Productivity Potentials of the Global Land Resource for Cropping and Grazing

摘要: The chapter gives an overview of global land potentials, crop yields and their limiting factors, methods to evaluate the productivity potential land. Maintaining capacity resource produce plant biomass which can be used for humans is one most challenging issues 21st century. We need methodologies observe control status agricultural other lands. Methods overall soil quality assessment include significant factors indicators relevant potentials useful tools monitoring managing sustainably. aim was find a common basis evaluation, as required by community users allow achievement high in context sustainable multifunctional use landscapes. Results showed that types or reference groups existing classifications are largely defined on pedogenetic criteria provide insufficient information assess functionality. Traditional specific evaluation schemes already exist at national levels. They based different concepts fertility quality, local properties management prevail region country. Their data inputs differ, ratings not transferable applicable transnational studies. At level, like agro-ecological zoning ecosystem models reliable assessments potentials. Such intended field scale application detect main constraints derive recommendations situ. A comparative analysis several revealed usefulness indicator-based approaches reliably, simply consistently over scales, from level large regions (aided maps). Basic survey methods, including visual tactile structure assessment, diagnostic recognition attributes estimation indicator values. advocate straightforward functional system supplementing current WRB (2006) classification coming Universal Soil Classification. It operates tool monitoring, planning decisions (SQ) detecting limitation soils cropping grazing providing estimates attainable scales. Muencheberg Quality Rating (M-SQR), described Part II, has serve method combines (methods survey, structure) with climate expert-based ranking schemes. M-SQR been successfully tested worldwide. provides concrete results about but also frame further research towards practices.