Soils on a Warmer Earth [antikvár]

IX FOREWORDS The motivation for organizing the International Workshop 'Effects of Expected Climate Change on Soil Processes in the Tropics and Subtropics" was threefold. Soil Science is heavily involved in the problems of trapped radiation in the atmosphere by greenhouse effect (GHE) promoting gases. The effect of soils on the GHE syndrome was analyzed in a preceding conference: the International Conference on Soils and the Greenhouse Effect, Wageningen, the Netheriands, August 1989, organized by the International Soil Reference and Information Centre (ISRIC). An answer was needed regarding the effect of climate change on sustainable productivity of soils, with emphasis on tropical and subtropical regions. The confusing dispute in scientific and popular science journals regarding the predictions of effects of temperature and eustatic sea-level rise, as weU as a wide array of possible advantages and disadvantages due to especially C02-rise, had to be thoroughly evaluated against the background of impacts on soil changes. A state of the art of predictive approaches, recognized by the majority of scientists, had to be elaborated. In this volume some 24 scientists contributed to such an evaluation and inventory, each in their own specific field. Though differences in opinion on assumptions, approaches and predictions still exist, these proceedings clearly bring the discussion a great step forward, and it is hoped that they will be of assistance to the soil science community in deciding on concepts for soil related core programmes of the forthcoming International Geosphere Biosphere Programme. The editors