20Jan2017
1
Conservingand
Managing
SoilandWater
Read:Chapters1,2and
19(agencies/programs)
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PurposesofSoil&Water
Conservation/Management
?Toconserve,protectandmanagesoiland
water.
?Tomaintainproductivecapacity.
?Tomaintainsustainableresources.
?Toprotectourenvironmentfrom:
–Watercontamination
–Aircontamination
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Whyareweconcerned?
(aboutsoilandwaterconservation)
?Itisaproblemthatfacesallofus!
?Beenaprobleminthepast,willbeaproblem
inthefuture.
–humanshaveacceleratedtheproblem.
?Yourfoodsupplyreliesonsound
management.
?Yourwatersupplyreliesonsound
management.
?Wildlifeareaffectedbygood(andbad)mgmt
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Whyareweconcerned?
(aboutsoilandwaterconservation)
?Ourresourcesarebecomingmorelimited
andcrucial
–Humanpopulationincreasing
?Humanfoodconsumptionisgreaterthan
thecombinationofallotheranimals.
?Asourpopulationincreasestherewillbe
greaterdemandplacedonsoil&water
(andotherresources)forfoodandfiber
production.
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OurResources(soil,water,air,plants,
animals,humans,minerals…)
?Whatarerenewableresources?
–Food&fiber(dependsonsoil,water...)
?Useit,canmakesomemore
?Whatarenon-renewableresources?
–Soil
?Slowprocesstomakemore
?~500yearstomakeoneinch
?Whatarerecyclableresources.
–Water-butlimitedforcropproduction
?Quantityversusquality
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Whataboutalternativefood
sources?
?Hydroponics.
–Soil-lessmix
–Sandorgravelcultures.
–Rockwool
?Aeroponics.
?Seafood.
Willthesealternativesfeedtheworld?
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IsThereMoreLandForCultivation?
?No.Lesseveryday!
–Worldwide(textbookuses1976estimates)
?56%undercultivation.
?15%isintensivelycropped.
?29%isunsuitedforcropproduction(inc)
?Thousandsofacreseverydayarebeing
convertedforurbandevelopment.
?Forexample,inmetroareaaround
Springfield,populationgrewinthe“open
country”by25-50%from1990-2000.
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20069
Hasproductionkeptupwith
demandforfoodandfiber?
?Yes,inNorthAmericaandother
technologicallydevelopedcountries.
?No,incountrieslikeAfghanistanandsimilar
technologicallyundevelopednations.
?Whattechnologiesareresponsiblefor
acceleratedfoodandfiberproduction?
–Newcropvarieties.
–Bio-technology,geneticengineering.
–Soilfertility,pestcontrol,irrigationprograms.
–Bettersoilandwaterconservation.
–Precisionfarming.
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Oldprobleminanewsetting
?Soilerosionisasoldasrecordedhistory.
?Didhumanscausethisproblem?
–Erosionisanaturalprocess
–Humanshavemadeitworse!
?Whatabouthistoryofsoilandwater
conservation/managementaroundthe
world(chapter2)?
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?Havetolookathistoryofagriculture.
?Landdisturbance…soil(windandwater)
erosion,flooding….
?Earliestknownsiteofcultivatedagriculture
–NorthernIraq,townofJarmo.Archaeologists
in1946foundastonesickle,datedto11,000
BC.
?Cropsincluded:Wheat,barley,grasses,lentils,
legumes
?Firstplow:4000B.C.
–Pointedstickpulledthroughsoil
–Likelyyokedto,andpulledby,ahuman
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Soildeteriorationand
sedimentationfromwindandwater
playedamajorroleinthedeclineof
earlycivilization
1314
Commondestructivepractices
among“former”civilizations
1.Overgrazingoflivestockonhills
2.Cultivation(leavingbaresoil)onhillsand
valleys
3.Clearcuttingofforestsinvalleysandhills
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?Mesopotamia,locatedattheconfluenceof
theTigrisandEuphratesrivers.
–NowpartofIraq.
–Afterthegreatflood,previouscivilizations
werewipedout.
?Thickdepositofbrownalluviumwasleft.
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Mesopotamia
?Arearesettledandknownas‘Sumer’.
–Kishwasthecapital.
?Abandonedcitywascoveredwithsandandsilt.
?BabylonsucceededKishascapitalof
Mesopotamia.
–KingNebuchadnezzar.
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Mesopotamia-Babylon
?Canalandirrigationsystem.
?Forestsonhillsidescutforconstruction.
?Overgrazedhillsidesbysheep/goats
?Canalssiltedinfasterthancleanedout.
?Babylonabandonedandburiedunder
erosionaldebris(13ft/4m).
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Mesopotamia(moderndayIraq),oncehad
anestimated25millionpeople
–Bythe1930s,Iraqhadapopulationofabout
4millionpeople.
–Failureofagricultureduetocanalssiltedin
andsoilsbecamesalinized(salt).
–Agriculturecouldn’tsupportlargepopulation.
–Todaytheareaisbadlygullied,mostofthe
“original”soilisgone.
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Agricultureandcultivationoflandspread.
?Antioch(nowpartofTurkey)
–Millionacresextremelyerodedwith3-6ft
(1-2m)soilremoved.(Depositedinvalleys)
–CityofJerashburiedinfloodplain(13ft/4m)
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NorthernAfrica(TunisiaandAlgeria)
–Farmersusedbettercropproduction
techniquesandmeasuresbutstill,after
centuries,waterandwinderosiondestroyed
soils.Overgrazingcontinued…
–Declineofpopulationresulted.
–Desertlikeconditionstoday.
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?Pressuretofeedthepopulationcausedsevere
soilerosion.
?Sedimentdestroyedirrigationsystems.
?Sedimentinstreamscausedmajorflooding.
?Malaria&otherdiseasesfromswampsnear
streamsforcedsideslopestobecultivated.
?Romehadtoimportgrainfromothercountries.
?Romanfarmersplantedolives,vegetables&
grapes.
Rome
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Numerousotherexamples
?China(NingxiacollaborationswithMSU)
?Russia
?Australia
?Africa
?MiddleEast
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?Astimepassed,aspopulationsspread
andemigratedthroughouttheworld,
severalexamplesofsoilconserving
measuresbeganbeingimplemented.
?Tosurviveandfeedthepeople,changes
hadtobemade.
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MachuPichu,Cuzco,Peru
Constructioninitiatedcirca1430byIncas,abandonedduringSpanishconquest.
Terracesareaprominentfeatureoftheirlandscapearchitecture(andoftheir
predecesors,e.g.Wari).26
UnitedStates
?Relatively‘young’country.
?InfluxofsettlersthroughoutUShistory
generatedneedpluslaborandmarketfor
food.
?Manyfromeuropeancountrieswhere
rainfallintensityless.
?Samepracticeswereused.Thusmore
damageinshorterperiodoftime.
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UnitedStates
?People,alongwithfarming,keptmoving
west.
–Deteriorationofsoilproductivityofeastern
farmswasonereason.
?Dustbowlof1930sinthePlainsstates
?WWIdemandforcrops
?Fallingpricesafterwar,GreatDepression,
increasedacrescropped.
?5yeardroughtcycle
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DustBowl1932-1937(1931-39)
?Dustfromtheplainstotheeastcoast
?1935SoilErosionService
→SoilConservationService(SCS)→Natural
ResourcesConservationService(NRCS).
?SinceUSAsettled,muchdamagetothe
land.
?Droughtsinaridregionscausingwind
erosion,wetyearsinhumidareascausing
watererosion.
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SurveyofcroplandinUSin1930’s
–12%ruined
–12%severelydamaged
–24%?topsoilgone
–24%withmeasurablesoilloss
–28%unaffected
?3billiontonslostannually
?5/12/1934duststorm….200milliontons
fromplainstoNY,WashingtonDC,and
thesea.
?Iowa:after100years,topsoildepth
reducedby?.
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Today
?Soilandwatermanagementstillaproblem
–Adoptionoftechnologydecreasedimpact
?Majorconcernis“Environmentalimpact”.
–<2%farmers
–98+%non-farmersdealwiththeimpacts
?Waterpollution.
?Airpollution.
?Flooding.
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Concernforallpeople
?Moretaxesforsoilandwaterconservation
practices.
–Terracesandgrassedwaterways,etc…
–CRP(ConservationReserveProgram)landis
financedthroughtaxes
?Highercoststocleanuppollutedwater.
?Higherratesoffishandaquaticlifekill.
–Impactonrecreationvalue
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USAAnnualcostsofsoilerosion
($44Billion)
?Waterrecreation-
$2.4Billion
?Waterstorage-
$0.8Billion
?Navigation-
$0.7Billion
?Flooding-
$0.9Billion
?Ditches-
$1.0Billion
?CommercialFishing
$0.5Billion
?MunicipalWater
Treatment$1.0Billion
?Municipaland
IndustrialUse
$1.2Billion
?SteamPowerCooling
$24Million
33Pimenteletal(1995)
Whataresomeobstaclestosoil
andwaterconservation?
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Costofconservationpractices?
?Canbecheap;canbeexpensive
–Minorchangesinmanagement,crops
–Differentequipment,morecost
–Dozer,earthmover…notcheap
?Drainage-expensive
?RunoffControl-expensive
?StateandFederalfundsforconservation.
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Whataresomeaesthetic&
culturalobstacles?
?Cleantilled(nocropresidue)vs
conservationtillage(looksugly?).
?Straightrows(pretty/pride?)vscontour
rows(“crooked”rows).
?Familyfarminghistory(tradition).
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Aesthetics/Tradition/Equipment
Availability/Pests?
Notillage
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Insecurity,uncertainty,
ignorance&apathy.
?Somefarmersmayhaveshorttermgoals.
–Tennantfarmer.
–Inheritedland.
?Lackofeducationonimpactofpoor
managementofsoil/water.
?Possessiveownershipofland&individual
rights.
–“Nooneisgoingtotellmehowtomanagemy
land!”
?Erosiongradualandsubtle,tillage
smoothesoutgullieseachyear.38
Regulations
?1985FarmBill(FoodSecurityAct)
–LimitcroplanderosiontoreceiveUSDA
benefits
–Limitdrainageofwetlands
?Localandstateordinancesfor
constructionsites
?EPA/DNRenforcement:excess
contaminants/sediment/nutrients/
bacteria
?USArmyCorpsofEngineers
–CleanWaterAct39
Ourconservationviewpoint
?Musteducatepeoplerelativetoimpactof
soilandwaterconservation.
?Optimizetheuseofeachacreofland
(i.eproductiongoalswithincapabilities,
notmaximize)
?Protecteachacreoflandbasedonits
individualneeds.
?Managesoilstotheiroptimumeconomic
returnwithoutcausingsoil/waterconcerns.
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LandUse&Management
?Managesoilswithintheircapabilities.
?Eachland-userecognized&treated
differently
–Cropland,Pastureland,Rangeland,
Woodland,Wildlife,Urban
?Thus,choosetherightcombinationof
practicestoimplement.
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Choosingconservation
practices
?Mustunderstandsoilpropertiesthat
influencekindsofconservationpractices.
–Texture,structure,landscapeposition,length
ofslope,steepnessofslope,infiltration,etc.
?Mustknowhowtointerpretsoilsurvey
maps,topographicmapsforconservation
planning.
?Mustconsiderallalternativesoilandwater
conservationpractices.
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20Jan2017
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Ultimategoalsofsoilandwater
conservation/management
?Manageoursoilandwaterresources
sothatwefeedtheworldyetleave
theseresourcesinbettershapethan
whenwefirststartedusingthem(soil
fertility,wildlife,airquality,water
quality,etc).
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