Could sell or use the volcanic ash for Roman Concrete or Geopolymer Concrete?
Topsoil takes forever to create. What is the relation between glaciation and topsoil?
FWIU planting a monoculture of trees in the Gobi desert to reverse desertification has not been as successful as planting complete grassland and then forest ecosystems and trees.
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37590409#37623093
Water bunds look like they work to prevent water from flashing off, but probably initially disturb the mycorrhizae in the topsoil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semicircular_bund
"Inoculating soil with mycorrhizal fungi can increase plant yield: study" (2024) https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=38526579#38527264
https://westurner.github.io/hnlog/#story-36158663 Ctrl-F "soil" [depletion], myco