Soil Erosion

What do trees do to soil? Tree roots are in the soil. The roots help to keep soil in place. When the trees are in the soil, the soil does not move easily

If trees are cut down, what happens to the soil? The soil becomes ‘loose’. It is more easily moved

How can soil be moved? Rain and wind can move soil

Wind can move soil on top of the ground

When rain hits the ground, it can loosen soil. Then, when rain flows on top of the ground, it can carry some soil with it

What kinds of things are in soil? Chemicals and elements in soil are called nutrients

Two common elements in soil are Nitrogen (N) and Phosphorus (P) Where do these elements go? Some of these elements are absorbed by tree roots

Nutrients are absorbed by tree roots

What happens to these elements when trees are cut down? The elements stay in the soil. Until….Rain and wind come..

If the nutrients go too deep, things will not be able to grow in the soil because the roots cannot reach the nutrients. The soil loses its fertility.

When rain comes into the ground, it carries or dissolves the nutrients in the soil If nutrients are brought further down in the ground, what happens to the quality of the soil?

The soil loses fertility

Where else can the nutrients go? Nutrients can also be carried by rain and by water underground. Nutrients can be carried across instead of down

Where do the nutrients go then? Nutrients can be carried all the way into rivers, lakes and streams

What happens to the lakes if the Nitrogen and Phosphorus get carried into them? Here is a hint…What things do we know like Nitrogen and Phosphorus Algae and plants can begin to grow in lakes

Algae can grow very quickly and start to take over water Algae can take up oxygen from lakes. Then what happens to fish?

If too much algae grows, fish can die and water can so nutrient rich that it becomes contaminated Water can become undrinkable, unusable to use to wash with or swim in