Sustainable management of soils

Soil is a fundamental natural resource that provides fundamental eco-system services. We need soil to produce food, timber, paper and energy in different forms. Soils also play a vital role for controlling water quality of surface and groundwater, it is a buffer for green-house gases in the atmosphere and soils provide habitats for a diversity of plants, animals and microorganisms.

• The properties and function of soils are influenced by man both through different forms of land-use and through emissions of pollutants. Our research aims to; 
• understand how different forms of land-use and pollution influence the properties of the soil
• assess whether the land-use is sustainable or not  
  evaluate management options that aims at increased sustainability in soil management

The research spans a wide range of applications and we work with different specializations. Among these you find improved plant nutrient cycling in forestry, effects of fast growing tree plantations on soil and water quality, effects of deforestation and subsequent cultivation in tropical areas, plant nutrient and soil management in tropical agriculture and rehabilitation of peat extraction areas.

Most land owner/user decisions on land-use management are based on economic and social considerations. The effects on long-term sustainability of soils are rarely considered. To find realistic and acceptable solutions for the land owner and society we need cooperation between different disciplines. Thus, it is increasingly important for us to participate in trans-disciplinary projects in close cooperation with researchers of different disciplines.