Conserving the Environment – Soil Conservation

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soil conservation

What does conserving the environment mean? Why has this become important to us? We humans have exploited the reserves of our natural resources to the extremes and further depletion of these resources would mean extinction of living beings on the earth. The need of the hour is to save our planet earth from becoming a cold planet once again. It is time for us to think seriously take corrective action. Our goal should be to make life more sustainable on Earth. There are many ways to preserve our environment but in this article we will discuss about the most important one which is Soil Conservation.

soil conservation

What is Soil?  

It is the unconsolidated portion of the earth’s crust that is modified through biotic, physical and chemical processes into a medium that supports growth of plants. The properties of the soil sway the physical & natural infrastructure of the landscape and ecosystem.

Soil Conservation

It is preventing loss of soil due to erosion or reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, Stalinization or other chemical soil contamination.

With the advancement in technology there are new fields of study that have developed and one of them is study of Soil. There are specialists called the Environment Consultants who conduct tests to check the health of soil by way soil surveys and soil testing. They check the land by conducting Land Contamination Tests, Waste Disposal Projects so that loss of fertile soil can prevented.

It is vast topic and we will not be able to take account of all points here. Let’s only discuss the ways in which the fertility of soil can be checked and maintained.

Soil Surveys

It is also known as Soil Mapping , the specialists in this field collects samples of different types of soils and conducts a systematic examination of the soil . Later classifies them according to their description , types and properties for particular area. This provides data for making interpretations as to the adaptability of particular soils for agricultural purpose. At times Reconnaissance Surveys are also conducted where the soil boundaries are plotted for observations and checked for changes at defined intervals.

Soil Testing

In agricultural terms soil testing refers to an analysis of soil sample of a particular area or region to determine the nutrient content, composition and other characteristics such as acidity or the pH levels.  A soil test determines the fertility of soil , expected growth prospective  of the soil which indicates the nutrient deficiencies, possible toxicities from excessive fertilization or inhibitions from the presence of non essential minerals that are traced in the soil test.  This test is used to imitate the function of roots to assimilate minerals and nutrients.

The preeminent way of conserving soil recycling household waste, replanting of trees, saving water, reducing water pollution. By protecting our environment, we are protecting ourselves in turn. It is not only about us it is about our generations to come. We cannot change others but we can change ourselves for sure.

Photo Credit: flickr.com

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