Soil Conservation

Soil conservation is the prevention of soil from erosion or reduced fertility caused by overuse, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination. slash-and-burn and other unsustainable methods of subsistence farming are practiced in some lesser developed areas. A sequel to the deforestation is typically large scale erosion, loss of soil nutrients and sometimes total desertification.It has become common to speak of conserving natural resources such as trees or fossil fuels. Yet long before humans recognized the need to make responsible use of things taken from the ground, they learned to conserve the ground itself—that is, the soil. This was a hard-won lesson: failure to conserve soil has turned many a fertile farmland into temporary dust bowl or even permanent desert.

 

Techniques such as crop rotation aid in conservation efforts, but communities continue to face hazards associated with the soil. There is, for instance, the matter of leaching, the movement of dissolved substances through the soil, which, on the one hand, can benefit it but, on the other hand, can rob it of valuable nutrients. Issues of soil contamination also raise concerns that affect not just farmers but the population as a whole.

 

Contour Farming

 

Contour ploughing

Contour farming orients crop furrows following the contour lines of the farmed area. Furrows move left and right to maintain a constant altitude, which reduces runoff. Contour farming was practiced by the ancient Phoenicians, and is effective for slopes between two and ten percent.^[1] Contour plowing can increase crop yields from 10 to 50 percent, partially as a result from greater soil retention.

Erosion barriers

Erosion barriers on disturbed slope, Marin County, California

Erosion Barrier Installations provides alternative erosion prevention and restoration services along shorelines and waterways throughout Florida and the Southeastern United States. We have dedicated our time and resources to innovatively overcome the existing erosion challenges that continue to harm the environment. This environmental sensitive approach to shoreline erosion control and prevention ensures that our erosion barrier installations protect your most valued asset; your land, while also improving water quality in lakes, ponds, and canals.