Voloshchuk M. D., Petrenko N. I., Yatsenko S. V. Erosian of soils of Ukraine: the evolution of theory and practice. – Kyiv : Nilan, Ltd., 2014. – 325 p.

Abstract

At the present time the great part of soils is exposed to various negative processes. One of the basic processes that lead to the degradation of soils in Ukraine is the erosion. According to the recent data, water and wind erosion covers 13.9 million hectares; it is about 33 % of the total arable land in the country. On this basis, the greater relevance belongs to the scientific studies displaying the features of negative phenomena of our soil, and, most importantly, the ways of solving of these urgent problems on the soil cover of Ukraine. The monograph «Soil erosion in Ukraine: the evolution of theory and practice» of such famous scientists in the field of Soil Erosion Science as Voloshchuk M. D., Petrenko N. I. and Yatsenko S. V. is one of such fundamental works. In the present monograph, considerable attention is paid to the periodization of the formation and development of the doctrine of soil erosion in Ukraine. The authors identify six basic stages of formation of the national Soil Erosion Science. The paper discusses the characteristic features of isolation of Soil Erosion Science as an independent scientific direction and a self-discipline, which are based on the works of such renowned scientists as P. S. Tregubov, M. N. Zaslavsky and G. I. Shvebs. A significant place in the monograph is devoted to the characteristics of the scientific centers of Ukraine, in which the Soil Erosion Science has been developed. These centers are distinguished by leading scientists, under the leadership of whom, the erosion processes have been studied. The authors of the monograph provides four main scientific centers of the country in the field of Soil Erosion Science development: National Scientific Centre «Institute of Agriculture of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences» (central region), National Scientific Center «Institute for Soil Science and Agrochemistry Research named after O. N. Sokolovsky», Scientific-Technical Center «Fertility» (Kharkiv region), Odessa I. I. Mechnikov National University (south region), Lviv National Agrarian University, Institute of Ecology of the Carpathians of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Ivan Franko National University of Lviv and others (west region). In addition to considering the features of the listed centers, in the work there is a presentation of a brief description of the project, research institutes, agricultural and agroforestry research stations that are active in a scientific work in relation to soil erosion processes. In the work, there are also the historical aspects and mechanisms for the further development of wind erosion researches. Considerable attention the authors of the monograph pay to the analysis of the current state, challenges and prospects of solving the problem on protecting the soil from erosion. The main problem of the country's soil, which is the cause of widespread erosion, is a very high agricultural development of the territory, more than half of which falls onto an arable land. At the end of the monograph, there are a large number of photos, provided by Professor M. D. Voloshchuk, which recorded various aspects of soil erosion manifestations, as well as the ways of its overcoming in the conditions of forest-steppe and steppe zones in Ukraine and on the territory of Moldova. The reviewed monograph is certainly a very relevant and timely generalizing scientific research that will be useful in the theoretical and practical use of students, academic staff of the natural and agricultural higher education institutions, research organizations.