Soil biogeochemistry and the global agricultural footprint
Ronald Amundson
Abstract
21st Century soil science must deeply grapple with the enormity of the agricultural impact on soils, and the complex ways in which this impacts soil sustainability. The first step is to remove the cloud of mysticism that sometimes surrounds soil and farming, reframe the narrative, and be clear about the enormous difficulty of creating a truly steady state and/or C-neutral soil management system. The objective of this paper is to examine the global footprint of agriculture on soils, and its impact on soil erosion, carbon, and nutrients. Stabilizing any one of these 3 mass balances globally will require complex and highly integrated collaborations between social scientists, policy experts, engineers, farmers, politicians, and natural scientists. There are no magical or simple solutions. Yet, there are untapped opportunities for research and solution-driven activities that can help to create a new framework for more effective efforts by our science to address wicked societal problems.