This book contains selected contributions from the Sixth Meeting of the International Geographical Union's Commission on Land Degradation and Desertification, held in Perth, Australia, in September 1999. Collectively, these contributions explicitly seek to understand not only the mechanisms responsible for the problem of land degradation but their social and economic implications, the means of overcoming the problems, and the policy instruments whereby remedial measures may be implemented. This breadth of approach is both distinctive and essential if the problems are to be tackled effectively. The authorship comprises of specialists (mostly geographers) from universities, research organizations, and government agencies, who provide a truly international perspective with contributions from Iceland to Australia and from the USA to Japan.
Audience: The book presents current research findings which will be of particular benefit to professionals and practitioners, as well as researchers and tertiary-level educationalists who are involved with land degradation.

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Preface. Keynote Paper. 1. Agrodiversity - A Positive Means of Addressing Land Degradation and Sustainable Rural Livelihoods; M. Stocking. Part One: Land Degradation Processes. 2. Geostatistical Analysis and Simulation of West African Sahel Rainfall; A. Chappell, C.T. Agnew. 3. Nebkha Dunes as Indicators of Soil Degradation in the Molopo Basin, South Africa and Botswana; A.J. Dougill, A.D. Thomas. 4. Desertification in an Arid Shrubland in the Southwestern United States: Process Modelling and Validation; G.S. Okin, et al. 5. The Potential for Degradation of Landscape Function and Cultural Values Following the Extinction of Mitika (Bettongia Lesueur) in Central Australia; J.C. Noble, et al. Part Two: Land Degradation as a Response to Land Use Practices and Land Use Change. 6. An Assessment of Soil Erosion in Scotland; D.A. Davidson, et al. 7. Ecological Disturbance and Soil Erosion on Grazing Land in Southwest Iceland; G. Gísladóttir. 8. Land Cover Changes in Sardinia (Italy): the Role of Agricultural Policies in Land Degradation; M. d'Angelo, et al. 9. Environmental Problems Caused by Heavy Application of Nitrogen Fertilisers in Japanese Tea Fields; T. Kato, et al. Part Three: Society and Land Degradation. 10. Soil Sustainability and Land Reform in South Africa; H.K. Watson. 11. Redistribution, Restitution and Reform: Prospects for the Land in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa; R.C. Fox, K.M. Rowntree. 12. Establishing Farmers' Understanding of Soil Health for the Future Development ofUser-Friendly' Soil Monitoring Packages; L.A. Lobry De Bruyn. 13. Understanding Farmer Monitoring of a Sustainability Indicator': Depth to Saline Groundwater in Western Australia; S.P. Marsh, et al. 14. Needs and Opportunities in Evaluating Land Degradation and Erosion in South-East Asia; I. Douglas. Part Four: Rehabilitation of Degraded Land. 15. Different Techniques of Pasture Improvement and Soil Erosion in a Wooded Rangeland in SW Spain &endash; Methodology and Preliminary Results; S. Schnabel, et al. 16. Land Recovery Following Extensive Sheet Erosion at Menangle, NSW; G.S. Humphreys, B. Groth. 17. Safe Carrying Capacity and Sustainable Grazing: How Much Have We Learnt in Semi-Arid Australia in the Last 170 Years? J. Pickard. 18. Reconsidering the Economic Scope for Rehabilitating Degraded Australian Semi-Arid Rangelands &endash; Issues of Context, Process and Integration; N.D. MacLeod, J.C. Noble. 19. Airborne Geophysics Provides Improved Spatial Information for the Management of Dryland Salinity; R.J. George, D.L. Bennett. 20. Innovative Use of Water Balance Models in Farm and Catchment Planning in Western Australia; G.P. Raper, et al. Part Five: Land Degradation and Policy. 21. Explaining Non-adoption of Practices to Prevent Dryland Salinity in Western Australia: Implications for Policy; D.J. Pannell. 22. Evaluation of Policy Approaches to Dryland Salinity Management in the Kent River Catchment; E.A. Kington, K.R.J. Smettem. 23. Policy Responses to Land Degradation in Australia; J. Conacher, A. Conacher. Closure. 24. Agriculture, Land Degradation and Desertification: Conclu