4 th International Conference on Earth Science & Climate Change

Alicante (Spain), June 16 18, 2015

Recovery of Agriculture and Biodiversity for the protection of the Climate
Gu al ti ero A.N. Val eri , Gen e ral S ecreta ry of
CI FA International Committe for Research and Study on Environmental Factors
B ell i n zon a (Sw i tze rl and ) -

Over the past three decades there has been much talked about, at all levels, the problem of climate change,
and the extent to which it is due to natural and/or anthropogenic factors.
Beyond this, however, it is an important question and that is could answer even assuming a competition to
both natural and artificial factors, is to keep in mind that the climate of our Planet, even in historical times, it has
undergone many significant and sometimes sudden changes, even when it was not possible to attribute to them an
important competition of human activities.
However a new fact with respect to the past centuries, and very important, is that the change currently
underway on Humanity could have a much greater impact than in the past. For example, when the oceans will increase
in level, will not be the most affected by this few million people living in small or medium-sized coastal towns, but
billions, and their migration towards more internal areas of the continents would appear as an exodus unprecedented in
history of Humanity. Another example, is that changes in climate are changing not only the agricultural productivity in
many regions of the Planet, but also the nutritional value of some cultivated species: in recent times has been
highlighted a significant fall in nutritional power of rice cultived in the Far East, which could result in a serious
nutritional deficit to two billion people.
It is of course necessary to provide for the anthropogenic component of climate change caused by the
introduction of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is limited to a minimum; but there are other important factors of
anthropogenic origin, which should be checked. Among these is the modification of the status of land cover.
In the world, especially in the last centuries, a major share of the forest cover has been destroyed to make
way for crops. Over time, such soils cultivated - especially in the last 50 years as a result of intensive farming
techniques - have been depleted; others have been affected by phenomena of contamination for industrial activities or
other.
A part of the land has undergone a process of desertification, although many desert areas have begun to
expand, presumably natural factors, in ancient times, as is the case of the North African and Arabic desert.
Currently, therefore, in the world we have vast desertified areas or whose fertility is drastically decreased.
About a quantification of these phenomena, it is rather uncertain, because different sources reported values
also very different. However, the values that are reported are the following:

Total area of the land:

14,9109 ha

Total area of land suitable for cultivation:

4,4109 ha

Total area of cultivated land:

0,71,6109 ha

30 %

8%

Total area of arable land, but uncultivated:

2,83,710 ha

22 %

Total area of woods and forests:

4109 ha

27 %

Total desert or desertified area:

3,95,2109 ha

31 %

Total urbanized area:

2%

11 %

0,2610 ha

Total mountainous, iced or other areas:

1,6910 ha

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Figure 1 - Land use around the world, approximately

As is known, the different plant cover of the soil also affects significantly the amount of solar radiation
reflected and/or absorbed. The presence of a plant cover also prevents soil erosion and regulates the evaporation of
water from the soil.
In general, we can say that the vegetation absorbs much (40 to 50%) in the spectral band of the red and nearinfrared, while the overall reflection varies between 50%, until to 85% for a strong coverage of multilayered vegetation,
as in the case of a forest.
A bare soil, and formed from fine particles, however, is highly reflective; at the same time, such a soil having
a strong thermal conductivity, tends to overheat, forming a layer of warm air on to it.
It is clear that such conditions can greatly affect the climate; when the areas concerned have the width
described above, which can be summarized in a 31% of its land area desert or desertified, and 22% uncultivated or
semi-abandoned, so with a 53% of the surface of the land bare or covered by poor vegetation, we can say that this is a
phenomenon that for some impacts heavily on the climate, probably not to the extent not much less than the increase in
the concentration of greenhouse gases, or to changes in solar activity.
This, however, is also a factor on which action could be taken with systematic plans coordinated worldwide.
If it were made a more precise mapping of the attitudes of the soil - as was done in the United States - it
could think of a rationalization of the use of the same soil, trying to devote to agriculture ones with more cultural
attitudes, while dedicating the less usable reforestation; alongside social and economic benefits, environmental ones for
preservation of biodiversity, as well as increased fixation of carbon dioxide produced by human activities, we will also
benefit the climate, not only locally, but globally.
This, with a systematic action, it is already possible today.
Experiments carried, for example, by prof. Venanzio Vallerani and collaborators, in the past, led to the
recovery of approximately 200,000 hectares of desert in Africa and has about 3,200 in China.
Even soils contaminated by heavy metals or toxic organic substances can be treated recovering fertility:
specific plant species can, as is known, absorb heavy metals from the soil, decontaminating it. Some bacterial species
are able to oxidize hydrocarbon residues to fatty acids; others can, under appropriate conditions, degrade toxic organic
substances present in the soils.
Some plant species more than others, also, can - by means of the temporary root - generate a large amount of
root biomass (eg. the beech form 40% of its biomass at level of underground root system, but also some species
herbaceous can make a significant contribution), and this biomass is converted into humus, then promoting the recovery
of fertility.

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If we assumed to be able to restore a culturability or a forest cover over 50% of soils currently desert, and to
allocate a 50% of soil regenerated to reforestation and a 50% to agriculture, and recovering 50% of the current fallow
land at reforestation and a 50% to agriculture, we hope to reach a new situation like this:

Presently

Looking to the future

Share of cultivated land:

8%

26 %

Share of wood and forest land:

27 %

45 %

Share desert areas:

31 %

15 %

Share urbanized areas:

2%

2%

Share mountainous, iced or other areas:

11 %

11 %

So we would have a tripling of its arable land - which would also solve the problem of global food scarcity
and over-exploitation of the soil - and a near doubling of woodlands, with a significant contribution to the recovery of
biodiversity.

Figure 2 - Land use around the world, in a hypothesis of recovery

Is this a hypothesis that needs further and systematic study continent to continent and country to country, but
it is extremely seductive.
Next to the phenomena described above (reflection and absorption of solar radiation, effect on the absorption
of rain water from the soils and erosion of the same), also, and not least, it is to deepen the effect that can have some
plant species most of the other over electric charges in the atmosphere, which could derive action on the formation or
not of rainfall.
If we consider the case of the southern side of the Alps, we note that the warm humid air from the
Mediterranean area tends to rise and cool for adiabatic expansion, and in these areas we observe frequent rains due to
the condensation of air humidity.
In areas such as those surrounding the Persian Gulf, we note, however, after sunset, the formation, at a
certain height (800 to 1,000 m above sea level and more) of a layer of fog, and even the air at the ground it is
maintained at elevated temperatures (about 30C) and is saturated with moisture, but no condensation occurs.
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Figure 3 - State of the soils in the world

We can see this also an effect of vegetation: especially in certain weather conditions, the gradient of the
electric potential in the atmosphere is very high, of the order of several thousand volts per meter. Under such conditions,
tree species such as conifers, with pointed or aciculate leaves, can emit streams of negative electric charges (such as a
corona discharge), which could favor the condensation of water droplets, with positive charge, struggling to join no
differently to what we see happen in industry when we break down mists or fumes.
In tropical areas, the conifer is generally not suited to be established, but some species of palm can have a
similarly good.
In this sense, the tree cover, especially with subtropical or tropical dry, we might have a positive effect on
rainfall, which certainly would favor the recovery of the agricultural and forestry areas, as well as an improvement in
the climate of the same.
In this sense, it is very important to study carefully the benefits that would result from a calculated alternation
of areas dedicated to the cultivation and forested ranges.
For the purposes of an international plan of study, requalification and recovery of soils, it should be paid
special attention to a shift of the type of agricultural techniques used so far, industrial and characterized by a strong land
use (which often resulted in loss fertility and desertification) to a new model of sustainable agriculture, with a greater
weight of family-type farms and agricultural techniques developed by improving and expanding methods such as
biodynamic agriculture, and the like.
It must not be forgotten that, in recent decades, has focused heavily on the development of systems for crop
irrigation to increase productivity, but this, in addition to greatly increase water consumption by agriculture - and
consequently the energy consumption - has damaged many soils to the point that, today, we can give a 20 to 30% of the
damage to date observed excessive irrigation.
In conclusion, the recovery and the rehabilitation to agricultural of many abandoned or desertified areas
would not only give a significant positive contribution about what is expressed above, but also would prevent the
adverse effects on human communities resulting from a decrease in food availability determined by climatic variations,
both contrasting phenomena that would make stay difficult to the human communities, such as changes in the
microclimate, floods, landslides, decreased availability or contamination of water resources.
Complementary and indispensable for exposed, is the proper water management, both by improving their
use, both by preventing contamination.
Experimentally, at this time, the C.I.F.A. (Bellinzona, Switzerland), together with the Montevenda
Engineering International Association (Lugano, Switzerland), the State University of Bolvar (Guaranda, Ecuador) and
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the Parliament of the Mediterranean/Environment Agency, are working together to launch a campaign first diagnostic
and environmental recovery of the Province of Bolvar (Ecuador), where deforestation and unsuitable farming
techniques, over the past five centuries, have produced the destruction of the original high altitude wood (now become
Paramo), the loss of soil fertility with an intense erosion, problems of toxicological and general health of the inhabitants
for resurgence of ancient volcanic ash of Chimborazo with absorption of heavy metals through food and through the
waters.

Figure 4 Town of Guaranda and Chimborazo Volcan (Ecuador)

The animus of what we call Guaranda Project is to make an initial testing of diagnostic techniques and
environmental recovery on a large scale to extend, through a collaborative international activities, to other regions and
countries with problems of recovery of agriculture, biodiversity and climate.

Lugano, June 13, 2015

CIFA - International Committe for Research and Study on Environmental Factors
Gualtiero A.N. Valeri General Secretary
Via Lugano, 4 - 6500 Bellinzona (CH)
Mobile +41/78/824.26.22 (CH) - +39/349/7606.202 (IT) - +593/969/137.685 (EC)
e-mail: valeri@cifafondation.org
Web: www.cifafondation.org

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