Summary
This review by Baumhardt, Stewart, and Sainju synthesises evidence on the principal processes driving soil degradation in North America, including wind and water erosion, compaction, nutrient depletion, and salinisation, alongside the agricultural practices that contribute to these outcomes. The authors examine mitigation strategies such as conservation tillage, cover cropping, residue management, and improved rotations, assessing their capacity to sustain soil productivity. Published in the MDPI journal Sustainability, the paper provides a broad evidential framework for understanding the relationship between land management decisions and long-term soil health trajectories in North American contexts.
UK applicability
The paper is focused on North American conditions, including dryland farming in the Great Plains and irrigated systems, which differ in scale, climate, and policy context from UK agriculture; however, the underlying degradation processes and many mitigation strategies — particularly relating to erosion control, organic matter management, and conservation tillage — are broadly relevant to UK soil health policy and farm management practice.
Key measures
Soil organic matter content; erosion rates; land degradation extent (area); soil physical, chemical and biological indicators; efficacy of mitigating management practices
Outcomes reported
The paper likely reviews the extent and drivers of soil degradation across North American agricultural and rangeland systems, evaluating management practices that exacerbate or mitigate processes such as erosion, compaction, salinisation, and organic matter loss.
Topic tags
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