Soil Conservation Matrix
Soil Conservation Matrix
Review the three major types of soil degradation occurring in the environment. Briefly explain how each type of damage occurs.
Causes Consequences Solutions
Soil Erosion Water, wind, and people.
(Miller,2005 p.279) ●Soil erosion has two major harmful effects. One is loss of soil fertility through depletion of plant nutrients in topsoil. The other harmful effect occurs when eroded soil ends up as sediment in nearby surface waters, where it can pollute water, kill fish and shellfish, and clog irrigation ditches, boat channels, reservoirs, and lakes. (Miller,2005 p.279) ●Polyvarietal cultivation, intercropping, terracing, agroforestry and
Polyculture. Contour planting and strip cropping, windbreaks, and Alley cropping.
(Miller,2005 p.278,284-285)
Desertification ●A combination of natural climate change that causes prolonged drought and human activities that reduce or degrade topsoil. (Miller,2005 p.281) ●Worsening drought
Famine
Economic losses
Lower living standards Environmental refugees (Miller,2005 p.283) ●We can also restore land suffering from desertification by planting trees and grasses that anchor soil and hold water. (Miller,2005 p.282)
Salinization ●Repeated annual applications of irrigation water lead to the gradual accumulation of salts in the upper soil layers.
(Miller,2005 p.283) ●It stunts crop growth, lowers crop yields, and eventually kills plants and ruins the land. (Miller,2005 p.283) ●Reduce irrigation
Switch to salttolerant
Crops.
(such as barley, cotton, sugar beet). Flushing soil
Not growing crops for 25 years
Installing
underground drainage systems
(Miller,2005 p.283)
Choose one form of soil degradationsoil erosion, desertification, or salinizationfrom the matrix. Then, write a 200-300 word response describing ways in which your lifestyle directly or indirectly contributes
Review the three major types of soil degradation occurring in the environment. Briefly explain how each type of damage occurs.
Causes Consequences Solutions
Soil Erosion Water, wind, and people.
(Miller,2005 p.279) ●Soil erosion has two major harmful effects. One is loss of soil fertility through depletion of plant nutrients in topsoil. The other harmful effect occurs when eroded soil ends up as sediment in nearby surface waters, where it can pollute water, kill fish and shellfish, and clog irrigation ditches, boat channels, reservoirs, and lakes. (Miller,2005 p.279) ●Polyvarietal cultivation, intercropping, terracing, agroforestry and
Polyculture. Contour planting and strip cropping, windbreaks, and Alley cropping.
(Miller,2005 p.278,284-285)
Desertification ●A combination of natural climate change that causes prolonged drought and human activities that reduce or degrade topsoil. (Miller,2005 p.281) ●Worsening drought
Famine
Economic losses
Lower living standards Environmental refugees (Miller,2005 p.283) ●We can also restore land suffering from desertification by planting trees and grasses that anchor soil and hold water. (Miller,2005 p.282)
Salinization ●Repeated annual applications of irrigation water lead to the gradual accumulation of salts in the upper soil layers.
(Miller,2005 p.283) ●It stunts crop growth, lowers crop yields, and eventually kills plants and ruins the land. (Miller,2005 p.283) ●Reduce irrigation
Switch to salttolerant
Crops.
(such as barley, cotton, sugar beet). Flushing soil
Not growing crops for 25 years
Installing
underground drainage systems
(Miller,2005 p.283)
Choose one form of soil degradationsoil erosion, desertification, or salinizationfrom the matrix. Then, write a 200-300 word response describing ways in which your lifestyle directly or indirectly contributes