Instant Insights: Soil Erosion

Professor Jane Rickson has over 30 years’ experience of research, consultancy and teaching in soil and water engineering, specialising in soil degradation processes and sustainable land management. Her work has focused on better understanding of soil functions and their role in the delivery of ecosystems goods and services, including water regulation, agricultural production and carbon storage. Professor Rickson is a Fellow and current President of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers, a Chartered Environmentalist, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Institute of Professional Soil Scientists.

• Chapter 1 - Mechanisms of soil erosion/degradation: Jane Rickson, Cranfield University, UK; 1 Introduction 2 Soil erosion processes: overview and erosion by water 3 Soil erosion processes: other mechanisms 4 Consequences of soil erosion 5 Relating soil erosion to crop productivity and sustainable agriculture 6 Mitigating soil erosion: soil conservation 7 Summary and conclusions 8 Where to look for further information 9 ReferencesChapter taken from: Reicosky, D. (ed.), Managing soil health for sustainable agriculture – Volume 1: Fundamentals, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2018, (ISBN 978 1 78676 188 0)Chapter 2 The impact of heavy metal contamination on soil health: Santanu Bakshi and Chumki Banik, Iowa State University, USA; and Zhenli He, University of Florida, USA; 1 Introduction 2 Current levels of soil contamination by heavy metals 3 Natural and anthropogenic sources of heavy metals 4 Chemical transformation of heavy metals in soils 5 Bioavailability of heavy metals in soils 6 Effects of heavy metals on soil health: soil chemistry, biochemistry and microbiology 7 Effects of heavy metals on plant health and crop production 8 Indicators of soil contamination 9 Remediation of contaminated soil 10 Conclusions and future trends 11 ReferencesChapter taken from: Reicosky, D. (ed.), Managing soil health for sustainable agriculture – Volume 2: Monitoring and management, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2018, (ISBN 978 1 78676 192 7)Chapter 3 Advances in techniques to assess soil erodibility: R. J. Rickson, E. Dowdeswell Downey, G. Alegbeleye and S. E. Cooper, Cranfield University, UK; 1 Introduction 2 Factors affecting soil erodibility 3 Assessment of soil erodibility 4 Future trends in research 5 Conclusion 6 Where to look for further information 7 ReferencesChapter taken from: Otten, W. (ed.), Advances in measuring soil health, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2021, (978 1 78676 426 3)Chapter 4 Rehabilitating degraded and abandoned agricultural lands with Conservation Agriculture systems: Telmo Jorge Carneiro Amado, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil; Carlos Alexandre Costa Crusciol, São Paulo State University (UNESP), Brazil; Claudio Hideo Martins da Costa, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Brazil; Otávio dos Anjos Leal, Catarinense Federal Institute, Brazil; and Luan Pierre Pott, Federal University of Santa Maria, Brazil; 1 Introduction 2 Conservation Agriculture adoption in Brazil, mainly in Brazilian Southern region, as a tool to prevent and reverse soil degradation 3 Case study 1: Integrated strategies for restoration of compacted and low productive soils under no-tillage system in Southern Brazil 4 Case study 2: Strategies for soil quality improvement in crop-livestock integration under Conservation Agriculture in acidic tropical soils 5 Conclusion 6 Acknowledgements 7 ReferencesChapter taken from: Kassam, A. (ed.), Advances in Conservation Agriculture – Volume 2: Practice and Benefits, Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing, Cambridge, UK, 2020, (ISBN 978 1 78676 268 9)