Soil System Status, Threats, Utilization Pattern, and Sustainable Management Strategies in the Global South: Overview of the Agriculture Soils in Maghreb Countries

Soil plays a crucial role in the functioning of land ecosystems and is essential for meeting both human and terrestrial needs. It provides a wide range of functions and ecosystem services, such as biomass production, carbon storage, flood mitigation, physical support for infrastructure, regulation of pests and diseases, and filtering of nutrients and contaminants. However, it is important to recognize that soil is a non-renewable and finite resource. The increasing pressures caused by rapid population expansion and escalating consumption are deeply concerning. In the Mediterranean regions of the global south, soils face numerous challenges that threaten their productivity and long-term sustainability. These challenges include soil degradation leading to a decrease in soil organic matter, loss of biodiversity, erosion, acidification, desertification, and salinization, which result in severe soil damage. To address these issues, it is of utmost importance to adopt a long-term perspective and implement sustainable management strategies to ensure the preservation and wise management of this invaluable resource for future generations. This chapter aims to achieve three key objectives: (a) provide an up-to-date evaluation of the current state of soil in the global south, with a specific focus on the Maghreb countries’ agricultural soil (Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria); (b) identify and analyze the major threats facing these soils, including erosion, desertification, and human expansion, and examine how these threats impact the provision of essential ecosystem services; (c) present a range of strategies for sustainable soil management that can effectively address these challenges and safeguard the long-term health and productivity of soils in the global south, particularly the Maghreb region.