vii
Preface
Land stewardship and management are important topics in the Earth
Charter and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The processes
to improve soil quality and land use have global importance. Research, development, and practices to remediate land are advancing with new approaches
in many countries. Great progress has been made in the science and engineering related to phytotechnologies for contaminated soil during the years
from 1990 to the present.
In February, 1989, the Great Plains/Rocky Mountain Hazardous Substance
Research Center was established with headquarters at Kansas State University
and funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Research on
the beneficial effects of vegetation in contaminated soil became an important
thrust of the center at several of the participating universities. One of the
early projects involving phytoremediation with biomass production investigated the impact of trees planted at the edge of the field to reduce the amount
of nitrogen that goes into the stream when storm water flows off of the field.
From this early start, much research to develop phytotechnologies to address
contamination problems in soil and ground water has been conducted, and
the results have been reported. The efforts to advance the science of phytotechnologies have been helped by the International Phytotechnology Society
and by a number of international events including NATO Science for Peace
and Security Program Advanced Research Workshop in Ukraine in 2007.
Economic analysis has shown that phytotechnologies are the most costeffective options because soil quality is improved and costs associated with
applications are low. The five hazardous substance research centers were
established by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to address contamination problems where risk needed to be reduced. Land improvement is an
important goal of the Earth Charter, U.N. Sustainable Development Goals,
and U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. There are many locations
where improvements in soil quality are beneficial and application of phytotechnology with biomass production is not driven by risk reduction, but
rather by the goal of improving soil quality and site productivity. With the
growth in population and the need to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, all land needs to be used effectively. There
are presently many locations where phytotechnologies can be applied to
improve soil quality and make better use of the site.
In 2004 Valentina Pidlisnyuk visited Kansas State University as part of her
Fulbright scholar program. After this visit cooperative efforts related to phytotechnologies with biomass production were established and carried out.
The preparation of manuscripts for this book is one of the activities of the
NATO Science for Peace and Security Program Multiyear Research Project
Preface
Land stewardship and management are important topics in the Earth
Charter and United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The processes
to improve soil quality and land use have global importance. Research, development, and practices to remediate land are advancing with new approaches
in many countries. Great progress has been made in the science and engineering related to phytotechnologies for contaminated soil during the years
from 1990 to the present.
In February, 1989, the Great Plains/Rocky Mountain Hazardous Substance
Research Center was established with headquarters at Kansas State University
and funding from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Research on
the beneficial effects of vegetation in contaminated soil became an important
thrust of the center at several of the participating universities. One of the
early projects involving phytoremediation with biomass production investigated the impact of trees planted at the edge of the field to reduce the amount
of nitrogen that goes into the stream when storm water flows off of the field.
From this early start, much research to develop phytotechnologies to address
contamination problems in soil and ground water has been conducted, and
the results have been reported. The efforts to advance the science of phytotechnologies have been helped by the International Phytotechnology Society
and by a number of international events including NATO Science for Peace
and Security Program Advanced Research Workshop in Ukraine in 2007.
Economic analysis has shown that phytotechnologies are the most costeffective options because soil quality is improved and costs associated with
applications are low. The five hazardous substance research centers were
established by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to address contamination problems where risk needed to be reduced. Land improvement is an
important goal of the Earth Charter, U.N. Sustainable Development Goals,
and U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. There are many locations
where improvements in soil quality are beneficial and application of phytotechnology with biomass production is not driven by risk reduction, but
rather by the goal of improving soil quality and site productivity. With the
growth in population and the need to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, all land needs to be used effectively. There
are presently many locations where phytotechnologies can be applied to
improve soil quality and make better use of the site.
In 2004 Valentina Pidlisnyuk visited Kansas State University as part of her
Fulbright scholar program. After this visit cooperative efforts related to phytotechnologies with biomass production were established and carried out.
The preparation of manuscripts for this book is one of the activities of the
NATO Science for Peace and Security Program Multiyear Research Project