Do you know that it takes up to 1,000 years to generate just 2-3 cm of healthy and fertile soil? As per the world’s soil report by FAO and ITPS (2015), around 33% of the planet’s soil is already degraded. And, by the year 2050, this mark will reach upto 90%. Every five seconds, soil equivalent to one soccer pitcher is getting eroded. This current rate of soil erosion can lead upto 50% loss in agricultural yield.
For the above-mentioned reason, it becomes very important to know the ways to prevent soil erosion so as to reduce its impact. This content will discuss a few ways that are used for the prevention of erosion.
What is Soil Erosion?
Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process in the environment. It refers to the erosion or loss of the topmost fertile layer of the soil that comprises all the vital nutrients for growth. This may include loss of soil minerals, vitamins and humus. No continent or any land piece that contains soil is immune to this phenomenon, but its increasing rate is becoming a matter of concern over the past few decades.
The issues related to soil erosion are gradually expanding with day by day advancing technology and with the deterioration of the natural vegetation. In one way or another, we have contributed to worsening the already bad condition. Indeed, we can’t prevent soil erosion totally as it’s natural to occur. However, there is a certain way to prevent and control excess soil erosion and its consequences.
Content: Ways to Prevent Soil Erosion
Effects of Soil Erosion
- It increases the risk of landslides and floods.
- Makes the agricultural land unproductive, unattractive and barren.
- Deterioration in soil quality hampers the nutrient content of the crops, veggies and fruits.
- It can lead to situations like famine.
- Destruction of natural ecosystem and biodiversity.
Causes of Soil Erosion
Wind
We also refer to it as soil drifting. The intense wind waves can remove, transport and deposit the topsoil. This is the most common cause and is prevalent in drier areas and flat lands.
Water
Like the wind, the water waves can also carry the topsoil layer away. This problem is common in the agricultural fields and lands near river banks.
We can categorise them into two parts:
- Sheet erosion: Uniform removal of topsoil by direct rainfall.
- Rill erosion: Caused by the poor drainage system.
Tillage
This kind of erosion occurs when human activities like removal of forest, ploughing etc. The amount of erosion here depends upon the depth, tilling speed as well as the slope of the land.
Ways to Prevent Soil Erosion
There are multiple ways to prevent soil erosion.Here, we are going to discuss seven following techniques:
- Planting Vegetation
- Riprapping
- Terracing
- Crop Rotation
- Mulching
- Contour Farming
- Strip Cropping
1. Planting Vegetation
It is the simplest and most natural method to conserve the soil. This method implies the plantation of long terms vegetation that could hold the soil. By letting these plants grow, you develop a strong root system in that area. These roots grip the soil in its place, making it more stable. The griping minimises the movement of the soil, ultimately preventing its erosion.
It is considered to be an effective technique in erosion-prone regions like streams, rivers, slopes, mountainsides etc. The selection of the plants should be made as per the conditions of land and climate.
For instance, to decrease the level of water accumulation, one must plant trees and grasses that are suitable for wet conditions. They can absorb the water from the surface and release it into the atmosphere via transpiration. Or, if you are in a desert region, then take the plant species that are drought resistant.
Windbreakers
The tall trees also perform the role of windbreak. Windbreak is nothing but a row of trees planted in a straight line. They shield and protect the small plants, crops and soil from wind and gales. The windbreak blocks the strong winds from directly blowing the soil, thereby reducing the level of soil erosion.
2. Riprapping
Constructing ripraps is a very durable solution to cater for the problem of soil erosion. Riprapping refers to the chunks of stones or rocks arranged at the edge of the field. It is a low-cost, low-maintenance solution that can last for a long duration. You might have seen them in the areas that suffer constant soil erosion due to water like river banks and shorelines.
When the rain pours down, it carries the layer of soil down the slope. If the slope consists of a riprap, then the eroded soil will deposit on the riprap. This will eventually prevent the loss of fertile soil. Also, they help stabilise the soil by reducing the speed of water runoff on exposed downstream soil.
Building a riprap only requires the arrangement of proper-sized rocks at the boundary. However, it is necessary to choose the rocks correctly, especially on slopes; otherwise, the soil will pass through the gap between the stones.
The only problem with riprapping is if the slope is very much steep, then there are chances of displacement of these rocks. It may cause damage to whatsoever infrastructure built below. So, one must be very careful while constructing it.
3. Terracing
The terracing has been practised for around 5,000 years for the purpose of cultivation in hilling terrain. This method promises agriculture in such land, which may be impossible to cultivate otherwise. As the slopes are highly prone and susceptible to soil erosion, thus there are high probabilities of loss of essential nutrients along with water runoff.
For this reason, the slopes are transformed into terraces, and this process is known as terracing. For constructing terraces, mountainsides are broken down into flatlands or long steps for cultivation.
Farmers construct wide rows of terraces running parallelly to each other. These terraces act as rigs to slow down the water flow, thereby preventing the erosion of sediments down the mountain after rainfall. It also facilitates proper drainage of the water.
4. Crop Rotation
This method refers to planting crops at a different spot every year. Farmers use crop rotation to maintain the good health of the soil. Different crops inculcate different national values in the soil. Thus, planting different crops in the same position keeps the soil enriched with various nutrients.
Along with this, rotating high residue crops such as grains, hay, maise etc., reduce the level of erosion as the residue tightly holds the topsoil.
For instance, A farmer would plant pulses on one part of the agricultural field while cereals in the other part. After harvesting them, he leaves the soil to rest. At the time of seed sowing, he interchanges their positions. Doing so retains the moisture and good quality of the soil.
5. Mulching
Mulching provides erosion control in the initial phases of growing seedlings. This process uses the mulching material, i.e. mulch, to cover the topmost soil layer. The mulching material can be anything that is organic in nature, such as hay, sawdust, fodder, straw etc. You can use mulches in the flatlands but not on steep slopes as they may get carried away along with the water runoff. Mulches stabilise the soil’s moisture, thereby making it suitable for plant growth.
For instance, wood mulches are suitable for gardens and yards, whereas organic mulch can enrich the soil as it decomposes fast.
6. Contour Farming
The process of soil erosion is much faster on the slopes and mountainsides. Using the contour lines for agriculture can reduce upto 50% of the soil erosion in that area. Thus, the farmer in such an area follows the contour or curves of the land for agriculture, which is referred to as contour farming.
When the soil erodes off along with the rainwater, it gets collected in these curves or contours. This way, nutrient loss is highly reduced, and water retention capacity improves.
7. Strip Cropping
This process involves the alternating plantation of different crops in strips. This technique reduces soil erosion since it keeps the soil moist. Moist soil cannot be removed easily through wind or water. For example, the grass that grows close to the ground is planted in strips between cereal crops’ bands.
The current rate of soil erosion can adversely affect the upcoming generations. Also, the deterioration of soil means degradation of food content. Thus, it becomes our moral duty to save the soil and make people aware of this precious resource. These seven ways are very helpful in the prevention of soil erosion.
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