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SOIL CONSERVATION
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Concept Paper
Presented to Mr. Francis Asuncion

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In Partial Fulfillment of the

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By
AGNES C. PABLICO

2019
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CONCEPT PAPER

SOIL CONSERVATION

I. Rationale: Soil Conservation …………………………3

II. Factors Affecting Soil Erosion……………………………………………4

III. Conservation techniques………………………………………………….8

IV. Importance of soil conservation……………………………………………10

V. Conclusion…………………………………………………………………...11

VI. Recommendation…………………………………………………………….11

VII. Bibliography………………………………………………………………….11
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I. Rationale: SOIL CONSERVATION

The role that soil plays in the survival of human begins can never be over emphasized.

From soil is produced all our basic requirements such as food, fuel, fodder, fibre and housing

materials. Yet, the soil is subjected to gross negligence, mismanagement and even abuse by

human beings. Consequently, soil is losing its productivity. The maltreatment to soil has led to

its erosion on a vast scale. Erosion is the physical loss of the top soil or upper most layer of the

soil which is the most important part of the soil sustaining all the life activities of plant and

animal kingdom. Loss of top layer of soil means loss of soil for all practical purposes. Under

natural conditions it takes about 300 to 1000 years to generate one inch thick layer of top soil.

We are losing this precious natural resource by not protecting it against erosion.

As a natural habitat of all the living beings, soil is a basic resource for all our agricultural

activities. Fortunately, our country is blessed with a variety of soils and climate. Therefore, soils

can sustain a variety of vegetation and produce handsome amount of food, fibre and wood. But

today, when the pressure of human activities has built up beyond the carrying capacity of the

soil, overuse and misuse of this precious resource has set in. Over the large areas in our country,

forest cover has been destroyed. Demand for fuel and wood is in teasing day by day. Need is felt

to bring more and more land under cultivation. Shifting cultivation is still going on. Pressure on

arable land is mounting with rapid pace. All these activities tend to accelerate soil erosion.

Soil Conservation is the name given to a handful of techniques aimed at preserving the soil. Soil

conservation is the prevention of soil loss from erosion or reduced fertility caused by over usage,

acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination. Slash-and-burn and other

unsustainable methods of subsistence farming are practiced in some lesser developed areas. A
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sequel to the deforestation is typically large scale erosion, loss of soil nutrients and sometimes

total desertification.

The purpose of soil conservation is not merely to preserve the soil but to maintain its

productive capacity while using it. Soil covered with concrete is preserved, but its ability to

produce crops is lost in the process. Intensive cropping uses the soil but often causes erosion on

sloping land. Land needs to be managed for long-term usefulness as well as for current needs;

that is, its use should be sustainable.

Statement of the problem

1. What are the factors of soil problems?

2. How soil can be conserve?

Soil loss and loss of soil fertility can be traced back to a number of causes including over-

use, erosion, salinization and chemical contamination. Unsustainable subsistence farming and the

slash and burn clearing methods used in some less developed regions, can often

cause deforestation, loss of soil nutrients, erosion on a massive scale and sometimes even

complete desertification.

II. Factors Affecting Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is a process in which soil particles are detached and transported away from

their original places to the sites where they are of little agricultural value. The process is carried

out mainly by two agents; the air and the water. There are certain factors which affect the extent

and intensity of erosion of a soil. These can be bri~t1y discussed as under.

A. Climate

Rainfall, temperature and wind are the main climatic factors influencing soil erosion. If

the amount of rain water is in excess to the absorption capacity of the soil, movement of water on

soil surface starts (run-oft). Run-off water contains soil particles, the amount depending upon the

intensity of rainfall. If the torrential rainfall is accompanied with blowing, severity of erosion is

increased. Strong beating action of raindrops, detach the soil particles. Small particles go down

and choke the pores of surface soil thereby reducing the permeability of soil to the water. The

particles on the upper most soil surface are drained away along with run-off water. An extensive

rainfall of long duration may not cause excessive erosion. Similarly, an intensive short duration

rainfall may not produce sufficient run- off to cause erosion. When both amount and intensity

factors are high in a given storm run off, erosion will be serious.

On a broad climatic basis, temperature affects the type and amount of vegetative cover

that exists. The same amount of precipitation may be more effective in producing vegetative

cover in cool climates than in warm climate. The soils of warm climatic zones contain less

amount of organic matter as it is decomposed rapidly due to high temperature. Therefore, the

soils of these regions ! are more susceptible to erosion. On the other hand, light temperature !

reduces the viscosity of water, thus increasing its infiltration or i percolation into the soil.

B. Topography
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Slopes are the most vulnerable to soil erosion. The intensity of erosion of a soil depends

upon the degree or percentage of the slope and on the length of the slope. Greater the degree and

length of the slope, the greater will be the soil erosion. Investigations have shown that if the land

slope is increased by two times, the velocity of water flowing over it will be doubled. When the

velocity is doubled, erosion capacity of the water is increased by 4 times, the amount of soil

particles of a given size that can be carried is increased by approximately 32 times and the size of

a soil particles that can be transported by pushing or rolling is increased by about 64 times.

If the slope of the land is across the direction of wind, wind erosion will be high.

C. Vegetation

Vegetation has direct impact on the amount of soil erosion. Where vegetation is

dominant, other factors may not have accountable influence on the intensity of soil erosion.

Vegetation prevents the soil erosion in many ways.

1. Widespread foliage of the plants intercepts the falling raindrop. The force with which

raindrops hit the soil, is greatly reduced. Some portion of the rainfall is upheld by foliage and

evaporated there itself.

2. If the rainfall is heavy enough to produce run-off on soil surface, growing vegetation acts as

physical barrier to moving water. The speed of the water movement on soil surface is reduced.

The water movement is slow enough to allow the soil particles suspended in it to settle down on

the soil surface. Loss of soil by erosion is thereby greatly reduced. Soil absorbs greater amount

of rain water.
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3. Roots of crops, especially fibrous root system of grasses, keep the soil particles bound together

by their knitting and binding action and prevent the soil against erosion. After harvesting the

vegetation, roots are left in the soil to decay. After decaying, roots leave air spaces in the soil

which facilitate downward movement of water in the soil. Decayed product of roots called

'humus' also helps in binding the soil particles together. A cubic meter of soil allowing growth of

vegetation, may contain several kilometers in length of root fibres.

4. Soils having well grown vegetation provide suitable shelter to a lot of useful organisms. Soils

under thick forest cover allow prolific growth of earthworms, beetles, etc. These organisms

improve soil aeration and permeability. When they die, they provide organic matter to the soil

and help in development of good soil structure resistant to erosion.

5. Vegetation also contributes to the water absorbing capacity of the soil by transpiring water. If

the water absorption capacity of the soil is increased, run-off of the water on the soil surface is

decreased and, consequently, loss of soil along with run-off water is also reduced.

6. Standing vegetation creates physical hindrance to blowing air and saves the soil from wind

erosion.

D. Soil
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Erosion of a soil also depends upon the soil properties. Soils which are quite permeable to

water, leave little water for run off and are, therefore, fairly resistant to erosion. In compact soils,

runoff rate is very high and surface soil is easily washed off. Soils rich in organic manure are

resistant to beating action of raindrops or blowing. Very fine clay particles of soils can be easily

transported by moving water but it is difficult to detach them from the soil blocks. Big sized sand

particles are difficult to transport by water by severe winds can blow them away and deposit

them on fertile sites. Find sandy loams soils are the most desirable from the point of view of

erosion resistance. Their particles are not fine enough to be washed out so easily. They can not

be detached easily by moving water and wind.

III. CONSERVATION TECHNIQUES

The practices used for conserving soil and water are many and varied. Some practices

are expensive and some only require new habits; some are permanent and some are temporary;

some are limited to very specific conditions whereas others are widely useful, although none

have universal application. The amount of soil and water saved varies from one practice to

another and from one set of circumstances to another.

Forest conservation

The forest trees provide protect to the soil and hold the rapid flow of surface water giving

it time to penetrate the surface of the ground. Thus most of the rainfall is absorbed by the soil

where in it drains slowly into the creeks and rivers as cool and clear water. The soil is a great

water reservoir and if properly protected flooding in the lowlands will be minimized.

Reforestation and prevention of the kaingin system of farming should be strictly observed.
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Crop cover

Idle fields specially those on slopes, should not be allowed to remain bear with no

protection of the soil from the rain. Fruit and forest trees must be planted on the contours.

Grasses and legumes should be used as cover crops.

Buffer strip planting

Buffer strips are narrow strips planted between contour strips. Ipil-ipil is planted on the

buffer lands to protect and improve the soil. The space between the buffer lands are

planted either to upland rice, corn, or citrus on slope 10 to 25 percent.

Contour strip cropping

The field is divided into contour strips which allow plowing and other farm operations on

the contour. Seasonal crops like upland rice and corn which are erosion permitting plants

are alternately planted in strips with close growing crops or erosion preventing crops

Crop rotation and green manuring

They systematic planting of different crops in succession on the farm will help improve

the structure of the soil. If crop rotation is done with mongo or soybean or other deep

rooted plants, good soil structure can be resorted and the rapid intake of water into the

soil is promoted, thus minimizing soil erosion.

Crop rotation and green manuring

They systematic planting of different crops in succession on the farm will help improve

the structure of the soil. If crop rotation is done with mongo or soybean or other deep

rooted plants, good soil structure can be resorted and the rapid intake of water into the

soil is promoted, thus minimizing soil erosion.

Terracing

Terraces are embankments built across the slope on a specific grade to intercept the run-

off and hold it temporarily, either to give a greater chance to be absorbed by the soil or to

drain off slowly to well protected water ways.

Fertilization and liming

Judicious is of fertilizers that will replenish soil fertility should be observed in order to

increase the yield. Lime is applied to reduce soil activity.

Gully control

Gullies are planted with erosion resisting plants to prevent soil erosion.

Organic matter application

Soils high in organic matter can absorb more water than those with less. Increasing the

organic matter through the application of farm manure, green manuring and other farm

refuse will help minimize the run-off and thus reduce soil erosion. Moreover , the fertility

of the soil is likewise enriched.

IV. Importance of soil conservation

Most people know that they need clean air and clean water to stay healthy. Fewer people

realize that their well-being also depends on the health of the soil. Soil supports the growth of

most of our food and fibre, so its productivity is a major factor in the economies of Canada and

other nations.

But soil also has a much broader, global role. Soil acts as a filter, cleaning air and water.

It exchanges gases with the atmosphere and thus influences the global climate. Soil receives

organic wastes and recycles their nutrients back to plants; it also holds and breaks down some
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toxic wastes. Because soil plays such a key role in world health, economics and environmental

stability, we must conserve it and use it in a sustainable manner.

V. Conclusion

People are directly dependent upon agriculture, land is of an immense value. It would be

crime against nature as well as millions of underfed if we recklessly allow the loss of their

precious natural gift i.e. soil.

For a social activist, it should be a responsibility to build up awareness among the people

so that they themselves are motivated to take preventive as well as curative measures. At least

the low cost conservation measures such as farming across the slope, strip cropping, contour

farming, crop rotation, etc. can easily be adopted I- even by the poorest among the poor farmer's

community of the country.

VI. Recommendations

To avoid future flood disasters, flood management and flood mitigation plans are needed

to be able to react swiftly to areas threatened by flooding. A monitoring system is required to

assess, on a continuous basis, the areas affected by floods and to have emergency measures plan

to reduce the damage of exceptional floods. Land use changes in upstream catchment can

increase severe flooding on downstream territory. But, not only flood disaster can occur, also

large debris flows can happen and damage settlements. Further investigations should also

consider the possibility of debris flow and debris floods in the area.
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VIII. Bibliography

What is soil conservation

Soil and Water Conservation for Productivity and Environmental Protection

Soil Conservation & Forest Resource

Introduction To Soil Conservation