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Research and Development Priorities for Global Soil-Related Policies and Programs

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Ecosystem Services and Carbon Sequestration in the Biosphere

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Abstract

While scientific principles for sustainable soil management are known, a widespread adoption of recommended management practices (RMPs) has not happened, especially in the developing countries. Economic disincentives and constraints, and lack of knowledge and of capacities to implement sustainable soil management are fundamental causes. As a result, there are severe problems of soil and environmental degradation, low agronomic productivity, and malnutrition and hunger globally affecting >1 billion people. Appropriate policy interventions are needed to incentivize the process of the stewardship of natural resources while enhancing soil-related productivity. Related ecosystems services (ESs) [i.e., for carbon (C) sequestration, water resources management, biodiversity conservation] are undervalued. Payments to land managers for provisioning and enhancement of ecosystem services can be important part of promotion of conversion to a restorative land use and adoption of RMPs. Appropriate payments based on a fair price and transparent system, should be made not only for the tangible goods, but also for non-materialistic benefits (e.g., cultural, recreational, spiritual, and aesthetical services). Prioritization and implementation of research, development and outreach programs at local, regional, and global scales are essential to sustainable management of soils and other natural resources. Researchers and ‘practitioners’ dealing with the finite resource soil must cooperate in a transdisciplinary way to tackle the complexity of social-ecological issues associated with the management of soil in relation to other natural resources.

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Abbreviations

C:

Carbon

ESs:

Ecosystem Services

Gt:

Gigaton

GHG:

Greenhouse gas

MDB:

Murray Darling Basin

NPP:

Net primary productivity

N:

Nitrogen

NT:

No-till

RMPs:

Recommended management practices

SOM:

Soil organic matter

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CFAES/OARDC, School of Environment and Natural Resources, Carbon Management and Sequestration Center, Ohio State University, 2021 Coffey Rd., Columbus, OH, 43210-1085, USA

    Rattan Lal

  2. Global Soil Forum, IASS Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Berliner Strasse 130, 14467, Potsdam, Germany

    Klaus Lorenz

  3. Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, 14473, Potsdam, Germany

    Reinhard F. Hüttl & Bernd Uwe Schneider

  4. Zentrum für Entwicklungsforschung, University of Bonn, Walter-Flex-Strasse 3, 53113, Bonn, Germany

    Joachim von Braun

Authors
  1. Rattan Lal
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  2. Klaus Lorenz
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  3. Reinhard F. Hüttl
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  4. Bernd Uwe Schneider
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  5. Joachim von Braun
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Correspondence to Rattan Lal .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. The Ohio State University, Coffey Road Kottman Hall 422B 2021, Columbus, 43210, Ohio, USA

    Rattan Lal

  2. , Global Soil Forum, IASS Inst. for Adv. Sust. Studies, Berliner Str. 130, Potsdam, 14467, Brandenburg, Germany

    Klaus Lorenz

  3. , Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg, Potsdam, 14473, Germany

    Reinhard F. Hüttl

  4. , Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum GFZ, Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Telegrafenberg 309G, Potsdam, 14473, Brandenburg, Germany

    Bernd Uwe Schneider

  5. Universität Bonn, Walter-Flex-Str. 3, Bonn, 53113, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Joachim von Braun

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Lal, R., Lorenz, K., Hüttl, R.F., Schneider, B.U., von Braun, J. (2013). Research and Development Priorities for Global Soil-Related Policies and Programs. In: Lal, R., Lorenz, K., Hüttl, R., Schneider, B., von Braun, J. (eds) Ecosystem Services and Carbon Sequestration in the Biosphere. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-6455-2_19

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