What is Soil Erosion and Conservation?

What is Soil Erosion and Conservation?

Nature works in a cycle, and everything around us is interdependent. But this dependency sometimes proves harmful to many vital natural resources, and one of these resources is soil, whole quality is degrading with passing time. So, to stop this degradation of soil, soil conservation is exercised, but what is that?

Conservation is the act of saving or protecting a resource. And soil conservation is a practice that helps to retain and maintain the quality of the soil by preventing soil erosion through planting new plants, taking care of the plants, or keeping soil from being contaminated.

But the crucial question is, why it is required in the first place? Well, soil conservation is necessary because if we run out of healthy soil, we won’t be able to carry out agricultural and planting activities that are necessary to feed all of the living beings on Earth. And unfortunately, in recent times, the quality of soil has been degrading at an alarming rate due to many human and natural activities through a process called soil erosion. And what is that?

Soil erosion is a process in which topsoil of a field containing the highest number of nutrients, microorganisms and minerals vital for plant growth is washed away from one place to another by natural sources such as wind and water.

Not only that, but aggressive human activities such as overgrazing of cattle, overuse of pesticides, mining and logging, construction of roads and buildings have fastened the process of soil erosion. So the need for soil conservation has increased more than even before.

But the vital question is, what can we do to save the soil? There are so many methods, we can undertake for it. Let’s have a look at some of them. First we must practice afforestation, in which we can plant new trees and reduce down their cutting, leading to the reduction of soil erosion.
The next thing we could do is minimize the use of water during farming and gardening so that it doesn’t wash off the rich and nutrient - filled upper layer of soil.

Another vital step we can take is by planting windbreaks! A windbreak is a line of plants planted to stop or slow the wind. A thick row of bushes planted next to a field of plants can control the wind from blowing the soil away. This system also helps against water erosion, as the soil gets caught up against the roots of the bushes, rather than washing away.

And lastly, we can put wood planks along the beaches or build sea wall against the cliffs to prevent water from eroding the soil.

Did you know the word erosion comes from the Latin word Erosionem which means gnawing away? Also, scientists estimate that Colorado River has been eroding the Grand Canyon for many millions of years.