Threats+to+the+soil

=Threats to the Soil = Despite being a fundamental resource that supports all life on Earth, soil often falls well below the radar as an important environmental issue. We hear about water or air pollution, but rarely about soil pollution. Yet, soil affects our everyday lives, from the food we eat and where we live to the natural functions and ecological services that it provides. The largest threat to soil and therefore to us is the loss of or damage to the productive topsoil, often caused by erosion and/or poor land use practices. //Erosion and Land Use// Erosion is a natural process caused by wind, water and ice that wears away the material on the land surface very slowly. The rate of erosion is dependent on a variety of factors, including the soil texture, the type of ground cover, and the intensity of the wind and/or precipitation. However, it can be greatly exacerbated by a wide variety of human activities, including poor farming or grazing methods, deforestation and urbanization. In the 1930s, massive erosion caused by persistent winds, drought, and overuse resulted in huge dust storms that destroyed farmland in the South-central United States. It is estimated that 35 million acres of agricultural land were destroyed and another 125 million seriously damaged. This disaster, partly natural and partly man-made, became known as the Dust Bowl. Today, intensive agricultural practices and the over-application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides lead to the leaching of essential nutrients and excessive amounts of salts or heavy metals in the soil, which can reduce or even prevent plant growth. In addition to poor farming practices, soils can also become compacted by agricultural machinery or the grazing of livestock. Not only do these methods affect the amount of ground cover that is available, compacted soils cannot retain water as well. It is estimated that topsoil erosion currently reduces productivity on 29 percent of U.S. cropland and negatively affects 39 percent of rangeland. In many developing countries, farming often involves slash and burn where vegetation is stripped and cut, then eventually burned in order to create agricultural fields and/or pastures. While this can release additional nutrients in the short term, soil fertility can decrease rather quickly. It is also at this time when soils are most vulnerable to erosion. Madagascar, with its barren high central plateau comprising nearly 10 percent of the country's land, is often looked to as an extreme example of where slash and burn has left an area completely unproductive. As population growth continues to fuel development, urban erosion becomes an equally significant factor. Logging, road and building projects gouge the soil, strip away vegetation, and can significantly alter drainage patterns. In addition to the loss of soil, an increase in both nutrient and sediment runoff can cause deterioration in overall water quality. //Soil Management// Because of the importance of soils to agriculture, there is considerable research done in the U.S. and around the world to improve agricultural and soil management practices. As population increases, there is a greater demand for food resources and, therefore, maintaining productive soils is crucial. Traditionally, farmers managed soils by rotating crops from one field to another, letting some acres lie fallow. However, most modern agricultural practices now include the use of fertilizers to increase the productivity of soils. It is important to begin by educating farmers about the negative effects of intensive agriculture and the over-application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Continual planting of crops can also reduce the nutrients available in soil ecosystems. Improved soil management practices, such as conservation tillage, contour plow­ing, terracing, and strip cropping are now used in many places to minimize erosion and maintain soil fertility. Organic farming methods that don't use chemicals at all are also becoming increasingly popular. Development of our urban and suburban areas provides other opportunities for practicing soil conservation. The building of roads can incorporate aspects that mimic natural drainage patterns, thereby minimizing the potential for erosion. Building, housing, and other landscape projects can utilize trees, shrubs and additional groundcover for both runoff and erosion control.   USDA Agricultural Research Service: Wind Erosion Research Unit The website of this U.S. federal government agency includes a synopsis of what wind erosion is and why it is a problem, as well as additional erosion research data.  The Effects of Urbanization on Water Quality: Erosion and Sedimentation The U.S. Geological Survey provides information on aspects of water involving urbanization, erosion, and water quality. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) SWCS is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization that serves as an advocate for conservation professionals and for science-based conservation practice, programs, and policy. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Voices from the Dust Bowl 1940-1941 In this online exhibit, the American Folk Center of the Library of Congress has a collection of interviews, photographs, newspaper clippings, and other historical background on Dust Bowl refugees in migrant farm camps.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">DATA & MAPS
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Universal Soil Loss Equation Database The National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory lists detailed storm and soil loss data from the 1930s to the present day.

<span style="background-color: #ffffff; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">FOR THE CLASSROOM
<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Terrain Builder Soil-net.com provides a free software tool that simulates the action of erosion on differing landscapes. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Natural Resource Conservation Service: Land Use This lesson plan from the NRCS looks at how urban development, agriculture and other land uses compete over the limited land available, and the implications of soil on land use decisions. Students play the role of various community members that are called upon to make and defend decisions for a land use plan that could have far-reaching effects. <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana,Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Nourishing the Planet in the 21st Century The Nutrients for Life Foundation created downloadable middle- and high-school soil science curricula with lessons that encourage students to think in terms of knowledge, choice and behavior as they link science, technology and societal issues. []