Managing Soil Drought

Book excerpt: Global drylands, covering over 40% of Earth’s land surface, are important among worldwide ecoregions and support large human and livestock populations. However, these ecologically sensitive ecoregions are undergoing a rapid transformation resulting from climate change, socioeconomic and political factors, increases in population, and ever-growing demands for goods and services. Managing Soil Drought addresses basic processes and provides specific case studies throughout covering the protection, restoration, and sustainable management goals of global drylands under changing and harsh climatic conditions, including fragile and vulnerable ecosystems. The book is written by numerous researchers, academicians, practitioners, advocates, land managers, and policymakers involved in bringing about transformation in these regions important to human and nature. It includes information on basic strategies of sustainable management of global drylands aimed at improving water use efficiency through choosing appropriate species, developing new varieties, using organic and inorganic amendments, and scaling up innovative farming systems. This volume in the Advances in Soil Sciences series is an essential read for development organizations and policymakers involved in improving crop productivity and sustainability in drought-prone regions; students, researchers, and academicians interested in sustainable management of water resources; and those involved in emerging concepts of regenerative agriculture, agroecology, and conservation agriculture.