land productivity

Urbanization imperils agriculture by converting farmland into uncultivable impervious surfaces and other uses that limit land productivity. Despite the considerable loss of productive croplands due to historic urbanization in the United States, little is known about the locations and magnitudes of extant agricultural land still under threat of future urban expansion.

Coastal lands are often affected by salinization, which leads to a deterioration of soil structure and a decrease in land productivity. As a widely used soil amendment, biochar has been proven to improve poor soil properties and promote crop growth and N adsorption and utilization.

Gasoline is the primary fuel used in small cars, and the exhaust emissions from gasoline combustion have a significant impact on the atmosphere. Efforts to clean up gasoline have therefore focused primarily on reducing the olefin and sulfur content of gasoline, while maintaining as much of the octane content as possible.

Soil salinization is considered a type of global-scale soil degradation, whereby excessive salinity severely diminishes soil health, which is primarily manifested through disrupted soil structures and reduced fertility. Furthermore, plant growth capacity is inhibited, and productivity is diminished.