Soil Conservation

1
Soil Conservation

• Mugg
• 6th Grade Science

2
Sod

• The thick mass of roots at the surface of the
  soil.

3
The Value of Soil

• Soil is the Earths most valuable resource
  because everything that lives on land directly or
  indirectly depends on soil.
• Plants need soil to grow.
• Soil is a renewable resource that can be found
  wherever weathering occurs.
• In some areas it can take over 100 years for a
  few centimeters of soil to form.
• Less than 1/8 of the soil on Earth is suitable
  for farming.

4
Soil Damage and Loss

• Soil can be lost or damaged.
• Soil can be used to much.
• Soil can be lost by erosion caused by wind or
  rain.
• Plowing removed the grass from the Great Plains
  and exposed the soil to the wind.
• New Mexico, Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas
  were part of the big Dust Bowl.

5
Soil Conservation

• Soil conservation is the management of soil to
  prevent destruction.
• Two ways to conserve soil include contour plowing
  and conservation plowing.
• Contour plowing is when you plow fields along the
  curves of a slope.
• This helps the rain run off from washing away all
  the soil.
• Conservation plowing disturbs the soil and its
  plant cover covers as little soil as possible.
• Dead weeds and stalks are kept in the ground to
  return nutrients to the soil.

6
Livestock

• Livestock is also a good way to conserve soil.
• However, if too many cattle eat all of the grass
  the soil is exposed to erosion.
• To prevent erosion the ranchers must limit the
  amount of cattle.