New Terra Preta - Biochar Book |
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William I. Woods, Wenceslau G. Teixeira, Johannes Lehmann, Christoph Steiner, Antoinette M. G. A. WinklerPrins, Lilian Rabellato (Editors)
Springer 2009, ISBN: 978-1-4020-9030-1
Amazonian soils are almost universally thought of as extremely
forbidding. However, it is now clear that complex societies with large,
sedentary populations were present for over a millennium before
European contact. Associated with these are tracts of anomalously
fertile, dark soils termed terra preta or dark earths. These
soils are presently an important agricultural resource within Amazonia
and provide a model for developing long-term future sustainability of
food production in tropical environments. The late Dutch soil scientist
Wim Sombroek (1934-2003) was instrumental in bringing the significance
of these soils to the attention of the world over four decades ago.
Wim
saw not only the possibilities of improving the lives of small holders
throughout the world with simple carbon based soil technologies, but
was an early proponent of the positive synergies also achieved in
regards to carbon sequestration and global climatic change abatement.
Wim’s vision was to form a multidisciplinary group whose members
maintained the ideal of open collaboration toward the attainment of
shared goals. Always encouraged and often shaped by Wim, this free
association of international scholars termed the Terra Preta Nova
Group came together in 2001 and has flourished. This effort has been
defined by enormous productivity. Wim who is never far from any of our
minds and hearts, would have loved to share the great experience of
seeing the fruits of his vision as demonstrated in this volume.
Its introductory comments and 28 chapters written by 73 authors relate the latest findings in landscape history, indigenous practices, soil development, soil chemistry, anthropology, and archaeology, and the implications of those to modern social and land stewardship issues.
Table of contents at Springer
Read a review by Mike Dubrasich
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