Impact of Agriculture on Soil Degradation II: A European Perspective (The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry, 121)

This is the second of two volumes that together provide a global overview of the impact of agriculture on soil degradation, tracing the most critical drivers like the use and abuse of agrochemicals, mechanization, overgrazing, irrigation, slash and burn agriculture, and the use of plastics. Soil degradation caused by agriculture practices is a complex issue which depends on the interaction of social, economic, political, and environmental aspects. In this book, expert contributors elucidate the extension of the effects of agriculture on soil degradation in Europe, a continent with different cultures and political backgrounds that affect agricultural practices. Readers will also find in this book authoritative solutions to minimize the effects of agriculture intensification and land-use in this continent. Divided into 12 chapters, the book offers a European perspective on soil quality and sustainable management, including case studies about the impact of chemical agentslike fertilizers, herbicides, pesticides, and soil acidification and microplastics pollution in agriculture practices from countries such as Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, Germany, Portugal and Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Ukraine. Given the breadth and depth of its coverage, the book offers an invaluable source of information for researchers, students and environmental managers alike. Chapter “Agricultural Land Degradation in the Czech Republic” is available open access under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License via link.springer.com. Series Preface Preface References Acknowledgments Contents Agricultural Soil Degradation in Croatia 1 Introduction 2 Soil Compaction and Erosion 3 Overgrazing 4 Soil Salinity 5 Soil Contamination with Chemicals 6 Soil Contamination with Microplastics 7 Conclusion References Agricultural Land Degradation in the Czech Republic 1 Introduction 2 Soil Erosion 2.1 Soil Erosion by Water 2.2 Soil Erosion by Wind 2.3 Soil Erosion Measures and Policy 3 Changes in Soil Properties, Soil Compaction 3.1 Soil Structure Loss 3.2 Soil Compaction 4 Soil Contamination 5 Microplastics in Soils 6 Effects of Fires 7 Conclusions References Agricultural Soil Degradation in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania 1 Background 2 Study Area 3 Soil Compaction 4 Soil Erosion 5 Soil Pollution 5.1 Heavy Metals 5.2 Nitrogen and Phosphorus 5.3 Organic Pollutants 6 Acidification 7 Conclusion References Agricultural Soil Degradation in Germany 1 Introduction 2 Soil Compaction and Erosion (Water and Wind) 2.1 Soil Erosion by Water 2.2 Soil Erosion by Wind 3 Soil Compaction 4 Soil Pollution 5 Microplastics 6 Conclusions References Agricultural Land Degradation in Portugal and Greece 1 Introduction 2 Soil Erosion 2.1 State of the Problem for Agricultural Land in Portugal and Greece 2.2 Consequences of Soil Erosion 2.3 Soil Conservation Practices 3 Soil Compaction 3.1 Causes of Soil Compaction 3.2 Current Status of the Problem in Portugal and Greece 3.3 Environmental Consequences of Soil Compaction 3.4 Examples of Management Practices to Prevent Soil Compaction 4 Soil Contamination 4.1 Causes of Contamination in Agricultural Soils 4.2 Soil Contamination with Heavy Metals and the Current Situation in Portugal and Greece 4.3 Soil Contamination with Pesticides and the Current Situation in Portugal and Greece 4.4 Agricultural Soil Contamination with Microplastics 5 Soil Salinity and Sodicity 5.1 Causes of the Problem 5.2 Salinity and Sodicity Situation in Portugal and Greece 5.3 Consequences for Crops 6 Final Considerations References Agricultural Soil Degradation in Hungary 1 Introduction 2 Soil Compaction 3 Water and Wind Erosion 4 Flooding and Water Logging 5 Landslides 6 Soil Contamination 7 Soil Sealing 8 Salinity 9 Acidification 10 Agrochemical Use 11 Conclusions References Agricultural Land Degradation in Iceland 1 Introduction 2 Environmental Conditions 3 Changes in Iceland Since Human Settlement 4 Past and Present of Icelandic Agriculture 5 A Framework Model for Land Degradation in Iceland (Ice-LaCoRe) 6 Present Condition of the Land 7 Agriculture, Land Degradation, and Climate: The Future? 8 Final Considerations References Agricultural Land Degradation in Italy 1 Introduction 2 Main Characteristics of Climate and Soils 2.1 Climate 2.2 Soils 3 Overview of the Agricultural Sector 4 Soil Degradation in Italy 5 Land Degradation in the Italian Agriculture 5.1 Desertification 5.2 Erosion 5.3 Salinization 5.4 Soil Sealing and Compaction 5.5 Organic Matter Reduction 5.6 Soil Contamination 5.7 Others 5.7.1 Overgrazing 5.7.2 Forest Fires 5.7.3 Microplastics 5.7.4 Agrochemicals Use 6 Future Perspectives and Conclusions References Agricultural Land Degradation in Slovenia 1 Introduction 2 Land-Use Change, Organic Matter, and Organic Carbon 3 Legislation on Agricultural Land Degradation 4 Soil Sealing 5 Soil Contamination 6 Soil Erosion 7 Conclusion References Agricultural Land Degradation in Spain 1 Introduction 2 Geographic Characterization 2.1 Main Climatic Characteristics 2.2 Main Soil Types 2.3 Outlines on Soil Degradation 3 Soil Erosion 4 Overgrazing 5 Soil Contamination 6 Salinity 7 Agrochemical Use 8 Microplastics 9 Conclusions References Agricultural Land Degradation in Sweden 1 Introduction to Agriculture in Sweden 2 Soil Compaction and Erosion (Water and Wind) 3 Overgrazing 4 Slash-and-Burn Agriculture 5 Soil Contamination 6 Salinity 7 Agrochemicals Use 8 Microplastics 9 Conclusions References Agricultural Soil Degradation in Ukraine 1 Introduction 1.1 Soil Compaction 1.2 Water and Wind Erosion 1.3 Soil Contamination 1.4 Salinity 1.5 Agrochemicals Use 1.6 Overgrazing, Slash-and-Burn Agriculture, Microplastics and Other Forms of Soil Degradation 2 Conclusions References Correction to: Agricultural Land Degradation in the Czech Republic Correction to: Chapter ``Agricultural Land Degradation in the Czech Republic ́ ́ in: Paulo Pereira, Miriam Muñoz-Rojas, Igor Bog...