Soil Conservation

1
Soil Conservation

• EQ Why is soil a valuable resource?

2
The Value of Soil

• Everything that lives on land depends on soil
  either directly or indirectly
• Fertile soil is valuable because it is limited in
  supply
• Less than 1/8 of the Earths soil is suitable for
  farming

EQ Why is soil a valuable resource?
3
Soil Damage and Loss

• Soil Loss
• Over farmed by the same crops
• Erosion by wind and water
• Loss of plant cover

EQ Why is soil a valuable resource?
4
George Washington Carver

• Scientist from the early 1900s, Alabama
• Developed new crops and farming methods that
  helped restore farming fertility to the South
• Planted peanuts in cotton fields to replace soil
  nutrients

EQ Why is soil a valuable resource?
5
Dust Bowl 1930 - 1938
EQ Why is soil a valuable resource?

• Cause- plowing removed prairie grass from the
  Great Plains and exposed the soil
• Then a drought occurred turning the topsoil to
  dust
• Wind started blowing soil across the country

6
Soil Conservation

• Soil Conservation management of soil to prevent
  its destruction
• Ways to conserve soil
• Contour plowing plowing land along curves of a
  slope slows runoff and prevents soil from
  washing away
• Conservation Plowing disturbs the soil and
  plant cover as little as possible leave dead
  weeds and stalks in ground to help return
  nutrients to the soil
• Planting wind screens

EQ Why is soil a valuable resource?
7
Class Work and Homework

• Fill In
• What did I learn
• Confused
• Say
• Read pages G 57 G 60, questions 1-4
• Documentary

EQ Why is soil a valuable resource?