SLM Technology Groups

The UNCCD Science-Policy Interface’s report on sustainable land management undertook a review of initiatives, databases, and literature on SLM, and identified more than one hundred individual SLM technologies and fourteen overarching SLM technology groups from around the world. 

The UNCCD Science-Policy Interface’s report on sustainable land management undertook a review of initiatives, databases, and literature on SLM, and identified more than one hundred individual SLM technologies and fourteen overarching SLM technology groups from around the world. 

The fourteen SLM technology groups illustrate the potential to avoid, reduce, and/or reverse land degradation and desertification for particular land use types. The report found that IPCC too had highlighted many of the technology groups as important adaptation and mitigation options.  

This list below provides further information on the different SLM technologies: 

Afforestation/Reforestation 

Afforestation is the planting of trees or forest cover on land which historically did not contain forests, and reforestation is the planting of trees or forest cover on land which previously contained forest that was converted to another land use (WOCAT glossary). The technology is applied to forest/woodland, or to other land use types, where it involves reclaiming or reserving an area of land to restore or convert to forest land.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), afforestation/reforestation is an effective technology to reverse land degradation and rehabilitate degraded land, and is an effective climate change mitigation strategy. Changes in land use through afforestation could lead to a gradual accumulation of soil organic Carbon (SOC), although this depends on the previous land use type and the species and planting techniques. High SOC accumulation is most likely when converting from cropland or when restoring severely degraded land.

Other potential benefits from afforestation/reforestation include an increase in above- and below-ground biomass accumulation and biodiversity (especially when mixed tree species are used), soil erosion control, and improved ecosystem functions and services, such as soil and water conservation, and often aesthetic and cultural services.

Find examples of best practices in afforestation/reforestation cited in the SPI report

Agroforestry

Agroforestry is the integration of trees with crops and/or animals within the same land unit, and includes agro-silviculture (crops and trees), silvo-pastoralim (pasture/animals and trees), and agro-silvo-pastoralism (crops, pasture/animals and trees). Agroforestry is a common land use system worldwide, and a great variety of systems and practices exist under different climatic conditions, from tropical to hyper-arid areas. Practices range from shifting cultivation to systems with varying densities of tree stands, and systems in which trees play a predominantly service role (such as windbreaks) to those in which they mainly provide commercial products.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), agroforestry has the potential to control soil erosion and improve productivity and soil structure. Forest cover in agroforestry systems could improve water retention and reduce nutrient losses. Agroforestry also has the potential to conserve soil fertility and functioning, while providing socio-economic benefits to land users through income generation opportunities and increased resilience to climate change. At the regional level, agroforestry could potentially increase carbon sequestration and therefore be a climate change mitigation strategy.

Find examples of best practices in agroforestry cited in the SPI report

Minimum soil disturbance

Minimum soil disturbance are actions that reduce the level of soil manipulation, for example by applying low soil disturbance to shallow depths or on small strips of land. This includes zero tillage (no-till), reduced (minimum) tillage, mulch tillage, ridge tillage and contour tillage, and also the practice of direct seeding. The technology can be applied to different land use types, including cropland.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), minimum soil disturbance is often implemented with the goal of maintaining or increasing soil fertility/quality, and can provide multiple co-benefits, such as reducing soil erosion and compaction, improving water availability and retention. In some cases, the technology has shown to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) storage, and could be considered a potential climate change mitigation option.

Find examples of best practices in minimum soil disturbance cited in the SPI report

Reducing deforestation

Reducing deforestation involves measures that aim to prevent or reduce the removal or clearance of a forest or stand of trees, or the conversion of forest land to non-forest land. The technology is applied to land with forest areas, such as forest/woodland.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), reducing deforestation is an effective climate change mitigation strategy, as it has a high potential to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The technology can provide other benefits, including protecting soil quality and preserving soil carbon stocks and biodiversity. Reducing deforestation also improves the livelihoods and resilience of forest-dependent communities.

Find examples of best practices in reducing deforestation cited in the SPI report

Soil erosion control

Soil erosion control is the prevention or control of wind or water erosion that leads to the detachment, transportation and re-deposition of soil particles and the loss of soil fertility. Soil erosion control can be used on different land use types, such as cropland and forest/woodland. There are many approaches to reducing soil erosion, and most fall into one of three measures: 1) structural measures, such as bunds and stone walls; 2) vegetative measures, such as windbreaks and live hedges, and 3) combined or integrated measures, such as river bank stabilization.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), soil erosion control has a high potential to control on-site soil erosion and can provide co-benefits including improving yield/productivity and water availability and retention. In addition, vegetative measures that use perennial woody vegetation (shrubs and trees) or grasses could increase soil organic Carbon (SOC) and support carbon sequestration in woody biomass, and provide other co-benefits, such as increasing plant and terrestrial biodiversity.

Find examples of best practices in soil erosion control cited in the SPI report

Sustainable forest management (SFM)

Sustainable forest management (SFM) aims to responsibly manage natural and planted forests, and combines both forest productivity and forest conservation to sustainably increase benefits derived from forests and forest ecosystems. The technology is applied to land with forest areas, such as forest/woodland.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), SFM can provide socio-economic goods and services to communities who depend on the forest, such as income generation and employment opportunities, food, timber and non-timber products. SFM also helps to reduce forest vulnerability and maintain forest productivity. Specific management practices can also promote carbon sequestration, biodiversity, and soil and water conservation. The technology is an effective strategy to reduce land degradation and simultaneously contribute to climate change mitigation.

Find examples of best practices in sustainable forest management cited in the SPI report

Vegetation management

Vegetation management involves practices to manage vegetation (such as crops, forage, or timber) to improve its quality, quantity and very often, diversity, for example through the selection and management of plant and grassland species. Vegetation management also includes the management of invasive species, which could affect native diversity and the overall functioning of the ecosystem. The technology can be applied to several land use types, including cropland and grazing land.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), the benefits of using vegetation management could include improving soil structure, the potential to increase soil carbon, and soil erosion control. The technology can be combined with other sustainable land management technologies to promote synergies in addressing land degradation and climate change mitigation and adaptation.

Find examples of best practices in vegetation management cited in the SPI report

Water management

Water management is the management of water resources, including ground-, surface- and rain water, to promote efficient use and protect water resources from pollution and over-exploitation. This also includes the removal of excess water from the ground surface or from the root zone. Water management can be applied in many different ways, depending on the overall sustainable land management (SLM) objective, and includes the use of sustainable irrigation systems, water harvesting, and drainage. The technology can be applied to land use types where water resources are present, such as cropland and forest/woodland.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), water management can help to increase the soil’s capacity to receive, retain, release and transmit water, and can reduce soil erosion. Improving water quality and use efficiency can be seen as both a climate change adaptation and a mitigation measure. For example, sustainable irrigation systems in arid and semi-arid conditions could be considered an adaptation strategy for drought and could also lead to water and financial savings.

Find examples of best practices in water management cited in the SPI report

Agro-pastoralism

Agro-pastoralism is the integration of crop production and livestock production, and is practiced amongst settled, nomadic, and transhumant communities. The type of livestock kept by agro-pastoralists varies according to culture, climate, environment, natural resource availability, and geographical area, and includes cattle, camels, goats, sheep, yaks, horses, llamas, alpacas, reindeer and vicunas.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), agro-pastoralism is a climate change mitigation option. Depending on land suitability, stocking density, and other factors, it has the potential to improve productivity, reduce soil erosion, and improve nutrient and water use efficiency. Agro-pastoralism could also indirectly enhance resilience and land-based climate change mitigation by reducing grazing pressures elsewhere.

Find examples of best practices in agro-pastoralism cited in the SPI report

Animal waste management

Animal waste management is the proper collection, handling, storage, and utilization of waste generated from animals (manure and urine), with the aim of recycling as much of the collected material as possible. The technology is mainly used in land involving livestock production, such as grazing land.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), animal waste that has been carefully treated and managed can be used to improve soil fertility and productivity, and reduce nutrient losses.

Find examples of best practices in animal waste management cited in the SPI report

Fire, pest, and diseases control

Fire, pest, and diseases control are measures that manage, prevent, or control fire, pests, and diseases, with the aim of reducing their negative effects on land, vegetation, and ecosystems. This sustainable land management (SLM) technology can be applied to several land use types, including cropland and forest/woodland.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), controlling pests and diseases reduces crop/vegetation losses and the spread of outbreaks, thus potentially preserving biodiversity. Managing wildfires reduces forest degradation and preserves biodiversity, and can be a highly important climate change mitigation strategy for forests/woodlands. In certain forest types, such as boreal forests and some types of conifer forests, a certain amount of (controlled) fire can reduce the risk of wildfire and support the maintenance of the forest structure, function, and plant and animal composition.

Find examples of best practices in fire, pest, and diseases control cited in the SPI report

Forest restoration

Forest restoration supports the recovery or restoration of a degraded forest, with the aim to re-establish the forest structure and its ecological functioning, biodiversity, and productivity levels. The technology is applied to land with forest areas, such as forest/woodland. There are three different approaches that can be used to restore a degraded forest: 1) restoration, 2) rehabilitation, and 3) reclamation. The three approaches differ in the extent to which they enable the original biodiversity to be regained, but they all seek to establish a productive and stable new land use:

Restoration, where the intent is to return an ecosystem as close as possible to its original state. The site then contains most of the original plant and animal species, and has a structure and productivity similar to what originally existed.
Rehabilitation, which is used to enhance environmental services, with a focus on the provision of goods and services, rather that ecosystem integrity. In this regard, the main objective is to regain the original productivity or structure, but not all of the original biodiversity.
Reclamation, which is used for situations where productivity or structure is regained, but biodiversity is not. Under reclamation, there are few, if any, benefits to landscape biodiversity, but there may be social or economic advantages or functional gains, such as improved watershed protection.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), forest restoration has the potential to reverse land degradation through restoration or rehabilitation of degraded land. It can be a climate change mitigation strategy, and could provide other co-benefits, including increasing forest productivity, biodiversity, and carbon sequestration. It provides aesthetic and socio-cultural benefits, such as the potential to improve the livelihoods and resilience of forest-dependent communities.

Find examples of SLM best practices in forest restoration cited in the SPI report

Grazing pressure management

Grazing pressure management assess the maximum livestock population that a habitat or ecosystem can support on a sustainable basis (the carrying capacity), to ensure that resources such as vegetation, soil, and water, are not damaged, degraded, or depleted. The technology is applied mainly on land involving livestock production (e.g. grazing land), and is common in arid and semi-arid regions where livestock are primarily dependent on grazing resources for feed supply.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), grazing pressure management can prevent soil erosion and deterioration. Depending on the livestock density, grazing frequency, and management practices, grazing pressure management could also improve soil carbon dynamics.

Find examples of SLM best practices in grazing pressure management cited in the SPI report

Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM)

Integrated soil fertility management (ISFM) is a set of soil fertility management practices that aim to optimize nutrient use efficiency and improve crop productivity. WOCAT describes ISFM as a technology that "is based on three principles: maximizing the use of organic sources of fertilizer; minimizing the loss of nutrients; and judiciously using inorganic fertilizer according to needs and economic availability” (WOCAT glossary). ISFM can be use different land use types, such as cropland and grazing land.

Benefits

According to the report on sustainable land management (SLM) by the UNCCD Science-Policy Interface (SPI), ISFM practices that combine the use of chemical and organic sources of fertilizer, such as livestock manure, can moderately improve soil quality and could provide other benefits such as soil erosion control, water retention, and accumulation of soil organic Carbon (SOC).

The report also indicated that ISFM practices that use plant-derived carbon from external sources, such as from composts and biochar, can be considered a land-based climate change mitigation option due to the ability to reduce Nitrogen losses and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and enable greater accumulation of SOC stocks. Another important benefit of ISFM is the protection and preservation of soil biodiversity, which is important for the efficient functioning of ecosystems and the services they provide, such as nutrient cycling.

Find examples of SLM best practices in ISFM cited in the SPI report