Recent advances in soil erosion in the Canadian Prairies

Brandon University
Faculty of Science Seminar Series
2024-25
www.brandonu.c...
January 24, 2025
David Lobb
Department of Soil Science
University of Manitoba
Recent advances in soil erosion and the necessary improvements to soil and water conservation programs and practices in the Canadian Prairies
Abstract:
Highlights of recent advances in soil erosion and sedimentation, and the consequential, necessary improvements to soil and water conservation programs and practices. The two most significant advances are: (i) The use of Fallout-Radionuclides (FRNs) to assess soil erosion and sedimentation, and (ii) the recognition of Tillage Erosion as a soil erosion process. Four necessary improvements are identified are: (i) a new understanding of tillage practices and systems, (ii) recognition of soil productivity and food
security as a distinct goal from the protection of water and air quality, (iii) protection of soil (conservation) is not restoration, and (iv) integrated assessments of soil erosion is essential, combining wind, water and tillage erosion. These improvements have significant implications for the sustainability of land management in the Canadian Prairies.
Biography:
David Lobb is a Professor of Landscape Ecology in the Department of Soil Science at the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. David grew up on a farm in southern Ontario, and he earned his BSc from the University of Toronto and his MSc and PhD from the University of Guelph. He is internationally recognized for his research in tillage translocation and tillage erosion. His expertise in soil erosion and conservation has been sought by the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency and Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in addition to provincial and federal government agencies across Canada. David is vice-chair of the FAO’s Intergovernmental
Technical Panel on Soil. David is a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Soil Science , the Soil and Water Conservation Society, the Soil Science Society of America, and he was inducted into the Canadian Conservation Hall of Fame.