Sustaining soil functions in agro-ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

Soil functions are various, operating best in undisturbed, natural lands. However, the growth in global human population and the accelerated demand for food, feed, and fiber, have increased the need to land-use change from natural lands to croplands. In many agricultural lands, the clearing of natural vegetation, as well as a range of farming practices, have threatened soil functions, altogether resulting in the degradation of soil quality and geo-ecosystem functioning. Among others, these threats include the disturbance of soil structure and stability, depletion of soil organic carbon pool, pollution of soil by agrochemicals, decrease of bio- and pedo-diversity, and accelerated erosional processes. In addition to these on-farm effects, other, off-farm effects might also take place, such as the contamination and eutrophication of above- and below-ground water sources, siltation of reservoirs, air pollution, and emissions of greenhouse gases. Yet, a large part of these detrimental effects, on-farm and off-farm, is not unavoidable, and the utilization of conservation or integrated management practices could considerably alleviate the environmental footprint of agriculture. The objective of this Special Issue is to demonstrate judicious farming systems, where environmentally-sound practices are utilized, simultaneously maintaining soil functions, supporting environmental quality, and sustaining agricultural productivity.

Dr. Ilan Stavi
Guest Editor

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