SBR-9512111 Peter Lindert, University of California at Davis This project is an extention to Indonia of current NSF-sponsored research into the soil history of China. This work is motivated by the rising concern voiced in many Asian countries about the loss of productive agricultural lands. Up to now the evidence has been sporadic and anecdotal. There is no historically-based evidence using agreed upon scientific criteria to evaluate properly what has been happening to soil in this quickly growing area of the world. This project promises a quantum leap in our understanding of trends in soil loss and its affects on agricultural productivity. The primary data consists of thousands of soil samples taken between the 1920's and the 1980's in both China and Indonesia. By statistically comparing the recent and early soil data, the P.I. aims to determine the sustainability of agriculture in the twm countries.
