Page 18 - Soil Degradation, Conservation and Remediation

1.3 Land Capability and Land Capability Classifi cation 3

1.2 Need for Management and Protection of Soil
The European council declared The European Charter on Soil in 1972, emphasizing
the need for management and protection of soil resources (Tolgyessy 1993 ).
The Charter states:
(1) Soil is one of the most valuable of man’s properties. It enables the life of
plants, animals and humans on the earth; (2) Soil is a limited resource which is
easily destroyed; (3) The industrialized society employs soil for agriculture as well
as for industrial and other purposes. The policy of regional planning must combine
considerations of the soil properties, and the present and future needs of the society;
(4) Agriculturalists and foresters must apply methods which protect the soil quality;
(5) Soil must be protected against erosion; (6) Soil must be protected against
pollution; (7) Development of urbanization must be planned so that the neighboring
areas are exposed to the minimum possible damage; (8) During the planning of
engineering projects the effects on the soil must be evaluated so that the price
includes provision for adequate protective measures; (9) A list of soil resources is a
prerequisite for any planning; (10) To ensure the extensive use and protection of
soil, further research and interdisciplinary cooperation are required; (11) Attention
at all professional levels as well as ever-increasing attention of the general public
should be paid to soil protection; and (12) Governments and State authorities must
carefully plan and nurture and interdisciplinary cooperation are required.
Some lands such as deserts and ice-covered areas do not contain soil. Where
there is soil, there is some sort of vegetation – forests, grasslands, or croplands. The
natural vegetation in many areas has been removed to use the soil for cropping or
some other purposes, including urban and industrial use. Some vegetation has been
retained in its original form or disturbed, and some have been exploited, legally or
illegally, judiciously or indiscriminately, for our need. The European Charter rightly
states that soil is a limited resource. There is only 11–12 % land area suitable for
agricultural crop production without much limitation. Not all agricultural soils are
fertile and productive. Soils of only about 3 % of the total land area of the earth have
a high level of productivity (Aswathanarayana 1999 ). Therefore, soils need to be
managed and protected sustainably so that they can remain productive in future.
Figure 1.1 shows different categories of land in the world.

1.3 Land Capability and Land Capability Classifi cation

Land capability is the ability of land to accept a type and intensity of land use per-

manently, or for a specified period under a certain management without long-term
degradation (Houghton and Charman 1986 ). The land capability denotes the poten-
tial of land for use in agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and other uses based on the