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Oct 2-4 Soil & Water FAO 4 themes including 'Soil Health & Water Quality'
Water
Water
Foresight Brief from the UN Environment Program on the importance of the water cycle on climate in agriculture and forestry. This is not an either/or story with carbon, just a nice description of how water dynamics associated with land use can also have a big impact on climate.
Don't think it emphasizes it enough, but unlike carbon, which is a long term radiation balance effect, dynamic water effects are pretty much real time. Therefore, changes to this system can help things significantly sooner. In the case of regenerative ag, agroforestry, and most nature based solutions, the even better news is that the carbon and water benefits go together in a virtuous cycle where gains on each amplify gains on the other.
My only real clarifying addition would be to note that this is true for all vegetation, not just trees. Importantly, grasslands emerged as a mechanism to capture solar energy in continental inlands, so it makes no more sense to plant trees on grasslands than it does to cut down a rainforest to put it in pasture. And although highly speculative, I do wonder if this cycle is allowed to play out long enough, increased rainfall on former grasslands could lead to the later suitability for more trees?
It's not long, and worth a quick read if you're interested in the subject. https://wesr.unep.org/foresight...
High & Low pressure explained, in readiness for this..
How to calculate how increasing carbon can improve plant-available water.
New data from the North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health has allowed scientists at the Soil Health Institute to create new equations. These equations capture the link between soil organic carbon and plant-available water. The newly collected data include the effects of soil health-promoting practices and soil structure.
Soil & Water Accreditation BSSS
Walter Jeyne How healing water cycles can cool the climate
Role of water in ensuring soil health Water is one of five critical soil components.
Rising global temperatures are increasing the rate of soil moisture evaporation threatening soil fertility.
Sandy soils, typical of Western Australia, can be highly water repellent, caused from a build-up of waxy organic substances on the particles contained in the top soil.
Dryland salinity affects 29 million hectares of land in Australia.
Waterlogged soils release increased amounts of nitrous oxide, a significant greenhouse gas.
Tribute to Professor Tony Allan. Professor Geography kings College, London
He provided critical guidance during the development of this degree. Sadly, he died shortly before its approval, but we recognise his contribution at every opportunity.
He is more famous for creating the concept of 'virtual water'. This is the water -not in the watermelon coming from Ethiopia, but the amount of water used to produce that melon. The amounts are often staggering, and often use water that local people need.
Fukuoka states, “It was in an American desert that I suddenly realized that rain does not fall from the heavens – it comes up from the ground. Desert formation is not due to the absence of rain, but the rain ceases to fall because the vegetation has disappeared.”
Restoring water cycles, with Walter Jehne and Caroline Grindrod. (Youtube_
"Changing the way we manage hydrology is essential if we're to restore ecological security. This discussion focusses on what we can do to regenerate healthy water cycles in order to protect food systems and reduce global temperatures."
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