Page 9 - Soil Degradation, Conservation and Remediation

viii Preface

of erosion from agriculture in the USA is about US$44 billion per year. On a global
scale, the annual loss of 75 billion tons of soil costs the world about US$400 billion
per year.
Soil Degradation, Conservation, and Remediation is intended for undergraduate
and graduate students of Soil Science, Agricultural Sciences, Forestry, Ecology,
Geography, and Environmental Sciences. The processes and impacts of soil degra-

dation have been dealt with in this book in sufficient details. Chapter 1 describes
global soil resources, land capability and soil quality classes, soil orders, global
arable land, causes and types of soil degradation, and laws of sustainable manage-
ment of soil. Chapter 2 deals with factors and processes of physical deterioration of

soil, including surface sealing, surface crusting, hardsetting, compaction, effects of

crusting and compaction, and decrusting and decompaction of soil. Chapter 3 nar-
rates the causes, factors, and processes of water erosion. Methods of soil conserva-
tion including amendments, conservation farming, cover crops, no tillage, minimum
tillage, mulching, contour cropping, strip cropping, contour-strip cropping, SALT,
terracing, and grassed waterways have been explored with examples and data. In

Chap. 4 , causes, effects, and processes of wind erosion are described. Measures to
control wind erosion and dune stabilization are shown with a good number of illus-
trations. Chapter 5 emphasizes chemical degradation of soil including nutrient

depletion, acidification, and salinization (but not soil pollution which is narrated in
detail in Chap. 6 ).
My colleagues Dr. Abul Kashem, Mr. Jajar Afsar, and Md. Enamul Haque of the
Department of Soil Science, University of Chittagong, have indebted me with inspi-
ration and useful suggestions on the manuscript. Thanks to them are due.

University of Chittagong Khan Towhid Osman
Chittagong, Bangladesh