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Assessment and Governance of Sustainable Soil Management

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Assessment and Governance of Sustainable Soil Management sustainability Editorial Assessment and Governance of Sustainable Soil Management Katharina Helming 1,2,*, Katrin Daedlow 3, Bernd Hansjürgens 4 and Thomas Koellner 5 1 Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) e.V., 15374 Müncheberg, Germany 2 Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development, 16225 Eberswalde, Germany 3 Division Agriculture and Food Policy, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, 10099 Berlin, Germany; [email protected] 4 Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research—UFZ, Permoserstraße 15, 04315 Leipzig, Germany; [email protected] 5 Professorship of Ecological Services, Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Universitaetsstr. 30, 95440 Bayreuth, Germany; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +49-(0)33432-82155 Received: 5 November 2018; Accepted: 7 November 2018; Published: 27 November 2018 Abstract: The globally increasing demand for food, fiber, and bio-based products interferes with the ability of arable soils to perform their multiple functions and support sustainable development. Sustainable soil management under high production conditions means that soil functions contribute to ecosystem services and biodiversity, natural and economic resources are utilized efficiently, farming remains profitable, and production conditions adhere to ethical and health standards. Research in support of sustainable soil management requires an interdisciplinary approach to three interconnected challenges: (i) understanding the impacts of soil management on soil processes and soil functions; (ii) assessing the sustainability impacts of soil management, taking into account the heterogeneity of geophysical and socioeconomic conditions; and (iii) having a systemic understanding of the driving forces and constraints of farmers’ decision-making on soil management and how governance instruments may, interacting with other driving forces, steer sustainable soil management. The intention of this special issue is to take stock of an emerging interdisciplinary research field addressing the three challenges of sustainable soil management in various geographic settings. In this editorial, we summarize the contributions to the special issue and place them in the context of the state of the art. We conclude with an outline of future research needs. Keywords: soil functions; agricultural practices; sustainability assessment; ecosystem services; resource use efficiency; soil policy; soil governance 1. Introduction Soils are at the nexus of multiple United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) [1]. While Keesstra et al. [2] identified direct or indirect contributions of soils to as many as 13 of the 17 SDGs, a fundamental role of soils exists for at least four of them: arable soils account for the largest part of global food provision (SDG 2); soils are the basis for bio-based renewable energy production to ensure energy security (SDG 7); the storage capacity of soils for organic carbon is paramount for climate change mitigation (SDG 13); and the capacity for water purification and retention, nutrient and matter cycling, and the habitat function of soils are essential for maintaining the terrestrial environment and biodiversity (SDG 15). The link between soil processes and SDGs is usually conceptualized via soil functions [2]. Arable soils provide five key functions: biomass production, water purification, carbon sequestration, habitat for biodiversity, and recycling of nutrients and (agro)chemicals [3]. Sustainability 2018, 10, 4432; doi:10.3390/su10124432 www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability Sustainability 2018, 10, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 13 Sustainability 2018, 10, 4432 2 of 13 (agro)chemicals [3]. While agricultural soil management does, by definition, favor the production Whilefunction agricultural over other soil functions, management it is does,the challenge by definition, for sustainable favor the productionsoil management function to over maintain other functions,multifunctionality it is the challenge [4]. for sustainable soil management to maintain multifunctionality [4]. FromFrom aa naturalnatural sciencescience perspective,perspective, it isis importantimportant toto understandunderstand howhow soilsoil functionsfunctions emergeemerge fromfrom interactinginteracting soilsoil processes.processes. While soilsoil sciencessciences havehave impressivelyimpressively advancedadvanced knowledgeknowledge aboutabout chemical,chemical, physical,physical, andand biological biological processes processes in in soils, soils, their their interrelations interrelations and and links links to soilto soil functions functions are notare yetnot well yet understood.well understood. Such an Such understanding an understanding requires arequires systems approacha systems to approach the development to the ofdevelopment indicators ofof soil indicators functions of [soil5]. Ludwigfunctions et [5] al..[ 6Ludwig] conceptualize et al. [6] the conceptualize analysis of soilthe functionsanalysis of from soil thefunctions perspective from ofthe the perspective social–ecological–systems of the social–ecological framework–systems [7] and framework propose the [7] resilience and propose of the soilthe systemresilience as of an the integrated soil system sustainability as an integrated indicator. sustai Thisnability approach indicator. may allowThis approach for the identification may allow for of tippingthe identification points toward of tipping an irreversible points ortoward permanent an irreversible loss of soil functions.or permanent However, loss theof soil authors functions. admit thatHowever, the quantification the authors of admit such anthat indicator the quantification remains out ofof sight.such Bünemannan indicator et al.remains [8] provide out of a critical sight. reviewBünemann of the et assessmental. [8] provide and a indication critical review of soil of quality the assessment and function. and Theyindication argue of that soil the quality process and of developingfunction. They an indicator argue that for soilthe qualityprocess and of functiondeveloping assessments an indicator requires for soil the involvementquality and offunction actors, stakeholders,assessments requires and end the users involvement in order to of be actors, useful stakeholders for supporting, and management end users in order and policy to be decisionsuseful for insupporting practice. management and policy decisions in practice. WhileWhile itit isis thethe tasktask ofof naturalnatural sciencescience disciplinesdisciplines toto jointlyjointly developdevelop aa systemicsystemic understandingunderstanding ofof interactionsinteractions of soil process process with with soil soil functions, functions, it it requires requires socioeconomic socioeconomic an andd agronomic agronomic expertise expertise to toaddress address sustainable sustainable soil soil management. management. We Wesee seethree three challenges challenges in developing in developing socioeconomic socioeconomic and andagronomic agronomic research research in this in this context context (Figure (Figure 1):1 ):(i (i)) to to establish establish analytical linkageslinkages betweenbetween soilsoil managementmanagement and soil functions;functions; (ii) to assessassess the relevancerelevance of soilsoil functionsfunctions toto fulfillingfulfilling societalsocietal targets,targets, including including ecosystem ecosystem services, services, resource resource use use efficiency efficiency,, and and sustainable sustainable development; development; and and(iii) (iii)to understand to understand how how governance governance instruments instruments affect affect farmers’ farmers’ decision decision-making-making regarding regarding sustainabl sustainablee soilsoil management.management. The three challenges establish linkages between the five five elements of the Drivers–Drivers– Pressure–State–Impact–ResponsePressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR)(DPSIR) frameworkframework [[9]9],, whichwhich isis aa well-establishedwell-established frameworkframework for thethe analysisanalysis ofof human/naturehuman/nature relationships relationships (Figure (Figure 11).). Figure 1. Three main analytical challenges for sustainable soil management. Letters indicate Figure 1. Three main analytical challenges for sustainable soil management. Letters indicate the the relationship to the Drivers–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework for analyzing relationship to the Drivers–Pressure–State–Impact–Response (DPSIR) framework for analyzing human/nature interrelations [9]. human/nature interrelations [9]. Sustainability 2018, 10, 4432 3 of 13 The first challenge is to understand soil management practices and how they impact soil processes and functions. Agricultural crop management includes tillage, crop choice and rotation, fertilization, weed management, pest management, irrigation and drainage, harvesting, and residue management. Each of these activities interferes with soil processes. Soil conservation practices such as conservation tillage aim at avoiding soil threats and maintaining soil multifunctionality, which often is at the cost of yield performance [10]. Policy instruments such as the agri-environmental payment schemes of the European Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) aim at compensating farmers for income loss associated with soil conservation management practices [11]. However, with the globally increasing demand for biomass-based food, feed, energy, and fiber, not least reinforced through renewable energy policies or bioeconomy
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