PowerPoint - Soil Conservation Methods
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Transcript of PowerPoint - Soil Conservation Methods
SOIL CONSERVATION
Form 2
Objectives
• Define the terms – soil erosion – soil conservation
• Recognize signs of soil erosion
• Discuss methods of soil conservation
• Say why it is important to conserve soil
Key Terms
• Soil erosion - removal of topsoil faster than the soil forming processes can replace it, due to natural, animal, and human activity (over grazing, over cultivation, forest clearing, mechanized farming, etc.).
• Soil conservation - the prevention or reduction of soil erosion and soil depletion by protective measures against water and wind damage
Signs of Soil Erosion
• Muddy water• shallow furrows• gullies• dams filled with mud• uneven growth• bare ground• deep cattle tracks• standing stones• uncovered roots• dust clouds• walls splashed with mud
Soil Conservation Methods
• Terracing
• Contour Ploughing
• Contour Strip Cropping
• Cover Crop
• Windbreaks
Terracing
• Building up walls of land (that resemble steps) to counter the effect of a mountain slope leaving uniform flat surfaces to plant on.
Contour ploughing
• A method of ploughing parallel to the contours rather than up or down a slope
• each furrow acts as a dam preventing water flowing downhill
• plants are planted along contours
Contour Strip Cropping
• alternate strips of crops are planted along contours of sloping hillsides
Cover Crops & Windbreaks
• Cover crops– reduces force with
which rain drops hit ground (splash effect)
• Windbreaks– belts of trees and
bushes to break the force of the wind
Importance of Soil Conservation
• Soil erosion results in land infertility and leads to desertification and devastating flooding.
Recap
• How many of these questions can you answer?1) The washing away of the Earth's topsoil is
known as ____________.
2) ____________ refers to protective measures for reducing soil erosion & depletion.
3) Three soil protective measures are ______, ________ & _______.
Information Sources include:
• http://pdsblogs.org/pdsapes812/2012/03/05/soil-degradation-and-conservation-scribe-post/