Soil Conservation

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Soil Conservation
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How do we use the land to change the land?

• Mining rocks and minerals are removed from the
  ground for profit by one of two methods surface
  or sub-surface mining
• Agriculture crops, pastures for animals
• Development the construction of homes, offices,
  stores, roads etc.

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Why is soil so valuable?

• Soil is used by everything that lives on land,
  either directly or indirectly
• provides minerals and other nutrients for plants
• all animals get their energy from plants by
  either eating them or eating animals that have
  eaten plants

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Why is soil so valuable?

• - provides a habitat for animals
• - stores water for plants
• - keeps water from running off, flowing
  elsewhere and possibly causing flooding

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How can soil be lost or damaged?

• 1. Exhausted lose fertility because crops are
  planted year after year
• 2. Polluted mining, chemical spills, HUMANS
• 3. Desertification without plants to hold and
  cycle water, an area can become a desert
• 4. Erosion wind (dust bowl), water (rain)

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Pollution
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Soil Erosion (Rain)
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Wind Erosion Dust Bowl
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What is soil conservation?

• Soil conservation is a method to maintain the
  fertility of the soil by protecting the soil from
  erosion and nutrient loss.

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1. Contour Plowing plowing fields along curves
of slopes to prevent water erosion
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2. Terracingchanges one steep field into several
smaller fields to prevent water erosion.
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3. No-till farmingdead weeds and stalks are left
in the ground from year to year to prevent wind /
water erosion
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4. Crop Rotationplant different crops in a field
from year to year to slow nutrient depletion.
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5. Cover Cropscrops that are planted between
harvests to replace certain nutrients and prevent
erosion. (George Washington Carver urged farmers
to use this method.)
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What can YOU do to conserve soil?

• Provide Ground Cover (plants, pine straw, mulch)
• Water the soil (not too wet but do not keep dry)
• Build Retaining walls