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Soil Structure

Sep 20 2019

The Causes and Effects of Soil Compaction

Soil is the foundation on which everything else is built. Life and the experience of life need soil to grow, prosper, and create. Soil is responsible for growing food, nutrients, and shelter while it provides a foundation for homes, roads, and buildings. When soil is stable and of excellent quality, air and water circulate for maximum plant growth, erosion is minimal, and insects and microbes make their homes where they are most beneficial. Soil compaction has both positive and negative implications depending on how and why the soil was compacted. While compaction might aid construction, it doesn’t bode well for crops and harvests.

Soil compaction is most often seen on farmland and areas where land is cultivated as heavy machinery passing over land presses soil into itself. When people use heavy machinery, 70 to 80% of soil compaction takes place on the first pass. Yet the compression of soil has its benefits when used to the right advantage.

What is Soil Compaction?

When soil aggregates or particles are pressed together constantly and over time, soil compaction takes place. Soil compaction and its resulting issues must be considered when planting new crops, building roadways, or during restoration.

To illustrate soil compaction, consider a slice of bread. This slice of bread is probably full of varying sizes of holes that allow air and liquid to pass through. If the slice is squeezed until it gets doughy, the result is a lump that’s been smashed and pressed together to make it smaller and denser. This makes it much more difficult for air and liquid to penetrate. Compacted soil reacts the same way — heavy, dense, and less likely to absorb water or nutrients, which will starve roots.

Soil compaction presses soil particles together to reduce pore size. As soil pores are reduced, soil volume is affected and much less likely to drain, just as water rolls off the mushed slice of bread. When soil’s density is increased, infiltration slows and gas exchange is reduced, causing a reduction in soil nutrients and fertility.

Soil compaction also compromises soil strength. When the soil is dense and of low porosity, roots have a harder time digging down through compacted layers to take hold.

Effects of Soil Compaction

Soil compaction has far-reaching implications as it affects all stages of soil life. Burrowing animals may have difficulty creating a habitat from compacted soil which will impact soil formation. Compacted soil increases the likelihood of aeration problems that impacts rooting plants. The flow of nutrients may drastically slow and impact crop and harvest schedules.

Plants and animals aren’t the only ones who need nutrition; soil does as well. If the soil isn’t fed properly, it cannot feed roots properly. When a root tries to make its way through soil and reaches a depth it can no longer push through, it will grow in horizontally resulting in a pancake effect. This stunts the growth of the plant and minimizes its ability to draw water and nutrition from the soil. As one plant is affected, so are all. Crop yields may be drastically reduced due to soil compaction.

The structure of the soil is another essential factor in the effects of compaction. When soil structure is destabilized, compaction from external pressure is easier to achieve. Soils subject to heavy traffic are slower to warm when compared with less compacted soils.

Try reshaping the slice of bread from earlier. Although the slice might be formed back into a square shape, its integrity has forever been altered and it is no longer what it once was.

Causes of Soil Compaction

Soil compaction is most often seen when machinery or automobiles pass over the surface. Soil types also have an influence on compaction depending on their moisture level and the contents of the soil’s organic matter. Organic matter works with other elements to bind soil particles together. Areas of land susceptible to compaction might contain wet soil that is much more likely to bind and compact.

When is Soil Compaction Desired?

Soil compaction is sometimes an end result. Take for instance the case of infrastructures like roadways and bridges. Considering that compacted soil is often strengthened by making it heavier due to the force of pressing soil particles together, this makes it desirable as a base for something like a highway.

The soil under man-made structures must be stable and less likely to erode or otherwise be carried away. Housing is also where soil compaction is necessary and welcomed for a solid foundation where there will be less settling or disturbance of the underlying soil structure.

Machines such as vibrating rollers or compactors are designed for just this purpose. Proof rolling, or test rolling, is a method used to determine if the soil will bear the long-term impacts of compaction and construction. 

 Minimizing Compaction

Since wet soil is more easily compacted than dry, it is best to stay off saturated lands to avoid compressing the soil with machinery. Increasing water infiltration and storage ability by incorporating natural coir geotextiles to help soil drain and aerate efficiently. Create more efficient practices around planting and harvest to stay off the land as much as possible and allow for nature to work unobstructed.

Compaction can be tested with a simple test. Drive a stake into the ground where there is little to no machinery or heavy traffic. Note how far the stake can be driven and the number of strikes to drive it to that depth. Now do the same in areas where compaction is suspected. Note the number of strikes to drive the stake as well as its corresponding depth. Although it’s not foolproof, this method gives a rudimentary assessment of soil compaction.

Soil compaction can have its upside if it is part of the underlying foundation of concrete, asphalt, etc., to build homes and roadways, but when compaction takes place and interferes with growth and production, it becomes a problem. The good news is that soil compaction takes place primarily from human activity and human interventions can minimize its impact.

Written by soilerosionst · Categorized: Soil Degradation, Soil Education · Tagged: Soil Compaction, Soil Structure

Sep 16 2019

Soil Erosion in the United States

The United States is one of the top producers of food products worldwide. According to ShareAmerica, the U.S. shipped over $139 billion worth of agricultural products just in 2018. Those are astonishing numbers since U.S. farmers struggle to feed the world despite harsh winters, torrential rains, and hot summers which all contribute to soil loss and erosion.

Why Is Soil Conservation so Important?

Over the last decade, the United States has seen radical changes in weather patterns that are resulting in massive flooding in the Midwest and California where most food crops are grown. Excessive water can compact the soil as well as cause the topsoil to wash away. Hot, dry summers sear the soil, and strong winds carry nutrient-rich topsoil away. 

Without topsoil, food crops can’t be grown, which could spell disaster for farmers trying to feed the population. The nation needs to stop the rapid loss of soil and take actionable steps towards soil conservation so farmers can continue growing much-needed food.

What Is Soil?

Soil covers all of the Earth and is comprised of thousands of components that create a dynamic ecosystem. Without soil, we could not grow food, and trees and plants that provide oxygen and clean the air would not exist. Earth would be an inhospitable place to live without soil. 

Soil is made up of decomposed minerals, water, gases, organic matter, and tiny microorganisms. For soil to support life, it must be porous enough for air and water to filter through so the microorganisms that break down organic and non-organic compounds can survive.

What is Topsoil?

Topsoil is the upper layer of soil between 3-9 inches deep and is rich in organic matter. The topsoil is where the microorganisms live and where most of the biological activity takes place. Decomposed organic matter and minerals are nutrient rich and can be found in the upper layer of soil. Microorganisms help with the decomposition and also help to fix nitrogen which is essential for plant growth. In addition, topsoil is home to worms and beetles that help to keep the soil aerated. 

Topsoil that is dark in color and has a deep earthy smell has the greatest concentration of nutrients available to plants so they can grow and thrive. In addition, rich topsoil has better water availability for plants to access. Keeping and managing topsoil from eroding is vital for agriculture and many farmers today understand the importance of managing topsoil to reduce their dependence on chemical fertilizers and nutrients.

The Importance of Soil Structure

Soil structure and texture help to determine the water holding capacity that soil has. The finer the particles of the soil and the more organic matter there is in the soil, the better the soil water availability is. If there is too much sand, water drains away, and if the soil is made primarily of dense clay, then too much water gets trapped. Soil structure needs the perfect balance of fine and dense for plants to thrive.

What Is Soil Erosion?

Factors that contribute to soil and topsoil erosion are wind, water, reduced amounts of organic matter, poor drainage of the soil, poor soil structure, and overuse of chemicals. Salinization can also be a contributing factor. Topsoil erosion is of great concern because this is where the plants receive nutrients to grow.

Not only does soil erosion take away the nutrients for the plants, but erosion can also have a negative impact on the surrounding environment. When wind or water carries topsoil away, it may end up clogging adjacent watercourses and wetlands which can restrict the flow of water and kill off food supplies to wildlife.

Soil Erosion in the  United States

According to a study by Cornell University, topsoil is disappearing at a terrifying rate in the United States, nearly 10 times faster than it can be replaced. The study states that almost two billion tons of farmland are lost to soil erosion every year resulting in loss of food crops and income.

The majority of food grown in the United States comes from the Midwest or the central valley of California, and both of these areas are seeing massive changes in weather. The loss of soil in the prime agricultural parts of the U.S. could become catastrophic if actionable steps are not taken soon to stop soil erosion.

What Are the Best United States Soil Conservation Service Organizations Available?

Fortunately, there are several organizations that provide a wealth of information about soils, soil erosion, and soil conservation.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) website, Natural Resources Conservation Service, has a lot of great information about soil diversity and soil conservation.

For information and education about soil use and conservation of the nations natural resources, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NCRS) works with private landowners to help create healthy ecosystems.

The National Association of Conservation Districts’ mission is to promote responsible use of all lands, and this includes soil conservation. The organization works with soil dynamics within a specific district of the United States.

Ways to Help Reduce Soil Erosion

There are several ways that farmers large and small can help with soil conservation and the prevention of soil erosion. 

One way is by not plowing, which is often called no-till farming. When a field is tilled after harvest, the topsoil gets turned over. Tilling removes plant matter and destroys beneficial microorganisms. Tilling also kills worms and insects that help to aerate the soil. No-till farming also allows the soil structure to remain intact, helping with its water holding capabilities.

Adding soil amendments, such as coir, can help improve soil’s ability to retain water, especially in soil that is heavily compacted. Coir and other soil amendments can help to loosen dense soils and help improve drainage. Adding amendments also helps to improve nutrient uptake for plants and reduce or eliminate dependency on chemical fertilizers.

Soil conservation, as well as education, are vitally important in reducing and stopping soil erosion in the United States. By helping to conserve the nation’s topsoil, the United States can continue to provide essential food crops to the world.

Written by soilerosionst · Categorized: Soil Education, Soil Erosion · Tagged: No Till Farming, Soil Conservation, Soil Erosion, Soil Structure

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