The future of our species is currently being threatened by three main environmental issues: global warming, overpopulation, and soil erosion and desertification. This text addresses the third issue. Worldwide, an area equivalent to 36 football fields is lost every minute due to erosion and desertification processes; in many places this loss never recovers again. This book provides the knowledge needed to successfully stabilize any situation in which soil erosion has occurred or is occurring, returning the land to a natural and/or productive state. This book is intended for use by anyone dealing with natural resources management, alterations in the soil-water-plant relationship, or the application of engineering principles to restore eroded or altered land ? that is, researchers, professors, students, consultants, and other professionals. Available in English and Spanish, this book is used as a required text for undergraduate, graduate, and short courses focused on soil conservation, erosion/sediment control, and land restoration practices in many countries worldwide. By purchasing this book, you are contributing to the SOIL Fund of the International Erosion Control Association, which provides worldwide resources for land restoration projects that benefit poor communities.