EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, VOL. 9,395 (1984)

BOOK REVIEW SOIL EROSION, Dusan Zachar, VEDA (Bratislava) in co- edition with Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam, 1982. No. of pages: 548. ISBN 0 444 99725 3.

The barriers of language and accessibility which sep- arate East and West make it doubly difficult for the free exchange of scientific information and ideas to occur between the two areas. The simultaneous publication of an English translation of Zachar’s text on Soil Erosion (by Elsevier) together with the original Czechoslovakian edition (by VEDA) is therefore to be warmly welcomed, since it permits Western earth scientists immediate access to this new work. Professor Zachar provides us with a systematic treatment of the research methodology and results of soil erosion studies in Eastern Europe, sum- marizing a large number of original papers written in Czechoslovakian, German, Russian, Hungarian and Romanian. Whilst the work does not neglect Western literature, particularly American studies, it is clear that its main value will be to provide information that would, most likely, have otherwise remained unknown or inac- cessible to earth scientists in the West, unless their linguistic skills were very broad indeed.

The book contains only five chapters, a small number considering its length 548 pages including the index. This is mainly explained by the large number of excellent photographs which have been incorporated into the text, and which are one of the most important and successful features. The first, short chapter is concerned with ‘Basic Terminology’, and sets the taxonomic style for the rest of the book. Chapter Two involves a lengthy ‘Classification of Soil Erosion’, including sections on erosive agents, forms of erosion, removal rates, and a classification of eroded soil and sediments. The text becomes almost pedantic as the author seeks to be all-inclusive in his coverage. To experienced soil scientists the second chapter will appear over-long and simplistic in many places; however, as a definition and classification of soil erosion phenomena, the chapter does provide a useful intro- ductory structure, a factor which Professor Zachar clearly feels is a necessary prerequisite to the later information contained in Chapter Four.

The third chapter entitled ‘Problems and Methods of Soil Erosion Research’, deals with a whole gamut of research methodology, with respect to topics such as the intensity and distribution of soil erosion, the effect of erosion on the soil, the susceptibility of soil to erosion, and the outcome of erosion control measures (although there is little on soil conservation, since a further work is planned to cover this topic). The subject matter of the erosion research described includes surveying, clima- tology (including rainfall simulation), ‘pedological’ methods (soil erodibility), hydrology, biogeography, photogrammetry, morphological mapping, and empirical

modelling. Once again there is profuse photographic illustration throughout the chapter, and examples are drawn widely from around the world. The approach is noticeably more quantitative than in Chapter Two, al- though it is disappointingly lacking in the technical details of field and laboratory research, and many references are described as ‘useful’ without detailed results being offered. Once again the chapter is all-inclusive, but remains at a somewhat general level.

Chapter Four provides information on ‘factors and conditions governing soil erosion and erosion processes’. The chapter is typically comprehensive and does contain much that is useful and specific. The Universal Soil Loss Equation is explained in some detail, for example; the procedural information provided is in fact much fuller than in most textbooks. Other predictive equations, particularly many derived in Eastern Europe, are also explained in great detail, and a large amount of useful data from Eastern soil research stations is provided. Whilst it may be difficult to judge the reliability of the tabulated results (this is perhaps equally true of field experiments generally, regardless of their county of origin), it is particularly valuable that such results have been made available in an intelligible and organized form.

The fifth chapter considers the distribution of soil erosion globally, continent by continent. As one might expect, the coverage is partial, certain areas being only sketchily described. Even so, the format is a useful one providing a global review which is not usually present in most modem soil erosion textbooks. The information on Eastern Europe and Asia (particularly USSR) is notable, although other regions such as Western Europe and Africa have only the most cursory summary.

Professor Zachar’s text provides a very mixed coverage of the topic of ‘Soil Erosion’: it tries to cover too great a range perhaps, from basic introductory information, to the most technical results. The organization of the book, particularly its pedantic classificatory approach, and the almost complete separation of research methodology and results, will not suit all readers. However, the textbook does have some value in providing an organized introduc- tion to soil erosion studies, particularly given the large number of photographs which have been used. Mostly, however, the text provides us in the West with much useful information on the problems, approaches and, particu- larly in Chapter Four, the results of soil erosion studies undertaken in Eastern Europe, and it is for this reason that it will find its way on to library bookshelves, although I suspect that rather fewer ‘individuals’ will feel the need to acquire a copy.

TIM BURT Department of Geography

Huddersfield Polytechnic

0 1984 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.