soil conservation
Preserving earth's surface
Soil conservation is the practice of protecting farmland and other terrain from erosion, nutrient depletion, and degradation.
Methods include contour plowing, crop rotation, terracing, and planting cover crops.
The term emerged as agricultural science recognized that topsoil lost to wind and water takes centuries to replace: The Dust Bowl spurred federal soil conservation programs.
Cutting slopes into steps
- cover cropsPlants shielding fallow fields
- crop rotationAlternating field plantings yearly
- mulchingCovering soil protectively
- strip croppingAlternating planted bands
windbreaks · agroforestry · permaculture · green manure · composting · biochar · organic matter · humus
Range of life forms
- habitat restorationReviving degraded natural environments
- pollinator gardensHabitat for nectar-seekers
- earthwormsSoil-dwelling segmented invertebrates
- mycorrhizaeFungal-root mutualistic associations
nitrogen fixation · carbon sequestration · organic farming · polyculture · native plants · seed banks · green belts · beneficial insects
Restoring lost plant cover
- afforestationIntroducing woods to treeless land
- reforestationReplanting depleted woodlands
- geotextilesPermeable fabrics for earthworks
- gabionsStone-filled wire enclosures
hydroseeding · shelterbelts · ground cover · root systems · wind erosion · water erosion
terracing
Cutting slopes into steps
- cover cropsPlants shielding fallow fields
- crop rotationAlternating field plantings yearly
- mulchingCovering soil protectively
strip cropping · windbreaks · agroforestry · permaculture · green manure · composting · biochar · organic matter · humus · rainwater harvesting
biodiversity
Range of life forms
- habitat restorationReviving degraded natural environments
- pollinator gardensHabitat for nectar-seekers
- earthwormsSoil-dwelling segmented invertebrates
mycorrhizae · nitrogen fixation · carbon sequestration · organic farming · polyculture · native plants · seed banks · green belts · beneficial insects
revegetation
Restoring lost plant cover
- afforestationIntroducing woods to treeless land
- reforestationReplanting depleted woodlands
- geotextilesPermeable fabrics for earthworks
gabions · hydroseeding · shelterbelts · ground cover · root systems · wind erosion · water erosion
- desert conservationwater management, habitat restoration, endangered species, native plants, invasive species
- land conservationprotected areas, land trusts, protected lands, land stewardship, land restoration
- American Farmingfamily farms, corn, wheat, hay, farmsteads
- conservationwildlife, endangered, habitat, sanctuary, preservation
- ecologyhabitat, ecosystem, balance, niche, food webs
- conservation effortshabitat restoration, reforestation, marine sanctuaries, national parks, nature reserves
soil conservationsoil erosion
Loss of topsoil
soil depletion · strip mining · overgrazing · deforestation · desertification
soil, soiled, conservation, soils, topsoil, soiling, unsoiled, subsoil, soilless