Soil conservation is important because soil forms over thousands of years but can be destroyed in just a few years by human misuse. Sheet, wind, and gully erosion can remove topsoil. Maintaining plant cover in contact with the soil surface is critical for protecting soils from erosion by water and wind. Recommended practices include contour plowing, reduced or no tillage, windbreaks, allowing soils to rest, and promoting humus production.

2. Soil Conservation

3. Why is soil conservation
important?

4. Sheet erosion is the removal of
the thin layer of topsoil by
raindrop splash or water run-off.

5. Wind erosion is the detachment
and movement of soil by wind.

6. Gully erosion occurs when small streams unite
and create a stronger flow, cutting a channel
down which water flows during or just after rain

9. The soils of our planet have
formed over thousands of years
in conditions which have long
since changed. The destruction
of soils through man's misuse,
however, can take place in just a
few years, and in most cases this
process is permanent or at best is
difficult to correct.

10. The most critical factor
in protecting soils from
erosion by water and
wind is the
maintenance of cover
(plant residues, pasture
and forest litter) in
close contact with the
soil surface.

12. Practice:
* contour plowing
* reduced tillage or no tillage,
* using windbreaks to reduce
wind speeds at the land
surface,
* allowing soils to rest
* promote humus production

14. Here are some additional resources on the web
http://www.hintze-online.com/sos/soils-online.html
http://nscss.org/ssource.html
http://www.bsyse.wsu.edu/~saxton/soilwatr/
If you have questions, comments, please send to
bbatke@worldnet.att.net