Role of soil multifunctionality in future sustainable agricultural development

摘要

Soils represent a considerable part of the natural resources of Hungary. Consequently, rational land use and proper soil management - to guarantee normal soil functions - are important elements of sustainable (agricultural) development, having special importance both in the national economy and in environment protection. The main soil functions in the biosphere are as follows: conditionally renewable natural resource; reactor, transformer and integrator of the combined influences of other natural resources (solar radiation, atmosphere, surface and subsurface waters, biological resources), site of "sphere interactions"; medium for biomass production, primary food-source of the biosphere; storage of heat, water, plant nutrients and - in some specialcases - wastes; high capacity buffer medium, which may prevent or moderate the unfavourable consequences of various environmental stresses; natural filter and detoxication system, which may protect the deeper geological formations and the subsurface waters from various pollutants; significant gene reservoir, an important element of biodiversity; servator of natural and human heritages.