Soil Conservation
Soil is only a renewable resource if we carefully manage the ways in which we use soil. There
are natural cycles of unfortunate events like drought or insect plagues or outbreaks of disease
that negatively impact ecosystems and also harm the soil. But there are also many ways in
which humans neglect or abuse this important resource. One harmful practice is removing
the vegetation that helps to hold soil in place. Sometimes just walking or riding your bike
over the same place, will kill the grass that normally grows there. Other times land is
deliberately cleared to make way for some other use. The ‘lost’ soils may be carried away
by wind or running water. In many areas of the world, the rate of soil erosion is many times
greater than the rate at which it is forming. Soils can also be contaminated if too much salt
accumulates in the soil or where pollutants sink into the ground.
Figure 9.13: Organic material can be added to soil to help increase its fertility. ( 5 )There are many ways that we can protect and preserve our precious resources of soil. There
are many ways to help to keep soil in good condition. Adding organic material to the soil in
the form of plant or animal waste, like manure or compost, increases the fertility of the soil