In the International Year of Soils, the FAO published a report about mountain soils and their contributions to food security and ecosystems. Mountain soils are fragile resources that are slow to regenerate. They are subject to natural phenomena such as desertification and landslides. Bad practices such as deforestation, unsustainable farming practices and resource extraction methods deeply damage soils. Peoples of the mountains, aware of the values of their soils, developed knowledge and sustainable management approaches to protect them.
The FAO compiled a series of case studies provided by Mountain Partnership members and partners across the world to present the lessons learned and recommendations on how to preserve best our precious soils. Several chapters are dedicated to European mountains such as Mountain pasture soils and plant species richness in the Austrian Alps.
To access to the report “Understanding Mountain Soils: A Contribution from mountain areas to the International Year of Soils 2015”, click here.
11 September 2015
