Methods for Assessment of Soil Degradation

Soil degradation has serious global impacts on agronomic, economic, and sociopolitical conditions, however, statistics regarding the degree of these impacts has been largely unreliable. This book aims to standardize the methodology for obtaining reliable and objective data on soil degradation. It will also identify and develop criteria for assessing the severity of soil degradation, providing a realistic scenario of the problem.

1. Basic Concepts: Degradation, Resilience, and Rehabilitation 2. Soil Quality and Sustainability 3. Methodologies for Assessment of Soil Degradation Due to Water Erosion 4. Modeling Erosion by Water and Wind 5. Soil Crusting 6. Hardsetting 7. Assessment, Prevention, and Rehabilitation of Soil Structure Caused by Soil Surface Sealing, Crusting, and Compaction 8. Soil Compaction 9. The Characteristics of Soil Organic Matter Relative to Nutrient Cycling 10. Soil Processes and Greenhouse Effect 11. Acidification 12. Estimating Nutrient Balances in Agro-Ecosystems at Different Spatial Scales 13. Salt Buildup as a Factor of Soil Degradation 14. Sodic Soils 15. Soil Pollution and Contamination 16. Acid Sulfate Soils 17. Long-Term Characterization: Monitoring and Modeling 18. Scaling and Extrapolation of Soil Degradation Assessments 19. Applications of Geographic Information Systems in Soil Degradation Assessments 20. Remote Sensing Applications to Soil Degradation Assessments 21. Mapping Soil Degradation 22. Revisiting the Glasod Methodology 23. Desertification Assessment 24. Agronomic Impact of Soil Degradation 25. Methods of Economic Assessment of On-Site and Off-Site Costs of Soil Degradation 26. The On-Farm Economic Costs of Erosion 27. Methods for Assessing the Impacts of Soil Degradation on Water Quality 28. Research and Development Priorities

Lal, Rattan; Blum, Winfried E. H.; Valentin, C.; Stewart, B.A.