Amazonian Dark Earths: Wim Sombroek's Vision

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Amazonian soils are almost universally thought of as extremely forbidding. However, it is now clear that complex societies with large, sedentary populations were present for over a millennium before European contact. Associated with these are tracts of anomalously fertile, dark soils termed terra preta or dark earths. These soils are presently an important agricultural resource within Amazonia and provide a model for developing long-term future sustainability of food production in tropical environments. The late Dutch soil scientist Wim Sombroek (1934-2003) was instrumental in bringing the significance of these soils to the attention of the world over four decades ago.Wim saw not only the possibilities of improving the lives of small holders throughout the world with simple carbon based soil technologies, but was an early proponent of the positive synergies also achieved in regards to carbon sequestration and global climatic change abatement. Wim s vision was to form a multidisciplinary group whose members maintained the ideal of open collaboration toward the attainment of shared goals. Always encouraged and often shaped by Wim, this free association of international scholars termed the Terra Preta Nova Group came together in 2001 and has flourished. This effort has been defined by enormous productivity. Wim who is never far from any of our minds and hearts, would have loved to share the great experience of seeing the fruits of his vision as demonstrated in this volume.

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Amazonian Dark Earths: Wim Sombroek’s Vision William I. Woods • Wenceslau G. Teixeira, Johannes Lehmann • Christoph Steiner, Antoinette WinklerPrins • Lilian Rebellato Editors Amazonian Dark Earths: Wim Sombroek’s Vision Editors William I. Woods Department of Geography University of Kansas KS, USA [email protected] Christoph Steiner Biorefining and Carbon Cycling Program Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering GA, USA [email protected] Wenceslau G. Teixeira Embrapa Amazônia Ocidental Rodovia, Brazil [email protected] Lilian Rebellato Department of Geography University of Kansas Lawrence, KS, USA [email protected] Johannes Lehmann Department of Crop and Soil Sciences Cornell University, Ithaca NY, USA [email protected] ISBN 978-1-4020-9030-1 e-ISBN 978-1-4020-9031-8 Library of Congress Control Number: 2008933381 © 2009 Springer Science + Business Media B.V. No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher, with the exception of any material supplied specifically for the purpose of being entered and executed on a computer system, for exclusive use by the purchaser of the work. Logo on back cover: Symbol of the Terra Preta Nova group designed by Wim Sombroek. Picture on front cover: Wim examining a house garden on the Rio Negro, July 2002. Printed on acid-free paper 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 springer.com Dr Wim G. Sombroek He had a passion for land as we know Fueled by the Amazon where jungles grow A flame that didn’t flicker or even go out His last endeavour Terra Preta still t
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