Tools for Soil Management and Restoration: Strategies, Practices and Future Challenges: Strategies, Practices and Future Challenges (Agriculture Issues and Policies)

Natural ecosystems provide the basic conditions without which humanity could not survive. Goods and services provided by ecosystems include, for example, provision of food, fibre and fuel, purification of water and air, cultural and aesthetic benefits, stabilization and moderation of the Earth's climate, generation and renewal of soil fertility, including nutrient cycling or maintenance of genetic resources as key inputs to crop varieties and livestock breeds, medicines, and other products. However, the ability of natural ecosystems to continue performing these services is seriously threatened because plant species diversity or soil are being seriously deteriorated, and in some cases destroyed. While loss of species has always occurred as a natural phenomenon, the pace of extinction has accelerated dramatically as a result of human activity. Ecosystems are being fragmented or eliminated, and innumerable species are in decline or already extinct. At the same time, various studies worldwide have shown that soils do not support intensive annual plant cultivation without fertilizer applications and even these may not maintain sustainability. Inappropriate silvicultural operations or the use of land for intensive agricultural purposes is one of the main causes of soil degradation, and there is therefore worldwide interest in quantifying the loss of soil quality generated by incorrect agricultural operations or forest management practises. This can only happen if people have the right information, skills, and organizations for understanding and dealing with soil and plant diversity issues. This books deals with soil management and restoration strategies in order to maintain soil quality avoiding soil deterioration. Throughout the book, different authors present very interesting works related to the nitrogen status of containerized Australian blackwood (Acacia Melanoxylon) seedings, soil carbon stocks in different vegetation types, biological soil crusts distribution in China sandy soils, ash soil fertilizers, the watershed management of badland areas, effects of pipeline construction-related disturbances on soil properties, soil quality indicators and soil hydrology in dry areas and aggregate characteristics within the soil active layer. About the Author Since 2005, I have been working on different research projects and teaching activities at Castilla La Mancha University. I developed my doctoral thesis in Cuenca Mountains working on Spanish black pine (Pinus nigra Arn. ssp salzmannii) natural regeneration and sustainable forest management. I have also spent some years in different European and national universities and research centers as for example Edinburgh University, Instituto Superior de Agronomia de Lisboa, Tras-Os-Montes e Alto Douro University and Centro de Biología Aplicada del Segura. Now, I am currently involved on many different research and teaching activities at the Higher Technical School of Agricultural and Forestry Engineering. (Castilla La Mancha University), the Research Institute for Renewable Energy of Albacete (www. http://ier.uclm.es) and the National Open University (U.N.E.D.). My research and teaching interest are related to: 1. - Forest ecosystem management under the sustainability and multifunctionality forestry principles on the new context of climate change. Natural regeneration of forest species. Dendrocronology; 2.- Assessing hydrological behaviour and sediment connectivity in contrasting Mediterranean catchments. Impacts of Global Change.