Discusses three major practices that expose soil to erosion and how they can be corrected

Discusses three major practices that expose soil to erosion and how they can be corrected.

Discusses three major practices that expose soil to erosion and how they can be corrected. The three major causes of soil erosion are over cultivation, overgrazing, and deforestation. These are each all major problems in creating an unsustainable society. The good thing is that each of these causes of erosion can be corrected to create a more sustainable society. Over cultivation is the practice of repeatedly cultivating and growing crops more rapidly than the soil can regenerate, leading to a decline in soil quality and productivity. Preparation in growing crop and after the harvest of crop, the soil is left exposed to erosion. Water and wind cause this erosion to take place. Plowing is frequently considered necessary to loosen the soil to improve aeration and infiltration through it, yet all too often the effect is just the reverse. The weight of the tractors cause the soil to become impacted which makes the soil more susceptible to erosion. Over cultivation erosion can be corrected by a no-till agriculture. According to this technique, the field is sprayed with herbicide to kill weeds and then a planting apparatus is pulled behind a tractor to accomplish several operations at once.

This method prevents the soil to become compacted because harvesting steps have been minimized to a single step. Other strategies to minimize over cultivation are low-till farming and the use of fertilizers. These strategies have helped to minimize the process of soil erosion. Even though time is needed and money is lost with improving the methods to correct over cultivation, it is necessary and beneficial to farmers and consumers in the long run. Overgrazing is the phenomenon of grazing animals in greater numbers that the land can support in the long term. Due to animals consuming more grass than can be produced, the ground becomes sparse leaving the soil exposed to erosion. Wind and water erosion then damages the soil left unprotected. To help prevent overgrazing the NRCS (U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Services) has a program (the Conservation Stewardship Program) that provides information and support to enable ranchers who own their lands to burn unwanted woody plants, reseed the land with perennial grass varieties that hold water and manage cattle so that herds are moved to a new location before overgrazing occurs.

These steps should help supply enough area and grass to prevent an insufficient supply for grazing. This problem, if left untreated, could also pose a serious threat to the food chain. Deforestation is the process of removing trees and other vegetation covering soil and converting the forest to another land use, often leading to erosion and loss of soil fertility. This process is causing valuable nutrients to be washed away by erosion and leaving the soil unable to provide adequate agriculture. To prevent this, trees need to not be cut down to be used for other land use. Individuals should try to find established dwellings to put their businesses on. If businesses used already developed areas, there would be a lessened need to cut trees down and damage to the soil would be prevented. Once again, the problem of deforestation, can also pose a threat to the food chain. Over cultivation, overgrazing, and deforestation are the three major causes of soil erosion. All of these can be prevented, thankfully. Land owners need to do research to help prevent the occurrence of soil erosion. This will benefit everyone as a whole in creating a sustainable society for our environment and to help protect the food chain.