Soil

Problems For and Caused By Humans

Proper6es humans look for in soil
Top soil
Nutrient rich soil layer, millimeters to meters deep Contains a mix of organic ma@er and minerals Renewable when replenished and cared for properly Currently, thousands of acres bare due to erosion, nutrient deciency, over6llage, and misuse

Arable: soil suitable/fer6le for plant growth

Fer6lity refers to soils ability to provide essen6al nutrients: N, K, and P Humus also important b/c its rich in organic ma@er

Loamy soil
Composed of same amount of clay, silt, sand

Ability to aggregate (clump)

Best soils are aggregates of dierent soil types bound together by

 Tillage Repeated plowing

Breaks down soil aggregates leaving plow pan or hard pan (hard, unfer6le soil) Increases soil erosion It is done b/c it is thought to increase soil nutrients Today, narrow chisel plows are used that leave 75% of crop residue on surface and open up only a thin ridge for seeds No-6ll methods are benecial
Opening up Earth to plant new seeds

Pierce seeds through ground cover without opening up a seam in the earth Keeps soil in place and prevents erosion

 Monoculture
Plan6ng of just one type of crop in large area Decrease in gene6c diversity of crop species
Lack of gene6c varia6on=increased suscep6bility to pests and diseases Consistent plan6ng of one plant in area LEACHES soil of specic nutrients needed for plant growth

Preven6on Method: CROP ROTATION

Dierent crops are planted in growing area in each growing season

Machinery
Large machines Agriculture industry is a huge consumer of energy
Energy is consumed by:
Produc6on of pes6cides Produc6on of Fer6lizers Use of fossil fuels to power farm machinery

 Green Revolu<on=boom in agricultural produc6vity

Industrial revolu6on mechaniza6on of farming increase world wide agricultural produc6vity in last 50 years of =detrimental to environment Drawbacks
Increase in irriga6on = Over irrigated soils= SALINIZATION Soil becomes water logged and when it dries out, salt forms a layer on the surface, which leads to land-degrada<on Drip irriga'on is one way scien6sts have started comba6ng problem Allots area only necessary amounts of water Water delivered straight to roots Chemical pes6cides=new insect species that are pes6cide-resistant Recently GM plants are helping solve pes6cide problem

Soil Erosion
Bare soil=soil in which no plants are growing Erosion: normal and natural process

More suscep6ble to erosion than soil covered by organic ma@er Constant movement of wind and water on Earths surface Drawbacks:
Removes valuable top soil Over 25 billion tons of soil lost due to wind and water erosion Erosion can lead to DESERTIFICATION Deposits soil in undesirable places (i.e. bodies of water)

Causes

Farmers need healthy soil for plan6ng Humans rely on water uncontaminated water for drinking/living Soil can contaminate water with pes6cides and other harmful chemical

Deforesta6on

Over-cul6va6on of agricultural elds Overgrazing Urbaniza6on ***All of these will con6nue to make ARABLE land for farmers hard to nd ***New techniques must be u6lized to preserve the integrity of the soil

logging and slash-and-burn Plants anchor in O and A horizons of soil Removal of plants make soil suscep6ble to erosion

Eects of Erosion
Top soil blown away by wind or washed away by rainfall Weakened land Leads to
Downstream ooding Reduced water quality Increased river and lake sedimenta6on Build up of silt in reservoirs and naviga6on channels Dust storms Air pollu6on Health issues
Allergies Eye infec6ons Upper respiratory problems

Soil Conserva6on
Several management prac6ces u6lized to conserve soil resources
1. Return organic ma@er to soil 2. Slow down eects of wind 3. Reduce amount of damage done to soil by 6llage (plowing)

Examples:
Use animal waste and the residue of plants to increase the amount of organic material in soil Modify 6llage prac6ces to reduce the breakup of soil and reduce the amount of erosion (contour plowing and strip plan6ng) Use trees and other wind barriers to reduce forces of winds

Soil conserva6on
Contour plan<ng Strip farming
Plant across a hillside (instead of up and down), slows run o Plan6ng alterna6ng crops in strips across land In combina6on with contour plan6ng, this slows erosion Similar to strip farming Land is shapedlevel ridges of land are created to hold water and soil in place More expensive and 6me consuming but allows cul6va6on on steep grades and increases sustainability (this is how rice is grown in Asia) Coee and tea Plants that grow during several seasons Do not have to harvested yearly AND hold soil longer Ground cover plants (alfalfa) hold and protect soil from erosion if planted right aier ini6al harvest

Terracing

Perennial plant growing

Soil Laws
1977 Soil and Water Conserva<on Act
Soil and water conserva6on programs to aid landowners and users Sets up condi6ons to con6nue evalua6ng the condi6on of the US soil, water and related resources Discouraged conversion of wetlands to non-wetlands 1990 federal legisla6on denied federal farm supplements to those who converted wetlands to agriculture Provided restora6on of benets to those who unknowingly converted lands to wetlands

1984 Food Security Act Swampbuster Act