Geo - Soil Erosion

geeg

Why does society want to hear about soil erosion?

• 95% of food comes from soil

• eroded soil produces less food

• crop production needs to double by 2050

• fertilizer is needed to replace soil quality, but it reduces water quality

• soil contains three times more CO2 than air

Soil Organic Carbon (SOC)

major chemical difference between A and B horizons

SOCI formula

What is the current extent of soil erosion in the midwest?

1/3 of the landscape no longer has A-horizon soil

At what rate has agriculture eroded soils and how do those rates compare against pre-farming, geological erosion rates?

~2 mm yr, which is orders of magnitude greater than geological rates

How will erosion of soil and soil carbon change as landscapes evolve under different farming scenarios?

More widespread adoption of no-till can reduce erosion of soil and carbon by ~95%