Land Degradation
Problems and Policies

This book presents a broad multi-disciplinary perspective on the challenge of problems of degrading land.

Anthony Chisholm (Author), Robert Dumsday (Author)

9780521123235, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 12 November 2009

428 pages
22.9 x 15.2 x 2.4 cm, 0.63 kg

This book was first published in 1987 when land degradation was one of the major conservation issues of that decade. Australian scientists were at the fore in awakening world interest in this complex phenomenon and in contributing to debate. This book presents a broad multi-disciplinary perspective on the challenge of problems of degrading land, including the onsite and offsite effects of soil erosion, nutrient loss, and salinisation and on the conservation policies needed to meet the challenge. The volume brings together leading contributors to the field of soil conservation from the natural sciences, from economics and the social sciences, and representatives of farming and conservation organisations. The contributions by natural scientists provide the biological and physical setting to the problem. Chapters on economic, legal and social aspects provide empirical information, together with a conceptual and analytical framework to inform policy makers and to guide them in their choice of policies.

Foreword Douglas Whalan
The contributors
Figures
Tables
Glossary
Preface
Land degradation and government John Kerin
Part I. Physical and Biological Aspects of Land Degradation: 1. Australia's land resources at risk Colin Chartres
2. Biological and physical phenomena in land degradation Gordon Burch, Dean Graetz and Ian Noble
3. Detection and measurement of land degradation processes Robert Wasson
Commentary Adrian Webb
Part II. Social Costs: 4. Onsite costs of land degradation in agriculture and forestry Michael Blyth and Andrew McCallum
5. Offsite costs of land degradation Garrett Upstill and Timothy Yapp
6. Degradation pressures from non-agricultural land uses Lance Woods
Commentary Peter Greig
Part III. Legal, Institutional and Sociological Factors: 7. Land degradation: legal issues and institutional constraints John Bradsen and Robert Fowler
Commentary Michael Barker
8. Land tenure: plaything of governments or an effective instrument? Michael Young
9. Social bases of farmers' responses to land degradation Roy Rickson, Paul Saffigna, Frank Vanclay and Grant McTainsh
Part IV. Behavioural Causes, Economic Issues and Policy Instruments: 10. Land degradation: behavioural causes John Quiggin
11. An economic perspective on government intervention in land degradation Michael Kirby and Michael Blyth
12. Abatement of land degradation: regulations vs economic incentives Anthony Chisholm
Commentary Geoff Edwards
Part V. Pressure Groups, Public Agencies and Policy Forulation: 13. Pressure groups and policy formulation
13a. Pressure groups John Ballard
13b. Non-government organisations: a synopsis by the National Farmers' Federation Andrew Robb
13c. Non-government organisations: a synopsis by the Australian Conservation Foundation Geoff Mosley
14. Policy agents: their interaction and effectiveness Robert Junor and Warwick Watkins
Commentary John Paterson
Part VI. Towards More Effective Policies for Controlling Land Degradation: An Overview: 15. Contributions from the physical and biological sciences Graeme Robertson
16. Contributions from the social sciences Robert Dumsday
17. The practicalities of policy solutions Bruce Davis
Appendices A–D
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Agriculture & farming [TV]