Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
in the natural fertility and nutrient content of
soils. Second, through unsustainable agricultural
practices, humans have facilitated soil erosion,
and the associated removal of topsoil on
unprecedented scales Third, through the accidental
and deliberate application of chemicals humans
have actively contributed to the increasing toxicity
of soils. Fourth, and finally, through the accelerated
application of artificial fertilizers, humans have
caused a significant shift in the balance of the global
nitrogen cycle, which has generated a series of
harmful ecological side effects.
Throughout this chapter I have not only sought
to quantify the human impacts on soil systems, but
also explore the frameworks that are available to
us to understand what causes soil degradation.
We have thus explored scientific and Malthusian
explanations of the nature of soil erosion. Drawing
on the work of Piers Blaikie and the theories of
political ecology, this chapter has argued that soil
degradation must always be interpreted as a
product of both natural (climate, slope, soil type)
considerations and socio-economic processes
(land ownership arrangements, poverty, global
trade relations). This type of perspective helps
to remind us that as societies attempt to restore
soils, and establish more sustainable relationships
with the land upon which we depend, we must
both deploy technological solutions and instigate
broader socio-economic reforms if these changes
are to be long lasting and effective.
KEY READINGS
Blaikie, P. (1985) The Political Ecology of Soil
Erosion in Developing Countries, Longman,
Harlow. This volume provides a concise intro-
duction to the work of Piers Blaikie and the
formative ideas associated with political
ecology.
Dent, D. et al (2007) 'Land' in UNEP (ed.) GEO4:
Global Outlook - Environment and Develop-
ment, UNEP, Nairobi: 80-114. This chapter
provides a detailed statistical analysis of global
patterns of soil erosion and pollution.
Smil, V. (2004) Enriching the Earth: Fritz Haber, Carl
Bosch, and the Transformation of World Food
Production, MIT Press, Cambridge. This volume
provides a fascinating insight into the rise of
artificial fertilizers and their impacts on human
society and the environment.
Worster, D.E. (1979) Dust Bowl: The Southern
Plains in the 1930s, Oxford University Press,
New York. This topic provides a detailed envir-
onmental history of the North American Dust
Bowl, its causes and its consequences.
