecological changes. This means that mitigating strategies will not be implemented in time to prevent environmental degradation and social hardship, although in many parts of Europe, over some centuries, demands have been met in a sustainable way, by sound, prudent and temperate expectations that have dictated management regimes. The management of land in Europe has always been a complex challenge: land is the primary, though finite resource. DeciSions regarding the use of land and manipulation of ecosystem dynamics today may affect the long-term primary productivity of the resource. Decisions to change land use may be virtually irreversible; urbanization is an illustration of the influence of population density on the land resource.

The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) enables planners to predict the average rate of soil erosion for each feasible alternative combination of crop system and management practices in association with a specified soil type, rainfall pattern, and topography. When these predicted losses are compared with given soil loss tolerances, they provide specific guidelines for effecting erosion control within specified limits. The equation groups the numerous interrelated physical and management parameters that influence erosion rate under six major factors whose site-specific values can be expressed numerically. A half century of erosion research in many States has supplied information from which at least approximate values of the USLE factors can be obtained for specified farm fields or other small erosion prone areas throughout the United States. Tables and charts presented in this handbook make this information readily available for field use. Significant limitations in the available data are identified.

Agriculture is strongly affected by changes in soil hydrology as well as changes in land use and management practices and the complex interactions between them. This book develops an understanding of these interactions on a watershed scale, using soil hydrology models and addresses the consequences of land use and management changes on agriculture from a research perspective. Case studies illustrate the impact of land use and management on various soil hydrological parameters under different climates and ecosystems.

There can be little doubt that there are truly colossal challenges associated with providing food, fibre and energy for an expanding world population without further accelerating already rapid rates of biodiversity loss and undermining the ecosystem processes on which we all depend. These challenges are further complicated by rapid changes in climate and its additional direct impacts on agriculture, biodiversity and ecological processes. There are many different viewpoints about the best way to deal with the myriad issues associated with land use intensification and this book canvasses a number of these from different parts of the tropical and temperate world. Chapters focus on whether science can suggest new and improved approaches to reducing the conflict between productive land use and biodiversity conservation. Who should read this book? Policy makers in regional, state and federal governments, as well as scientists and the interested lay public.