CNLANEWS
Critical ground Why soil is essential to Canada’s economic, environmental, human and social health
BY JAMIE AALBERS, Growers Manager, CNLA
improved and crop yields have increased with enhanced plant genetics and cultural practices, but these gains have masked the effect of continued soil degradation and loss of agricultural land in every region in Canada. This is a result of climate change and more frequent extreme weather events,
flood regulation; nutrient cycling; carbon sequestration; the provision of food, fibre, fuel and construction materials; habitats for organisms; and the foundation for human infrastructure and cultural heritage. Since the last Canadian report on this topic in 1984, soil management has
The Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry recently completed a study on the status of soil health in Canada. The committee learned that soil delivers ecosystem services that enable all life on Earth. Ecosystem services such as water purification and storage; climate and
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70 | LANDSCAPE TRADES
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