Responding to soil erosion in Spain: from Charles Darwin to John Thornes

During a discussion of the European Soil Framework Directive last year, John Thornes commented on the paradox that although there was much scientific progress in understanding desertification and erosion, relatively few scientists were responding to the opportunity of responding. Most scientists passively accept the situation of little effective soil and land governance in Europe John Thornes thought that one difficulty is that researchers work in isolation and assume someone else is caring about the big picture. those looking after the big picture are in fact managing soil and land from the perspectives of things such as rural poverty reduction and food security and interventions for farmer's. These are in themselves excellent points of view but they need to be balanced and limited by guidelines provided from the perspective of the requirements of medium and long term soil conservation and protection. There is an absolute need for a European Soil Conservation service as there is in the United States and china. As Darwin said when looking at the increase in population of animals in South America: There must be something limiting growth. Now the only thing limiting growth in many places might be erosion and desertification. (Author) 13 refs.