DISTRIBUTION OF ARABLE LAND ON EARTH AND WASTE GENERATION AND MANAGEMENT

Page 1: Distribution of Arable Land and Soil Formation

Pedosphere

• The pedosphere is the living skin of Earth, formed through the dynamic interaction among four subsystems, which are:

  • Food Production

  • Micro-organisms

  • Groundwater Filtration

Soil Formation

• Soil formation occurs when rock undergoes weathering (either chemical or physical), which can occur at different rates.

Factors Affecting Soil Formation

1. Parent Material: The chemical composition and types of parent material determine the resulting soil.

2. Climate: Temperature, rainfall, and moisture levels influence soil patterns.

3. Topography: The slope can affect water flow and erosion; steep slopes lead to thinner soils due to high erosion rates.

4. Biological Factors: Includes burrowing creatures, biological weathering, and chemical exchanges between roots and soil.

5. Time: The duration of weathering and soil development affects the characteristics of the soil.

Importance of Soil

• Arable Land: Refers to land that can be cultivated to grow crops.

• Water Regulation and Filtration: Soil aids in water absorption and storage of groundwater, filtering potential pollutants.

• Nutrient Cycling: Essential nutrients (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, etc.) are stored, transformed, and cycled within the soil.

• Foundation and Support: Soil provides a base for plant roots and structural support for human infrastructures.

• Mineral Deposits: Soils can be mined for minerals like iron, nickel, or aluminum.

Composition of Soil

• Soil comprises elements from the geosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere with the following components:

  • 45% minerals

  • 25% water

  • 25% air

  • 5% organic matter

Soil Texture

• Refers to the relative proportion of particle sizes which include:

  • Clay: Smallest particles (<0.002mm)

  • Silt: Slightly larger (0.002-0.005mm)

  • Sand: Varying sizes (0.005-2.00mm)

  • Gravel and Rock: Particles larger than coarse-grained sand (>75.00mm)

Soil Profile

• Soil generally develops through a succession of zones or soil horizons, denoted by the letters O, A, B, C, and E.

Page 2: Soil Horizons and Quality

Major Soil Horizons

• A (Surface Horizon): Contains mineral matter mixed with organic matter (humus).

• B (Subsoil): Accumulates clay and other vital nutrients.

• C (Substratum): Made of partially altered parent material.

• O (Organic Horizon): Composed of loose or decayed organic matter.

• E: Characterized by significant loss of minerals due to eluviation and leaching.

Soil Test Kit

• Key nutrients quantified in soil tests for plant growth include:

  • Nitrogen (N): Vital for plant growth

  • Phosphorus (P): Supports strong growth

  • Potassium (K): Essential for healthy soil nutrition

Soil Quality

• Soil is crucial for land resources, agriculture, and ecological sustainability.

Human Activities Impacting Soil Degradation

1. Farming: Usage of fertilizers, overgrazing.

2. Construction and Development: Soil digging impacts soil composition.

3. Mining: Methods like strip or open-pit mining degrade soil quality as sulfides can react with water.

4. Waste Disposal: Leads to contamination issues.

5. Urbanization: Involves concrete structures and roads, which affect soil health.

Methods for Soil Conservation and Protection

• Agricultural Practices: Conservation tillage, terracing, contour farming.

• Home Practices: Creating surface penetrable areas, rain gardens, water collection.

• Community Efforts: Planting windbreaks, rejuvenating wetlands, restoring forest covers, ensuring proper waste management, and monitoring grazing activities.

Page 3: Ecosystem Services and Waste Management

Ecosystem and Its Services

• Environment: Everything that surrounds a living organism.

• Ecosystem: A community of organisms interacting with their environment.

• Ecosystem Services include:

  1. Support Services: Nutrient cycling (nitrogen, phosphorus).

  2. Provisioning Services: Basic survival needs provision.

  3. Regulating Services: Climate regulation and pest control.

  4. Cultural Services: Non-material benefits, such as spiritual enrichment.

Solid Waste Management

• Definition: Solid waste consists of objects or particles accumulating at their production site.

• Legislation: Governed by the RA 9003 (Ecological Waste Management Act of 2000).

Types of Waste

1. Municipal Waste: Material deemed useless due to being broken or expired.

2. Agricultural Waste: Organic waste from farming activities.

3. Industrial Solid Waste: Waste generated from demolition activities.

4. Liquid Waste: Waste originating from industrial, commercial, or mining sources, regulated by the RA 9275 (Clean Water Act of 2004).

5. Gaseous Waste: Emissions from various energy sources, covered under RA 8749 (Clean Air Act of 1999).

Methods of Waste Disposal

1. Landfill: The least expensive and most straightforward method.

2. Incineration: Controlled burning of waste materials.

3. Mulch: A layer of material placed on soil surfaces.

4. Composting: Natural decomposition method for organic waste.

5. Source Reduction: Designing to minimize waste production.

6. Recycling: Collecting and processing used materials.