Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Early Online
    • Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • Info For
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • About
    • About JSWC
    • Editorial Board
    • Permissions
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
    • Contact Us

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current Issue
    • Early Online
    • Archive
    • Subject Collections
  • Info For
    • Authors
    • Reviewers
    • Subscribers
    • Advertisers
  • About
    • About JSWC
    • Editorial Board
    • Permissions
    • Alerts
    • RSS Feeds
    • Contact Us
  • Follow SWCS on Twitter
  • Visit SWCS on Facebook
Research ArticleA Section

The global Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS): Supporting evidence-based, site-specific land use and management through cloud computing, mobile applications, and crowdsourcing

Jeffrey E. Herrick, Kevin C. Urama, Jason W. Karl, John Boos, Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson, Keith D. Shepherd, Jon Hempel, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer, Jonathan Davies, Jorge Larson Guerra, Chris Kosnik, David W. Kimiti, Abraham Losinyen Ekai, Kit Muller, Lee Norfleet, Nicholas Ozor, Thomas Reinsch, José Sarukhan and Larry T. West
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation January 2013, 68 (1) 5A-12A; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2489/jswc.68.1.5A
Jeffrey E. Herrick
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kevin C. Urama
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jason W. Karl
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
John Boos
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Keith D. Shepherd
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jon Hempel
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Brandon T. Bestelmeyer
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jonathan Davies
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Jorge Larson Guerra
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Chris Kosnik
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
David W. Kimiti
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Abraham Losinyen Ekai
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Kit Muller
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Lee Norfleet
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Nicholas Ozor
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Thomas Reinsch
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
José Sarukhan
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Larry T. West
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Excerpt

Agricultural production must increase significantly to meet the needs of a growing global population with increasing per capita consumption of food, fiber, building materials, and fuel. Consumption already exceeds net primary production in many parts of the world (Imhoff et al. 2004).

In addition to reducing consumption, there are two options to meet these needs: production intensification and land conversion. Both strategies present unique opportunities, challenges, and risks. The largest gains achievable through agricultural intensification will likely occur on lands with the largest unrealized production potential, or yield gap. These lands have high potential production and low current production. Similarly, the highest returns on investments to be gained by land conversion should occur on lands with the highest potential production, assuming similar infrastructure, per acre conversion costs, and other market conditions.

The biggest long-term risk for both strategies is that application of nonsustainable land management practices will result in soil degradation that is often costly, if not impossible, to reverse. Exploiting these opportunities and minimizing risks depend on careful matching of production systems with the sustainable production potential of each type of land. Similar analyses can be applied to biodiversity conservation to prioritize land conservation and restoration efforts.

The ability…

  • © 2013 by the Soil and Water Conservation Society
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

Journal of Soil and Water Conservation: 68 (1)
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
Vol. 68, Issue 1
January/February 2013
  • Table of Contents
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
  • Front Matter (PDF)
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on Journal of Soil and Water Conservation.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
The global Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS): Supporting evidence-based, site-specific land use and management through cloud computing, mobile applications, and crowdsourcing
(Your Name) has sent you a message from Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the Journal of Soil and Water Conservation web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
10 + 5 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Citation Tools
The global Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS): Supporting evidence-based, site-specific land use and management through cloud computing, mobile applications, and crowdsourcing
Jeffrey E. Herrick, Kevin C. Urama, Jason W. Karl, John Boos, Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson, Keith D. Shepherd, Jon Hempel, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer, Jonathan Davies, Jorge Larson Guerra, Chris Kosnik, David W. Kimiti, Abraham Losinyen Ekai, Kit Muller, Lee Norfleet, Nicholas Ozor, Thomas Reinsch, José Sarukhan, Larry T. West
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Jan 2013, 68 (1) 5A-12A; DOI: 10.2489/jswc.68.1.5A

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Request Permissions
Share
The global Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS): Supporting evidence-based, site-specific land use and management through cloud computing, mobile applications, and crowdsourcing
Jeffrey E. Herrick, Kevin C. Urama, Jason W. Karl, John Boos, Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson, Keith D. Shepherd, Jon Hempel, Brandon T. Bestelmeyer, Jonathan Davies, Jorge Larson Guerra, Chris Kosnik, David W. Kimiti, Abraham Losinyen Ekai, Kit Muller, Lee Norfleet, Nicholas Ozor, Thomas Reinsch, José Sarukhan, Larry T. West
Journal of Soil and Water Conservation Jan 2013, 68 (1) 5A-12A; DOI: 10.2489/jswc.68.1.5A
Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • Evaluation of Restoration Success to Inform Future Restoration Efforts in Acacia reficiens Invaded Rangelands in Northern Kenya
  • A Decision Support System for Incorporating Land Potential Information in the Evaluation of Restoration Outcomes
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

A Section

  • Plowing: Dust storms, Conservation Agriculture, and need for a “Soil Health Act”
  • Agriculture as part of the solution to climate change: Incentivizing the adoption of no-till and cover crops
  • Restoring South Asia’s degraded soils and ecosystems for peace and prosperity
Show more A Section

Ideas & Innovations

  • USDA Agricultural Research Service creates Nutrient Uptake and Outcome Network (NUOnet)
  • Circles of live buffer strips in a center pivot to improve multiple ecosystem services and sustainability of irrigated agriculture in the southern Great Plains
  • Development of a new long-term drought resilient soil water retention technology
Show more Ideas & Innovations

Similar Articles

Content

  • Current Issue
  • Early Online
  • Archive
  • Subject Collections

Info For

  • Authors
  • Reviewers
  • Subscribers
  • Advertisers

Customer Service

  • Subscriptions
  • Permissions and Reprints
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy

SWCS

  • Membership
  • Publications
  • Meetings and Events
  • Conservation Career Center

© 2023 Soil and Water Conservation Society