This volume explores specific approaches that have shown to result in crop yield increases. Research on the physiological understanding of these methods has led to the development of practical applications of plant breeding approaches to genetically improve crops to achieve higher yields. Authoritative entries from crop scientists shed new light on two water-conservation traits: one that is based on an initiation of the decrease in transpiration earlier in the soil drying cycle, and the se...

How does nature work? When one looks closely at the enormously complex web of life, it is impossible not to be caught by the wonder of how all living things – including rocks and crystals – are interconnected. Just as there is thought behind action, so there is energy behind matter. The Fertile Earth, the third volume of the Eco-Technology series which presents the original, passionate and convincing research of Viktor Schauberger in translation for the first time, contains his groundbreak...

Desertification has occurred worldwide. The biophysical and socio-economic complexity of this phenomenon has challenged our ability to categorize, inventory, monitor and repair the condition of degraded lands. One of the most important distinctions to be made in relation to land degradation is between cultivated land used for annual crop production and `rangelands'. Grazing by free-roaming livestock is the traditional primary use of the world's rangelands. However, there is growing recogni...

Rice is the staple food for half of the world’s population. Consumption of rice is the major exposure route globally to the class one, non-threshold carcinogen inorganic arsenic. This book explains the sources of arsenic to paddy soils and the biogeochemical processes and plant physiological attributes of paddy soil-rice ecosystems that lead to high concentrations of arsenic in rice grain. It presents the global pattern of arsenic concentration and speciation in rice, discusses human expos...

In its first edition, Soils established itself as the leading textbook in the fields of pedology and soil geomorphology. Expanded and fully updated, this second edition maintains its highly organized and readable style. Suitable as a textbook and a research-grade reference, the book's introductory chapters in soil morphology, mineralogy, chemistry, physics and organisms prepare the reader for the more advanced treatment that follows. Unlike its competitors, this textbook devotes considerab...

This book provides a comprehensive overview of remediation and rehabilitation techniques and strategies for contaminated and anthropogenically disturbed land. Rehabilitation approaches in the urban environment, such as brownfield redevelopment and urban mining, are discussed. In relation to contaminated land, techniques for soil containment and decontamination of soil, soil vapour and groundwater are comprehensively and systematically presented. Complicated treatment techniques are schemat...

James O. Leckie Environmental Engineering and Science Program, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-4020, USA Nearly 10 years have passed since the beginning of the systematic studies of the Lerma-Chapala Basin coordinated by the Instituto Mexicano de Tecnologia del Agua. Although many public and private institutions, universities and research centers have conducted studies on the Lerma Chapala Basin over the last two decades, t...

Improving the dynamic relationship between nature and human well-being is a pressing issue of our time. Landscapes embody this tight interconnectedness and serve as unique sustainability learning hubs, showcased by the global rise of place-based and holistic landscape stewardship initiatives. Incorporating these exciting developments, this book explores the principles of landscape stewardship and their function in fields such as agriculture, ecological restoration and urban green infrastru...

This book reports an approach developed to research and apply methods of assessing patterns of processes in the landscape, and suitability of different types of vegetation to mitigate soil erosion and sediment flux. Practical guidelines on a spatially strategic approach to management of land degradation at a range of spatial scales were produced. Originally developed for the Mediterranean environment, it has much wider potential global application. It provides researchers with methods to a...

Forest soils form the foundation that underpins the existence of all forests. This book encapsulates soil ecology and functioning in northern forests, focusing on the effects of human activity and climate change. The authors introduce the fundamental principles necessary for studying forest soils, and explain the functioning and mutual influence of all parts of a forest soil ecosystem. A chapter is dedicated to each of soil acidity and heavy metal pollution, elevated carbon dioxide, nitrog...

The C4 pathway of photosynthesis was discovered and characterized, more than four decades ago. Interest in C4 pathway has been sustained and has recently been boosted with the discovery of single-cell C4 photosynthesis and the successful introduction of key C4-cycle enzymes in important crops, such as rice. Further, cold-tolerant C4 plants are at the verge of intense exploitation as energy crops. Rapid and multidisciplinary progress in our understanding of C4 plants warrants a comprehensiv...

Agriculture increasingly faces the challenge of balancing its multiple functions in a sustainable way. Integrated assessment and modelling (IAM) can provide insight into the potential impacts of policy changes. However, concepts to address the wide range of issues and functions typical for agriculture are still scarce. Environmental and Agricultural Modelling reviews and presents our current understanding of integrated and working tools to assess and compute, ex-ante, alternative ...