Soil Erosion
1. What causes soil to be removed naturally?
Soil is removed by the wind and water actions around it.
2. What kind of actions of man have caused accelerated soil erosion?
Unsuitable cultivation practices and overgrazing cause accelerated soil erosion.
3. Name four kinds of soil degradation.
Soil erosion salinization, nutrient loss, and compaction are the four soil degradation.
4. What is rain splash erosion?
Rain splash erosion is when rain water hits the soil directly and the soil erodes.
5. What is rill and gully erosion?
Rill and gully erosion is when water runs down to the soil and erodes it indirectly.
6. What is water erosion’s main on-site effect?
Water reduces the quality of the soil which often results in erosion and loss of
nutrients.
7. What is water erosion’s main off-site effect?
Water erosion’s main off site effect is water erosion causes sediment to be released
in to water streams and into watercourses
8. List two ways you can reduce erosion.
You can buy organic produce and encourage grocers to supply organic food.
9. What can farmers do?
Make sure soil is covered by vegetation as much as possible to keep the ground firm.
If you are a farmer, use conservation tillage techniques to reduce soil erosion.
Human activity causing soil degradation Percentage (%)
Deforestation
30
Agriculture
28
Fuel wood gathering
7
Over grazing
35
Industry
<1
10. What is Landcare?
Land care is an organisation that protects the Australian environment.
11. List six things that are doing to care for Australian environment.
Improving farmlands, breathing new life into waterways, around the coast, bringing
back trees, restoring wildlife habitats and urban action.
Case Study- Bega Cheese
Bega is a small town in southern New South Wales and is famous for making cheese.
During 2009, weather conditions reduced the health and wellbeing of some cows
around the area therefore making the farmers work extra hard to supply the
satisfactory requirements at the dairies.
The soils in the area were overgrazed but due heavy rainfall, sediment was washed
into the fields making it hard for the cows to graze and therefore making a financial
burden on the farmers in the area.
Woolworths and Bega Cheese have sponsored the project which commenced in
2009 and ended in 2011. The project was to install two new feed pads in two dairies
in Bega to help manage the feeding of the cows.
This project helped to maintain the required dairy produce to make cheese, milk and
other dairy products originating from Bega.