Arable lands under the pressure of multiple land degradation processes. A global perspective.

Autor: Prăvălie R; University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Street, 010041, Bucharest, Romania; University of Bucharest, Research Institute of the University of Bucharest (ICUB), 90-92 Sos. Panduri, 5th District, 050663, Bucharest, Romania. Electronic address: pravalie_remus@yahoo.com., Patriche C; Romanian Academy, Iaşi Divison, Geography Department, 8 Carol I Street, 700505, Iaşi, Romania. Electronic address: pvcristi@yahoo.com., Borrelli P; Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata, 27100, Pavia, Italy; Department of Biological Environment, Kangwon National University, 24341, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea. Electronic address: pasquale.borrelli@unipv.it., Panagos P; European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate for Sustainable Resources, Ispra, I-21027, Italy. Electronic address: Panos.PANAGOS@ec.europa.eu., Roșca B; Romanian Academy, Iaşi Divison, Geography Department, 8 Carol I Street, 700505, Iaşi, Romania. Electronic address: roscao@gmail.com., Dumitraşcu M; Institute of Geography, Romanian Academy, 12 Dimitrie Racoviță Street, 023993, Bucharest, Romania. Electronic address: stefania_dumitrascu@yahoo.com., Nita IA; National Meteorological Administration (Meteo Romania), Department of Research and Meteo Infrastructure Projects, 97 București-Ploiești Street, 013686, Bucharest, Romania; Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Geography and Geology, Department of Geography, 20A Carol I Street, 700506, Iaşi, Romania. Electronic address: nitaandru@gmail.com., Săvulescu I; University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Street, 010041, Bucharest, Romania. Electronic address: savulescui@yahoo.com., Birsan MV; National Meteorological Administration (Meteo Romania), Department of Research and Meteo Infrastructure Projects, 97 București-Ploiești Street, 013686, Bucharest, Romania. Electronic address: marius.birsan@gmail.com., Bandoc G; University of Bucharest, Faculty of Geography, 1 Nicolae Bălcescu Street, 010041, Bucharest, Romania; Academy of Romanian Scientists, 54 Splaiul Independenței Street, Bucharest, Romania. Electronic address: geobandoc@yahoo.com.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Environmental research [Environ Res] 2021 Mar; Vol. 194, pp. 110697. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Jan 08.
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2020.110697
Abstrakt: While agricultural systems are a major pillar in global food security, their productivity is currently threatened by many environmental issues triggered by anthropogenic climate change and human activities, such as land degradation. However, the planetary spatial footprint of land degradation processes on arable lands, which can be considered a major component of global agricultural systems, is still insufficiently well understood. This study analyzes the land degradation footprint on global arable lands, using complex geospatial data on certain major degradation processes, i.e. aridity, soil erosion, vegetation decline, soil salinization and soil organic carbon decline. By applying geostatistical techniques that are representative for identifying the incidence of the five land degradation processes in global arable lands, results showed that aridity is by far the largest singular pressure for these agricultural systems, affecting ~40% of the arable lands' area, which cover approximately 14 million km 2 globally. It was found that soil erosion is another major degradation process, the unilateral impact of which affects ~20% of global arable systems. The results also showed that the two degradation processes simultaneously affect an additional ~7% of global arable lands, which makes this synergy the most common form of multiple pressure of land degradative conditions across the world's arable areas. The absolute statistical data showed that India, the United States, China, Brazil, Argentina, Russia and Australia are the most vulnerable countries in the world to the various pathways of arable land degradation. Also, in terms of percentages, statistical observations showed that African countries are the most heavily affected by arable system degradation. This study's findings can be useful for prioritizing agricultural management actions that can mitigate the negative effects of the two degradation processes or of others that currently affect many arable systems across the planet.
(Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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