Agricultural Soil Degradation in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

Abstract

Agricultural soil degradation is a global phenomenon that is expected to increase in the future due to agricultural intensification and climate change. In Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), after the Soviet Union fall, the impacts of agriculture on the ecosystems decreased. However, soil compaction, erosion, pollution and acidification are critical threats that hurt the environment. Unsustainable practices are responsible for increasing compaction, erosion, pollution and acidification. Often, they have dramatic impacts on water resources. The most important is the increased eutrophication in lakes and coastal areas. Nowadays, the Baltic sea is one of the most polluted seas in the world. Therefore, it is essential to halt the agriculture intensification in Baltic countries and establish more sustainable practices to reverse this trend. This book chapter aims to study the most important impacts of agriculture practices on soil degradation in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.