What is land for? Why, maximising the storage of carbon in our soils and the management of water, of course – which could be as important as food production in the future, according to Professor Michael Winter of Exeter University, editor of What is Land for? The Food, Fuel and Climate Change Debate, published today (Thursday, November 19).
Edited by Prof Winter and Dr Matt Lobley of Exeter University, it includes contributions from more than 50 leading academics, including key researchers from the UK research councils’ Rural Economy and Land Use Programme.
Prof Winter told the PRSD: “In an era of climate change, carbon sequestration becomes more and more of an issue, and we are beginning to understand better the role of soils in this process, so the actions of farmers and land managers are key to our survival. Flooding events are also becoming more frequent so how we manage the land on floodplains is also vital.
“Of course we need to feed a growing population, and we need to consider energy demands too. Land is now multifunctional providing many different ecosystem services. All these demands must be traded off against one another and that is the theme of this new book.”
• What do you reckon land’s for? Comments below, please.
Loading ...
Recent Comments