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Soil Conservation. Soil provides minerals and nutrients for plants. All animals get energy from plants, since all food chains start with plants as producers. Importance of Soil. Soil is full of many living things, such as bacteria, fungi, worms, insects and small mammals.
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Soil provides minerals and nutrients for plants. All animals get energy from plants, since all food chains start with plants as producers. Importance of Soil
Soil is full of many living things, such as bacteria, fungi, worms, insects and small mammals. Each one serves and important purpose. Soil is teaming with life!
Erosion Salinization Deforestation Degradation or depletion Desertification How soil is lost
Erosion is the process by which wind, water, gravity, or ice transport soil and sediment from one location to another. Soil unprotected by plant growth can be lost. Erosion
The accumulation of salts in soil is known as salinization. Common to parts of the world where rainfall is low. salinization
Clearing of trees from land area without replacing them is deforestation. Leaves soil exposed to erosion. Deforestation
When soil is overused it loses its nutrients. This is called land degradation. • This can happen from poor farming techniques, over mining, cutting trees or overgrazing. Land Degradation
Desertification is a process where land becomes more desert-like as a result of change in climate, prolonged drought, or human activity. Desertification
Soil Conservation is a method to maintain the fertility of soil by preventing erosion and the loss of nutrients. Soil Conservation
There are many ways that farmers help prevent erosion. We will focus on the physical measures. • Contour plowing • Terracing • No-till farming • Cover crops • Crop rotation Soil Conservation
Plowing across the slope of hills to prevent erosion. Contour Plowing
Changing one steep field into a series of small, flat fields. Terracing
No-till farming is a method of farming where the farmer harvests his crops without turning over the soil. No-till farming
Cover crops are crops that are planted between harvests to replace certain nutrients in the soil and prevent erosion. Cover crops
Rotating crops from one year to the next in order to slow down nutrient depletion. And reduce insect damage to crops. Crop rotation
How does soil quality affect us? How can we show good stewardship? So…