Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Marginality in soils is not a new concept because we know that degraded soils
have contributed to societal problems throughout history. However, the social view
of soil and soil management provides a different dimension to our view of marginal
soils. The perception is that soils are more degraded on other areas than in areas
being managed by an individual and that one's capability to manage and improve soil
is better than that of others. The major problem is that the consequence of improper
management and degradation is a gradual process rather than an immediate change,
and this leads to systems in which we have grown tolerant of reductions in soil qual-
ity and trends toward marginality. Soil management practices need to renew their
focus on eliminating soil erosion and enhancing soil biological function, with the
goal of ultimately increasing soil quality. Through this combination of focusing on
soil enhancement, we will be able to achieve the goal of being resilient to climate
change and ensuring adequate food for an increasing population.
ABBREVIATIONS
AWC:
available water capacity
C:
carbon
CH
4
:
methane
CP:
chisel plow
CRP:
Conservation Reserve Program
CSP:
Conservation Stewardship Program
EQIP:
Environmental Quality Incentives Program
ET:
evapotranspiration
GHG:
greenhouse gas
IFRLP:
Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll
MP:
moldboard plow
MWD:
mean weight diameter
N:
nitrogen
N
2
O:
nitrous oxide
NT:
no till
P:
phosphorus
SOC:
soil organic carbon
SOM:
soil organic matter
WUE:
water use efficiency
REFERENCES
Alexander, R.B., R.A. Smith, G.E. Schwarz, E.W. Boyuer, J.V. Nolan, and J.W. Brakebill.
2008. Differences in phosphorus and nitrogen delivery to the Gulf of Mexico from the
Mississippi River Basin.
Environ Sci Technol
42(3):822-830.
Anderson-Wilk, M. 2008. Science and stewardship in a nonmonolithic conservation move-
ment: facilitating positive change.
J Soil Water Conserv
63:142A-146A.
Arbuckle, J.G., L.W. Morton, and J. Hobbs. 2013. Farmer beliefs and concerns about climate
change and attitudes toward adaptation and mitigation.
Climatic Change
DOI 10.1007/
s10584-013-0700-0.
Search WWH ::
Custom Search