mortiz085

Contributed by Dr. Ian A. Navarrete Humboldt Fellow Soil Science of Tropical and Subtropical Ecosystems Buesgen Institute University of Göttingen, Germany Geoecology, a term coined some 41 years ago by the geomorphologist Carl Troll who was at the time professor at the University of Bonn, Germany, is a broad integrative term to the study of forms and functions of terrestrial geoecosystem (Huggett, 1995). It emphasizes the interdependency and/or inter-relationships of the ecological biosphere with landscape and hence sometimes equated with landscape ecology. For example, the movement and distribution of solutes across soil landscapes are influenced by the geomorphic position in the soil within the landscape thus influencing soil genesis (Sommer and Schlichting, 1997) and vegetation development (Huggett, 1975).  Fig 1. Relation of primary forest and grasslands of Samar During our fieldwork at the Samar Island Natural Park (along the Paranas-Taft road at about 300 m above sea level) i...

“There is a need to integrate science and local knowledge. Both are vital and can be brought together only by participation” emphasized Prof. Dr. Franz Heidhues in his concluding remarks during the International Scientific Conference on Sustainable Land Use and Rural Development in Mountain Areas held at the University of Hohenheim, Germany on 16-18 April 2012. As can be seen from the figure below, scientific knowledge becomes more relevant when it is combined with local knowledge (Barrios and Trejo, 2003). Precision & relevance of scientific and local knowledge   Ethnopedology is the study of the local knowledge on soil and land systems of rural populations, from the most traditional to the modern. Ethnopedological research covers a wide diversity of topics centered around four main issues: (1) the formalization of local soil and land knowledge into classification schemes; (2) the comparison of local and technical soil classifications; (3) the analysis of local land evaluation...

Methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide (CO2) are the end products of carbon decomposition in rice fields and other wetlands. Methane, a major greenhouse gas, is the terminal step of the anaerobic breakdown of organic matter in wetland soils. It is exclusively produced by methanogenic bacteria that can metabolize only in the absence of free oxygen and at redox potentials below -150 mV (Neue et al. 1997). According to the above-cited paper by Dr.H.U. Neue (former Head of the Soils Department at IRRI and later Professor of Soil Chemistry at the University of Halle-Wittenberg, Germany) one of the pioneers in methane research in rice fields, methane is largely produced by transmethylation of acetic acid and to some extent, by the reduction of carbon dioxide in wetland soils. The rate and pattern of organic matter addition and decomposition also contribute to the rate and pattern of methane production. In rice field, methane production generally increases during the cropping season. Easily degrad...

Soil degradation is a severe global problem of modern times. About six (6) million hectares of agricultural land worldwide become unproductive every year due to the various soil degradation processes. The problem is much more serious in tropical than in temperate areas since tropical soils are generally more prone to degradation because of the nature of their properties (e.g. they are more weathered) and the prevalent climatic conditions. Countries in Asia and Africa that depend upon agriculture as the engine of economic growth are believed to suffer the greatest impact of soil degradation. In the Philippines, soil degradation is one of the most serious ecological problems today. The National Action Plan (NAP) for 2004 to 2010 identified soil degradation as a major threat to food security in the country. NAP reported that about 5.2 million hectares are seriously degraded resulting to 30 to 50% reduction in soil productivity. A degraded upland in Leyte Soil degradation is defined as t...

In many countries, soil science has been traditionally associated with agriculture because of the major function of soil as a medium for plant growth. So it was no surprise that the decline in funding for agricultural research worldwide in the last two decades had taken its toll on student enrolment in agricultural sciences including soil science. But there are good signs that soil science is now experiencing an upswing particularly because of its strong link to environmental management and global warming (soil is a major source and sink of carbon) and to recent increased focus on agriculture. In a recent paper published in Geoderma, Dr. Alfred E. Hartemink of ISRIC in Wageningen, Netherlands, and Prof. Alex McBratney (University of Sydney) think that soil science renaissance (from French word meaning "rebirth") is currentyl taking place "where novel approaches to thought are combined with a revival of ideas from the past." They noted that renewed interest in food, ...

Soil is not dirt. It is a vital life-support system for human survival. Below are the major functions of soil: a) Production function. Soil acts primarily as a medium for the growth of natural vegetation and cultivated plants. It assures the supply of food, fodder, renewable energy and raw materials. This is also referred to as the forestry and agricultural function of the soil. b) Ecological regulator . Soil acts as filter, buffer, and transformer of various substances in or that are added to the soil. As a filter, the soil cleans polluted waters that move through it. As a buffer, it resists sudden change in its chemical balance thereby protecting the plants and soil organisms living in it. As a transformer, the soil is able to transform substances through microbiological and biochemical processes. The latter function is vital to the cycling of elements, degradation of toxic substances, decomposition of organic matter and production of greenhouse gases. c) Habitat and liv...

Soil science or pedology ( pedo is Greek for ground or soil) is a scientific discipline at the meeting point of physical, biological, geological and agricultural sciences. Because soil is a natural body, soil science is a natural science that deals with the study of soil in all its aspects such as genesis, composition, properties, geography, ecology, fertility, degradation and protection. A more specific definition states that soil science is an environmental (or ecological) natural science concerned with the evolution, characterization, function, distribution, management and protection of the soil resource in terrestrial ecosystems.