Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
1960s, and it has been estimated that the 20 species of mammals, 37 species of birds, and
17 species of butterlies that live in the boundaries could be threatened by the loss of the
hedgerows. Biodiversity has been severely impacted due to removal of the hedgerows and
other intensiied agricultural production processes. Other species such as brown hares,
arthropods, insects, bees, lowers, and bats are also threatened.
6.5 Managing Geoenvironment Stressor Impacts
As in the previous sections, the discussion in this section concerning agricultural prac-
tices and farm-related stressors and impacts on the geoenvironment are all structured
from the geoenvironmental perspective, i.e., impacts to the geoenvironment. It is accepted
that geoenvironment stressors will be generated by activities associated with agricultural
food production. The section title “Managing Geoenvironment Stressor Impacts” is used
to mean “implementation of measures” (a) to prevent, where possible, the various stress-
ors from impacting on the geoenvironment and/or (b) where it is not possible to prevent
stressors from impacting on the geoenvironment, to mitigate the adverse stressor impacts
on the geoenvironment. The preceding discussions have shown what the major geoenvi-
ronment stressors are and how they come about. We have seen how they impact on the
geoenvironment, human health and biodiversity. Insofar as geoenvironment sustainabil-
ity is concerned, agricultural-related food production activities need to (a) eliminate (if
possible) or mitigate stressor impacts on the geoenvironment and (b) implement proce-
dures and technology that will manage geoenvironment stressor impacts to achieve and
maintain soil, surface, and groundwater quality. The measures (procedure and technol-
ogy) taken to manage the geoenvironment impacts can be implemented at the source, as
source management control
, and/or impact remediation and rehabilitation procedures, i.e.,
procedures implemented on impacted site.
It can be argued that many of the measures for mitigating, minimizing, and even pre-
venting impacts from contaminant loading and soil quality impairment run counter to
intensive agricultural practices. From the perspective of the agroindustry, there is valid-
ity to this set of arguments. However, as has been realized for countless years, conlicts
between agricultural productivity and protection of the geoenvironment have always
existed. With better awareness of the sources of geoenvironment stressors, and with better
tools for management of stressor impacts on the geoenvironment, these conlicts will con-
tinue to lessen as one strives toward obtaining sustainability for both agricultural-based
food production and the geoenvironment.
6.5.1 Examples of Practices to Reduce Stressor Impacts
6.5.1.1 Soil Degradation
Changes in agricultural practices can lead to reduction in soil degradation rates. Most of
these practices are well known in the industry and are now routinely applied in everyday
agricultural engineering and farming practices. These include rotation of crops, protection
of soils from erosion, increase of organic matter and nutrient contents, and restructuring
of the soil. It is common practice to alternate between high-yield cereal or tuber plant
with leguminous or fallow land planting. Adding mulches, composts, or manures can also
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