It reveals that the intensification of farming over the past century has increased the rate of soil erosion sixtyfold.
This conclusion is borne out by careful field studies worldwide in which the rate of soil horizon formation is determined.
A primary benefit of the protection and minimal disturbance of topsoil is a decreased rate of soil erosion.
Stirring increases the decomposition rate of soil organic matter and thereby releases nitrogen and other nutrients for use by the fruit crop.
When climate and topography are fixed and soil cover is varied, the rate of soil loss by water erosion has a predictable and dramatic dependence on vegetation.
This quantity is defined as the maximum annual rate of soil loss by erosion that will permit high soil productivity for an indefinite period of time.
The recent warming of many Arctic regions, however, has accelerated the rate of soil decomposition, transforming these Arctic areas into potential sources of atmospheric carbon dioxide.
The continual ploughing of fields, combined with heavy use of fertilizers, has degraded soils across the world, the research found, with erosion occurring at a pace of up to 100 times greater than the rate of soil formation.
The national and global collapse of biodiversity, the horrifying rate of soil loss, the conflict between aspirations to minimise climate change and maximise the production of fossil fuels: none of these are put before voters as an issue of significant difference.
In addition, the rate of soil loss per amount of grain or cotton grown has declined between 30% and 70%.
The rate of soil infiltration could be the main factor that explained these differences.
