Soil Conservation
What is soil stewardship?
● Stewardship is the responsible planning and
management of resources, therefore, soil
stewardship is the responsible planning and
management of the soil.
Dust Bowl
● When soil becomes too dry, it can more easily
erode in the wind.
● An important example of this is the Dust Bowl
from the 1930s. A drought in the plains states,
along with poor farming practices, caused
heavy erosion of topsoil.
Soil Erosion
● The wearing away of soil
● Loss of soil
● MOVEMENT
Natural Causes of Soil Erosion:
● Wind
● Water (rain)
● Gravity (hills, mountains)
● Ice (glaciers, cold temperatures)
Other Causes of Soil Erosion:
● Farming
● Mining
● Construction
Severe weather speeds up soil
erosion!
● Storms
● Tornados
● Floods
Soil Conservation:
● Ways to preserve (or save) the
soil
Soil is so valuable….
A136
How do we protect it?
• Good farming practices
• Contour plowing-when plowing around
a hill, make rows around the hill, not up
and down!
Contour plowing
●
●
Helps channel rainwater so that is does not
run straight downhill, carrying soil away
with it
Slows runoff of water
Conservation plowing (tillage) A135
• Don’t plow unless you need to. When soil
isn’t plowed up, it doesn’t wash or blow away
as easily
• Plowing creates loose soil. Not plowing keeps plants
in the ground and roots lock soil into the ground
Crop Rotation A135
• If you plant the same crops in the soil year
after year, the soil loses nutrients.
• Plants won’t grow as well in that soil after
years of this kind of farming
• To avoid it, you should plant different plants in
an area every
few years. This is
called crop rotation
Windbreaks A136
Rows of trees planted between fields to
“break”, or reduce, the force of winds that can
carry off soil.
Terraces A136
Flat, steplike areas built on a hillside to hold
rainwater and prevent it from running
downhill. Crops are planted on the flat tops of
the terraces.
Aaron noticed that when the fields were plowed, a lot
of soil was blowing away in the air. If the amount
of plowing DECREASED, which statement would
probably be true?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The amount of soil lost each year will not change
The amount of soil lost each year will decrease
The amount of soil lost each year will increase
New soil will grow to replace lost soil
Without Protection, Soil….
• can wash away in a mudflow following heavy
rains
• can erode and deposit in a new place
• can create landslides
• and can slump
Summary of Soil Conservation
• Don’t leave soil bare, keep plants in the soil
• Use conservation and contour plowing
techniques
• Rotate crops that are planted so nutrients stay
in the soil
Which of the following could help prevent soil
erosion?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Planting trees between fields
Strip mining and open pit mining
Building highways and shopping malls
Cutting down all of the trees
Soil Conservation Examples
● With your partner
● Read the scenario of erosion.
● With your partner, decide on a solution to the
problem.
● Write your solution next to the scenario and then
draw a picture of your solution.
1. A farmer notices that his crops are being destroyed by
wind. They are starting to lean to one side, and the soil
is blowing across the field. What can he do to better
conserve the soil?
2. A neighbor of yours is getting ready to plant a garden
of flowers in his backyard. He asks you for ideas on how
to conserve soil. You notice that his backyard has a lot
of hills. What do you suggest?
3. Your parents decide to put mulch around the trees in
your yard. Each time after it rains, you notice the
amount of mulch is decreasing. Why is this? What do
you tell your parents to prevent this from happening?
4. Your uncle has had a farm for 20 years. Each
year he plants potatoes on the left field. This year,
half of his potatoes died. What should he do next
year?
5. You live in house that has a long, steep driveway.
Your mom plants flowers beside the driveway.
However, each time it rains the soil runs down the
hill. What should she do?
6. Your grandfather is a farmer. You hear him
complain about how his crops are not doing well.
You know that we have the same amount of
rainfall as last year. What might he need to do to
improve the crops next year?