Management of Soil Problems (eBook)

1 Management of Soil Problems: An Introduction 1.1 ‘Problem Soils’ and soil problems 1.2 Soil constraints to different uses 1.3 Land Resource Stress Classes 2 Dryland Soils 2.1 Drylands of the World 2.2 Global Distribution of Drylands 2.3 Land use in drylands 2.4 Soils of the Drylands 2.5 Droughts in Drylands 2.6 Dryland Agriculture 2.7 Integrated Soil and Crop Management for Drylands 3 Sandy Soils 3.1 Nature of Sandy Soils 3.2 Distribution of Sandy Soils 3.3 Properties of Sandy Soils 3.4 Advantages of Sandy Soils 3.5 Constraints of Sandy Soils 3.6 Management of Sandy Soils 4 Shallow Soils 4.1 Soil depth classes  4.2 Properties of shallow soils 4.3 Limitations of shallow soils 4.4 Management of shallow soils 5 Soils with Drainage Limitations 5.1 Wetland Soils, Hydric Soils, Poorly Drained Soils 5.2 Criteria of Hydric Soils 5.3 Features of Hydric Soils 5.4 Land Use in Hydric Soils 5.5 Plants Suitable for Poorly Drained Soils 5.6 Soils That Need Artificial Drainage 5.7 Environmental impact of agricultural drainage 5.8 Drainage Water Re-use 5.9 Wet and Cold Soils 6 Expansive Soils 6.1 Types and Distribution of Expansive Soils 6.2 Parent Materials of Vertisols 6.3 Properties of Expansive Soils 6.4 Agricultural Uses of Expansive soils 6.5 Limitations of Expansive Soils to Agricultural Use 6.6 Integrated soil and crop management of expansive soils 6.7 Conservation Tillage in Vertisols 6.8 Amendments in Vertisols 7 Peat Soils 7.1 Organic Soils (Histosols, Peat and Muck) 7.2 The Nature, Distribution and Significance of Peat-lands 7.3 Properties of Peat Soils 7.4 Reclamation and Management of Peat Soils 7.5 Peat Extraction 7.6 Risks Associated with Peatland Use 7.7 Peatland Conservation 8 Soils on Steep Slopes 8.1 Slopes and Steep Slopes 8.2 Slope Failures and Mass Movement 8.3 Factors Affecting Landslides 8.4 Management of Steep Slopes 8.5 Formation of Gullies 8.6 Gully Control Measures 9 Poorly Fertile Soils 9.1 Soil Fertility and Plant Nutrients 9.2 Poorly Fertile Soils 9.3 Management of poorly fertile soils 10 Saline and Sodic Soils 10.1 Characteristics of Saline and Sodic Soils 10.2 Development of Salinity and Sodicity in Soils           10.3 Distribution of Saline Soils 10.4 Field Indicators of Soil Salinity 10.5 Effect of Soil Salinity on Plants 10.6 Effects of Sodicity on Plant Growth 10.7 Reclamation and Management of Saline Soils 10.8 Management of Dryland Salinity 10.9 Reclamation and Management of Sodic Soils 10.10 Environmental Impact of Saline Soil Reclamation 11 Acid Soils and Acid Sulfate Soils 11.1 The pH Scale, Acidity and Alkalinity 11.2 Soil Reaction, Acid Soils and Acid Sulfate Soils 11.3 Global Extent of Acid Soils 11.4 Measurement of Soil pH 11.5 Development of Soil Acidity 11.6 Buffering Capacity of Soils 11.7 Effects of Soil Acidity on Soil Processes 11.8 Effect of Soil Acidity on Plants 11.9 Effect of Soil Acidity on Soil Fauna 11.10 Management of Acid Soils            11.11 Management of Acid Sulfate Soils 11.12 Risks of Overliming 12 Polluted Soils 12.1 Soil Pollution 12.2 Sources of Soil Pollutants 12.3 Nature of Soil Pollutants 12.4 Prevention of Soil Pollution            12.5 Remediation of Polluted Soils 13 Degraded Soils 13.1 Soil Use and Misuse 13.2 Soil Degradation 13.3 Prevention of Soil Degradation 13.4 Restoration and Rehabilitation of Degraded Soils 13.5 Desertification and Desert Reclamation