Soil Conservation

What should you know by the end Why is soil conservation important? What caused the Great Dust Bowl? What steps can we take to mitigate soil erosion? What steps can we take to prevent soil from losing its fertility?

Introduction Prairie soil = very fertile Rich in humus because of the tall grass Sod=thick mass of tough roots at the surface of the soil. Sod keeps soil in place and holds onto moisture. Prairies cover Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Nebraska, and North and South Dakota. Farms growing crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat have replaced prairies.

The Value of Soil Natural resource=anything in the environment that humans use. Earth’s natural resources? Timber, minerals, oil, air, water, etc… Soil is one of Earth’s most valuable natural resources, Why? Plants depend on soil to live and grow. Humans and animals depend on plants-or on other animals that depend on plants-for food. Fertile soil is in limited supply = not much land for farming. Takes a long time for soil to form. Why? – Talk to partner

Soil Damage and Loss Human activities and changes in the environment can affect the soil. The value of soil is reduced when soil loses its fertility and when topsoil is lost due to erosion.

Loss of Fertility Soil that has lost its fertility is said to be exhausted. Soil loss occurred in the South in the late 1800’s. Soils in which only cotton had been grown were exhausted. George Washington Carver developed new crops and farming methods that helped restore soil fertility in the south. Peanuts were used to help make the soil fertile again. Peanut plants are legumes. Legumes have small lumps on their roots that contain nitrogen-fixing bacteria. Nitrogen is an important nutrient for plants.                         

Loss of Topsoil Whenever soil is exposed, water and wind can quickly erode it. Plant cover can protect soil from erosion. Plants break the force of falling rain, and plant roots hold the soil together. Wind is another cause of soil loss. Wind erosion can occur in areas with dry conditions.

The Dust Bowl Great Plains = farmers settled there because of available fertile soil. Region has 8-year drought 1931-1939. Plowing removed the grass from the Great Plains and exposed the soil. In times of drought, the topsoil dried out and turned to dust and blew away.

The Dust Bowl By 1930, almost all of the Great Plains had been turned into farms or ranches. Long drought turned the soil to dust. The wind blew the soil east in great, black clouds Dust Bowl ruined farmland in parts of the Great Plains. Dust Bowl helped people realize the value of soil. Farmers adopted new methods to help save soil. Dust Bowl occurred during the Great Depression

Soil Conservation Since the Dust Bowl, farmers have adopted modern methods of soil conservation Soil conservation = management of soil to prevent its destruction. Soil can be conserved by: Contour plowing Conservation plowing Crop rotation

Contour Plowing Contour plowing=farmers plow their fields along the curves of a slope. This helps slow the runoff of excess rainfall and prevents it from washing the soil away. http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=06d988f6f73518b7ab35

Conservation Plowing In conservation plowing, farmers disturb the soil and its plant cover as little as possible. Dead weeds and stalks of the previous year’s crop are left in the ground to help return soil nutrients, retain moisture, and hold soil in place. Also called: low-till or no-till plowing.

Crop Rotation Crop rotation-a farmer plants different crops in a field each year. Different types of plants absorb different amounts of nutrients from the soil. Corn and cotton-absorb large amounts of nutrients. Year after planting these crops, farmer plants crops that use fewer nutrients, such as oats, barley, or rye. The year after that the farmer sows legumes such as alfalfa or beans to restore the nutrient supply.

Why is soil conservation important? Soil provides the nutrients need to grow crops and plants Plants depend on soil to live and grow Humans and animals depend on plants to live Limited supply Soil takes along time to create

What caused the Great Dust Bowl? Plowing removed the grass Drought occurred, turning soil into dust

What steps can we take to mitigate soil erosion? Cover landscape with plants, roots hold soil in place Plant trees to break up wind Contour plowing Conservation plowing (Stalks other residue left on field prevent wind and water from eroding soil

What step can we take to prevent soil from losing its fertility? Crop rotation Year 1 Corn ( Uses lots of nutrients in soil) Year 2 oats , barley, rye ( uses less nutrients) Year 3 the legumes (Peanuts,, alfalfa, beans - add nutrients back to soil) Conservation plowing (Stalks other residue left on field to decompose and add nutrients back to soil)