Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations - Kootenay Local Agricultural Society

abandonment of land: American agriculture
and, 119–23, 132, 149, 153, 194–95;
in ancient Rome, 64, 66, 67; in Central
America, 78–79; consolidation
into large farms and, 117, 121; early
Middle Eastern agriculture and, 36;
in Europe, 102, 103; in North Africa,
69–70; Pueblo culture and, 79–80
Abu Hureyra, 31–33
Adam, 27
adaptation to land: advent of agrochemistry
and, 184–85; Aftrican Sahel and,
166; ancient cultures and, 50, 60, 70;
colonial economics and, 110; compared
South Pacific islands and, 221–
24; Cuba and, 231; European soil husbandry
and, 94–96, 98–99; innovations
before mechanization and, 180–
82; medieval village commons and,
89–90; modern agrarian economies
and, 240–41, 244; natural systems
agriculture and, 206–7; prehistoric
man and, 28, 29; wetland rice cultivation
as, 180–81
African Sahel, 165–68
index
Page numbers in italics refer to illustrations.
271
agrarian economies: commonalities
among, 46–47; modern, 240–41,
244
agricultural land: amount available,
170–73, 238, 244; carrying capacity of
land, 6, 233–34, 240–41; hectares
needed per person, 229, 238–39;
nature of, and improvements, 98;
potential for productivity increases
and, 238–40; sustainable intensive
farming regions and, 23, 244. See also
agricultural soil; loess soils; sloping
land, erosion of
agricultural practices: in ancient Greece,
50, 52, 55; in ancient Italy, 56–57,
60–61; in ancient Mesopotamia,
36–40; development of irrigation and,
36–37; erosion rate and, 23–24, 56,
158–59; innovations before mechanization
and, 180–82; in medieval
Europe, 89–91; soil biota and, 20, 185.
See also chemical fertilizers; cropping
systems; crop rotation; industrial agriculture;
irrigation; mechanization;
monoculture; no-till methods;