A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration

A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration PDF Author: David A. Bainbridge
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1610910826
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 411

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Book Description
Dryland degradation and desertification now affect almost a billion people around the world. Tragically, the biological resources and productivity of millions of acres of land are lost to desertification each year because people remain unaware of strategies and techniques that could improve yields, reduce risk, and begin healing the world's deserts. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration is the first book to offer practical, field-tested solutions to this critical problem. Author David Bainbridge has spent more than 25 years actively involved in restoring lands across the American Southwest. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration presents the results of his years of fieldwork, as well as research and experience from scientists and practitioners around the globe. The book discusses the ecology of desert plants, explores the causes of desertification and land abuse, and outlines the processes and procedures needed to evaluate, plan, implement, and monitor desert restoration projects. It sets forth economical and practical field-tested solutions for understanding site characteristics, selecting and growing plants, and ensuring that they survive with a minimal amount of water and care. Each chapter represents a guide to a critical topic for environmental restoration; extensive photographs, diagrams and drawings give detailed information for immediate application, and additional resources are included in appendixes. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration is the first comprehensive book focused on restoring arid regions, and clearly demonstrates that arid lands can be successfully rehabilitated. In addition to restorationists, the book will be an invaluable resource for anyone working in arid lands, including farmers, ranchers, gardeners, landscapers, outdoor recreation professionals, and activists.

A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration

A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration PDF Author: David A. Bainbridge
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1610910826
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 411

Get Book Here

Book Description
Dryland degradation and desertification now affect almost a billion people around the world. Tragically, the biological resources and productivity of millions of acres of land are lost to desertification each year because people remain unaware of strategies and techniques that could improve yields, reduce risk, and begin healing the world's deserts. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration is the first book to offer practical, field-tested solutions to this critical problem. Author David Bainbridge has spent more than 25 years actively involved in restoring lands across the American Southwest. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration presents the results of his years of fieldwork, as well as research and experience from scientists and practitioners around the globe. The book discusses the ecology of desert plants, explores the causes of desertification and land abuse, and outlines the processes and procedures needed to evaluate, plan, implement, and monitor desert restoration projects. It sets forth economical and practical field-tested solutions for understanding site characteristics, selecting and growing plants, and ensuring that they survive with a minimal amount of water and care. Each chapter represents a guide to a critical topic for environmental restoration; extensive photographs, diagrams and drawings give detailed information for immediate application, and additional resources are included in appendixes. A Guide for Desert and Dryland Restoration is the first comprehensive book focused on restoring arid regions, and clearly demonstrates that arid lands can be successfully rehabilitated. In addition to restorationists, the book will be an invaluable resource for anyone working in arid lands, including farmers, ranchers, gardeners, landscapers, outdoor recreation professionals, and activists.

Economics of Dryland Management

Economics of Dryland Management PDF Author: John A. Dixon
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134047061
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 325

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Book Description
We have always had land in which the agricultural productivity is limited because there is not enough moisture. Systems of farming and burning often degrade dryland further until it is desert. Today, however, the problem is becoming much more serious. Over 20 per cent of the world's population lives in dryland areas, and unless action is taken drylands will increase dramatically. This book focuses on the people who live and .farm in the drylands, their use of land resources and the economic returns from their decisions. In a clear and thorough economic appraisal, the authors show how it is still possible to arrest the problem. Originally published in 1989

Innovations in Dryland Agriculture

Innovations in Dryland Agriculture PDF Author: Muhammad Farooq
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319479288
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 574

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Book Description
This book is a ready reference on recent innovations in dryland agriculture and reinforces the understanding for its utilization to develop environmentally sustainable and profitable food production systems. It covers the basic concepts and history, components and elements, breeding and modelling efforts, and potential benefits, experiences, challenges and innovations relevant to agriculture in dryland areas around world.

Dryland Management: Economic Case Studies

Dryland Management: Economic Case Studies PDF Author: John A. Dixon
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134049099
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 382

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Book Description
Drylands are a sizeable part of the world's potentially arable land. They vary from the hyper-arid regions of the classic deserts of Africa and Asia to the more common semi-arid and sub-humid areas that support extensive agricultural systems dependent on rainfall or irrigation. Following their successful and innovative work The Economics of Dryland Management the editors have assembled twenty case studies from nine countries in the continents of Africa, Asia, North America and Australia. They help to explore more fully the costs of land degradation and illustrate the economics of reclamation, rehabilitation and prevention. The cases in this book present a rich, varied and readable survey of a wide range of drylands and their resources. Originally published in 19990

Rewilding Agricultural Landscapes

Rewilding Agricultural Landscapes PDF Author: H. Scott Butterfield
Publisher: Island Press
ISBN: 1642831263
Category : Nature
Languages : en
Pages : 290

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Book Description
As the world population grows, so does the demand for food, putting unprecedented pressure on agricultural lands. In many desert dryland regions, however, intensive cultivation is causing their productivity to decline precipitously. "Rewilding" the least productive of these landscapes offers a sensible way to reverse the damage, recover natural diversity, and ensure long-term sustainability of remaining farms and the communities they support. This accessibly written, groundbreaking contributed volume is the first to examine in detail what it would take to retire eligible farmland and restore functioning natural ecosystems. The lessons in Rewilding Agricultural Landscapes will be useful to conservation leaders, policymakers, groundwater agencies, and water managers looking for inspiration and practical advice for solving the complicated issues of agricultural sustainability and water management.

Advances in Dryland Farming in the Inland Pacific Northwest

Advances in Dryland Farming in the Inland Pacific Northwest PDF Author: Georgine Yorgey
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780972199445
Category : Dry farming
Languages : en
Pages : 628

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Book Description
The Pacific Northwest is an important wheat production region. In 2015, the National Agricultural Statistics Service indicated that Washington, Idaho, and Oregon harvested more than 240 million bushels of wheat, worth an estimated $1.3 billion. The major areas of production in the inland Pacific Northwest include three major land resource areas with distinctive geologic features and soils as defined by the US Department of Agriculture: the Columbia Basin, the Columbia Plateau, and the Palouse and Nez Perce Prairies, all of which are within the Northwestern Wheat and Range Region. It also includes a small portion of dryland cropping in the North Rocky Mountains major land resource area, adjacent to the eastern edge of the Palouse and Nez Perce Prairies. In the dryland areas, which are the focus of this book, wheat is grown in rotation with crop fallow and much smaller acreages of other small grains, legumes, and alternative crops. In light of ongoing and new challenges being faced by farmers in the region it is an opportune time to synthesize research-based advances in knowledge to support farmer decision-making and improve the long-term productive capacity of farmland in the region. This book should be viewed as a resource that launches further inquiry rather than an end point.

Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming

Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming PDF Author: Junliang Tian
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 9780849323492
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 878

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Book Description
"I've seen the Sudan, traveled in South and Central America and been all over Europe, but I've never seen what I've been able to see on this tour [of the Loess Plateau, China]." -Ed Skidmore, soil scientist, Wind Erosion Research Unit of the Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Manhattan, Kansas Overpopulation is at the core of most environmental problems. The impacts of continued growth-with world population reaching 6 billion in October 1999-are felt in most parts of the world. China, the most populous nation, illustrates many of the pivotal problems-and solutions. Although China faces the same effects of overpopulation as the rest of the world, it still feeds over a billion people on a tillable area that allows about one tenth of a hectare per person. The country's efforts to tie together soil and water conservation, dryland farming, and economic development have been largely successful. Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming explores these trials and the lessons learned from them. Copublished with the Soil and Water Conservation Society, this exhaustive text consists of the rewritten proceedings from the Society's conference held in Yangling, Shaanxi, China. It covers dryland farming systems and soil water management, environmental quality and sustainability, and erosion control techniques as they relate primarily to Mainland China. With additional global examples and a balance between conceptual and applied studies, it covers some of the most progressive work in soil erosion control and dryland farming from around the world. Soil exposure while land lies fallow is one of the greatest risks in dryland farming. New procedures and kinds of tillage help control erosion and improve water intake. Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming presents these techniques and technologies to give you a forward-looking perspective into the field, as well as the larger problem of tailoring food production to sustain the population.

North American Agroforestry

North American Agroforestry PDF Author: Harold E. Gene Garrett
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 0891183779
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 580

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Book Description
North American Agroforestry Explore the many benefits of alternative land-use systems with this incisive resource Humanity has become a victim of its own success. While we’ve managed to meet the needs—to one extent or another—of a large portion of the human population, we’ve often done so by ignoring the health of the natural environment we rely on to sustain our planet. And by deteriorating the quality of our air, water, and land, we’ve put into motion consequences we’ll be dealing with for generations. In the newly revised Third Edition of North American Agroforestry, an expert team of researchers delivers an authoritative and insightful exploration of an alternative land-use system that exploits the positive interactions between trees and crops when they are grown together and bridges the gap between production agriculture and natural resource management. This latest edition includes new material on urban food forests, as well as the air and soil quality benefits of agroforestry, agroforestry’s relevance in the Mexican context, and agroforestry training and education. The book also offers: A thorough introduction to the development of agroforestry as an integrated land use management strategy Comprehensive explorations of agroforestry nomenclature, concepts, and practices, as well as an agroecological foundation for temperate agroforestry Practical discussions of tree-crop interactions in temperate agroforestry, including in systems such as windbreak practices, silvopasture practices, and alley cropping practices In-depth examinations of vegetative environmental buffers for air and water quality benefits, agroforestry for wildlife habitat, agroforestry at the landscape level, and the impact of agroforestry on soil health Perfect for environmental scientists, natural resource professionals and ecologists, North American Agroforestry will also earn a place in the libraries of students and scholars of agricultural sciences interested in the potential benefits of agroforestry.

The Future of Drylands

The Future of Drylands PDF Author: Cathy Lee
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN: 1402069693
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 816

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Book Description
Drylands have been cradles to some of the world’s greatest civilizations, and contemporary dryland communities feature rich and unique cultures. Dryland ecosystems support a surprising amount of biodiversity. Desertification, however, is a significant land degradation problem in the arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions of the world. Deterioration of soil and plant cover has adversely affected 70% of the world’s drylands as a result of extended droughts as well as mismanagement of range and cultivated lands. The situation is likely to worsen with high population growth rates and accompanying land-use conflicts. The contributions to The Future of Drylands – an international scientific conference held under the leadership of UNESCO – address these issues and offer practical solutions for combating desertification along with conserving and sustainably managing dryland ecosystems. Major themes include the conservation of dryland biological and cultural diversity and the human dryland interface. This volume documents how our improved understanding of drylands provides insight into the health and future prospects of these precious ecosystems that should help ensure that dryland communities enjoy a sustainable future.

Challenges and Strategies of Dryland Agriculture

Challenges and Strategies of Dryland Agriculture PDF Author: S.C. Rao
Publisher: Scientific Publishers
ISBN: 9387991091
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 458

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Book Description
The world has made remarkable progress in maintaining adequate food supplies during the past quarter century by introducing yield-increasing technologies such as better genetics, crop protection products, and more efficient use of fertilizers and irrigations. Far more people depend on irrigation in the modern world than during the times of ancient Sumeria. The spread of irrigation has been the key factor in increasing global crop yields. But future scarcity present the single biggest threat to future food production. The shift of water from agriculture to the growing cities and industry almost certainly will impact global food production. This means that dryland agriculture will be increasingly important in meeting food requirement for the growing population. Advaces in plant genetics and agronomic conservation technologies, when considered in concert, continue to provide the greatest opportunities to achieve sustainability and profitability in dryland agriculture and will continue to be the focus of the ARS research program. The ARS is please to join the crop Science Society of America and international center for Agriculture Research in Dry Areas (ICARDA) in sponsoring a symposium “Challenges and strategies for Dryland Agriculture” at the Trisocieties Annual Meeting in November 2002 at Indianapolis, IN. This special publication contains an impressive series of paper by international group of experts on dryland agricultural production, conservation, and policy. The principles, philosophies, and technologies presented in this publication have the potential to contribute to improve food security and livelihoods for the people in dryland regions of the world.