World’s Soil Resources

Compaction
Sealing
and land take
Salinization
and sodification
Contamination
Soil
acidification
Waterlogging
Compaction continues
to be a low-level issue,
especially in regions with
texture-contrast (Luvisol,
Alfisol, Ultsol) soils. The
regional-scale impact
of compaction on plant
growth is largely unknown.
Substantial expansion of
housing and infrastructure
in areas of high quality
farmland continues in
both countries but is
(incorrectly) not perceived
as a concern. Neither
country has reliable data
on sealing and land take.
Salinization is believed to
be increasing in parts of
the northern Great Plains
in the U.S.A. but the risk of
salinization is decreasing in
western Canada.
Although many legacy
contamination sites exist,
improved regulatory
systems in both
countries has limited the
creation of new areas of
contamination.
Large-scale land
disturbance due to
resource extraction
activities continues to be a
significant issue.
Trans-national
environmental legislation
has significantly reduced
soil acidification in forested
areas of eastern and
central North America.
Localized areas of
acidification in agricultural
land managed through
lime application.
Waterlogging is not
believed to be a significant
threat in North America.
Localized flooding has
occurred due to a wider
amplitude of precipitation
events in the past decade.
Loss of wetlands is a more
significant threat
in North America.
Table 14.1 Summary of soil threats status, trends and uncertainties in North America
Status of the World’s Soil Resources | Main Report Regional Assessment of Soil Changes
469
in North America