1. Soil Conservation Kim Lachler 2011 NCES: 6.E.2.3 &2.4

2. Soil is important  Without soil plants can not grow  Plants provide us food and oxygen

3. Terms Terms  Weathering  The breaking down of rock  Erosion  The movement of sediment  Deposition  The sediment being laid down

4. Causes of erosion  Steep slopes  Little vegetation  Water  Wind  Humans

5. Human causes  Agriculture  Topsoil erodes when crops are removed and fields are left without plants  The nutrients get depleted from the same crops being grown year after year.

6. Human causes  Forest Harvesting (cutting down trees)  Exposes the soil  In tropical forest  Trees are removed for farming and grazing  The soil is thin and the topsoil does not last long

7. Human causes  Overgrazing  Livestock are left on the same field too long  They eat all the vegetation leaving the soil exposed.

8. Human causes  Strip mining  Leaves rock exposed  Topsoil is discarded

9. Human causes  Construction  Top soil is removed  Plants are removed

10. Affects of erosion  Topsoil loss  Poor/no plant growth  Sediment running into streams and drinking water

11. Methods to prevent soil erosion  No-till farming  The stacks of the crop are left over winter  New crops are planted without tilling the stocks under

12. Methods to prevent soil erosion  Contour Farming  Plant on the natural relief of the land

13. Methods to prevent soil erosion  Terracing  On steep slopes “stair” are carved out to slow down water run-off

14. Methods to prevent soil erosion  Cover crop  Planting a winter crop  Not only reduces erosion but using the right plants can put nutrients back into the soil

15. Methods to prevent soil erosion  Pasture rotation  Livestock graze on a field for a short period.  They are moved to a different field to give time for the other field to recover.

16. Methods to prevent soil erosion  Responsible construction  Water down soil so it doesn’t blow off or run off  Use silt nets to catch eroding soil  Plant new plants when finished

17. Methods to prevent soil erosion  Controlled strip mining  Each layer when removed is set aside  Layer are put back in the correct order when finished mining  Plants are planted

18. Methods to prevent soil erosion  Use sidewalks  Doesn’t create “cow paths” which exposes soil.

19. Bibliography  Glencoe  Soil conservation, Google Images, googleimages.com, accessed 11/26/11  Soil erosion, Google Images, googleimages.com, accessed 11/26/11  grazing, Google Images, googleimages.com, accessed 11/26/11  Strip mining, Google Images, googleimages.com, accessed 11/26/11  construction, Google Images, googleimages.com, accessed 11/26/11  No till farming, Google Images, googleimages.com, accessed 11/26/11  Pasture rotation Google Images, googleimages.com, accessed 11/26/11  covering, Google Images, googleimages.com, accessed 11/26/11  Sidewalk, Google Images, googleimages.com, accessed 11/26/11  Cow path, Google Images, googleimages.com, accessed 11/26/11