Soil Degradation, Soil Pollution and Ecological Restoration
A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Earth Science and Medical Geology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 January 2023) | Viewed by 28750
Special Issue Editors
Interests: soil quality and soil health evaluation; assembly and multifunction of soil biological network
Interests: organic resource utilization; soil improvement; ecological planting
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Soil degradation is defined as a change in the soil health status resulting in a diminished capacity of the ecosystem to provide goods and services for its beneficiaries. Degraded soils have a health status such that they do not provide the normal goods and services of the particular soil in its ecosystem (FAO Soils Portal). Ecological rehabilitation is required when the soil is degradation to such an extent that the land become unproductive. However, the types, causes and characteristics of soil degradation are complicated. For example, the physical aspects of soil degradation, such as soil sealing and crusting, soil erosion and soil compacting etc., may result in severe landscape deterioration. Soil nutrient unbalance or depletion is also a widespread soil degradation due to inappropriate practices in agricultural area. Acidification, alkalization, and salinization are also serious problem of soil degradation. In addition to physical and chemical soil degradation, the soil biological health can be damaged as well. Last decades, toxic contamination of soil, for instance, heavy metal pollution and organic pollutant contamination etc., bring more pressing issues. Therefore, the effective and up to date technology for soil degradation and soil pollution restoration is urgent. This special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH) focuses on the current state of knowledge on soil degradation, soil pollution and ecological restoration. The new research papers about the assessment of soil degradation or soil pollution locally and globally are welcome. The cutting edge methods or technologies for the solution to soil degradation and soil pollution are also appropriate. The topics fit the scope of the special issue are as following:
- Physical aspects of soil degradation including but not limited to soil sealing, erosion and compacting.
- Chemical aspects of soil degradation including but not limited to soil nutrient depletion, organic carbon loss, acidification, alkalization and salinization.
- Soil biological degradation such as decrease of soil biological diversity, shift of microbial community, fall of soil microbial biomass or activity, decay of ecological function, occurrence of soil-borne disease, etc.
- Soil pollution such as heavy metal, organic pollutant, solid waste, micro-plastics, and radioactive contaminant.
- Innovations in theory and technology of assessments and potential solutions for soil degradation.
Prof. Dr. Bo Sun
Dr. Ming Liu
Dr. Yan Chen
Guest Editors
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Keywords
- soil degradation assessment
- soil sealing, erosion and compacting
- nutrient depletion and organic carbon loss
- acidification, alkalization and salinization
- soil pollution
- biological biomass, activity and diversity
- microbial community
- ecological function
- soil-borne disease
- ecological restoration
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