5.3.4: Soil Conservation

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9 Terms

1

95% of our food depends on soil

Need to prevent threats to food security + production

Need to reduce wind + water erosion + salinization

Need to manage nutrients + limit grazing

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2

Reduce Water Erosion

to reduce loss of fertile land

to reduce flooding, clogging of waterways, and pollution

Use vegetation to intercept rainfall

Use water catchment methods

Improve soil structure + water retention of soil to increase infiltration

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3

Water Capture Methods

Terracing: steps down a hill

Furrow Diking: furrows (trenches) with ridges

Contour Ploughing: plowing down a slope along its natural contour

Strip Cropping: alternating crops between strips, follow contour of land

Buffer Strips: permanent vegetation at edges of fiels

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4

Methods to Improve Soil Structure + Infiltration

Manure: adds nutrients back to the soil (green manure, compost)

Mulch: improves infiltration + reduces evaporation

Conservation Tillage: leave last seasons crops to decompose into soil + protect from erosion

Avoid Compaction: move cattle around, use less machinery

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5

Tilling Methods

Conventional Tilling

  • loosens up soil structure

  • soil is aerated + moist

  • no weeds

  • leftover crops are plowed into soil

  • land is clear for debris

  • CONS: labor intensive, leaves soil exposed to erosion

Conservation Tilling

  • crop residue left to mulch

  • prevents erosion

  • reduced evaporation

  • increased infiltration

  • no till = no plowing

  • reduced labor

  • CONS: increased herbicide use, difficult to break from traditional practices

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6

Wind Erosion Reduction

Windbreaks

  • reduces velocity + captures soil

  • tall trees to break wind

Shelterbelts

  • creates habitat for birds + other tree dwellers

  • blocks of trees + shrubs at right angles to deflect wind/reduce velocity

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7

Salinization Reduction

Avoid overwatering (especially when hot)

Water plants at night to prevent evaporation

Improve drainage

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8

Manage nutrient levels

Replace nutrients lost to plants + amend soil pH

  • grow green manure (crops that add nutrients)

  • carefully use synthetic fibers

  • add OM (manure, compost, conservation tillage)

  • bring pH back to neutral (5.5-7.5)

    • too acidic soil → plants can’t grow bc excess aluminium ions

    • raise pH with limestone

Crop rotation on a 3-4 yr cycle

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9

Control grazing

Restrict number of animals in an area

Allow vegetation to recover

Use grassed waterways + windbreaks to prevent erosion

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