DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Region I
Pangasinan Division II
MANGALDAN NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Mangaldan, Pangasinan

Name: Date of Submission:

Year and Section: Name of Teacher:

QUARTER 1
Earth Science Worksheet 6

SOIL

Soil helps sustain life on Earth—including your life. You

already know that soil supports the growth of plants, which
in turn supply food for animals. Therefore, soil provides you
with nearly all the food you eat. But that’s not all. Many other
items you use, such as cotton clothing and medicines, come
from plants. Lumber in your home comes from trees. Even
the oxygen you breathe comes from plants.

On the other hand, land-use practices can harm soil. The way
people use land can affect the levels of nutrients and
pollution in soil. Any activity that exposes soil to wind and
rain can lead to soil loss. Farming, construction and
development, and mining are among the main activities that
impact soil resources.

SOIL USES
1. Soil serves as media for growth of all kinds
of plants.
2. Soil adjusts the atmosphere by emitting
and absorbing gases and dust.
3. Soil provides habitat for living organisms.
Soil absorbs, holds, releases, changes, and
purifies most of the water in terrestrial
systems.
4. Soil processes recycled nutrients,
including carbon, so that living things
canuse them over and over again.
5. Soil serves as materials for construction of
infrastructures.
6. Soils act as a living filter to clean water
before it moves into an aquifer.

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SOIL DEGRADATION

Among the land used for agriculture and forestry, soil is an important component. The intensive and
increasing pressure on land leads to its degradation and pollution, which may result in a partial or
complete loss of its productive capacity. Soil degradation can be defined as a process by which one or
more of the potential ecological functions of the soil are harmed or destroyed. Soil degradation is a
process that lowers the current and/or future capacity of the soil to produce goods and services.

Soil degradation can be either a result of natural hazards or due to unsuitable land use and
inappropriate land management practices. Mismanagement of arable areas by farmers, cultivation
practices that are not adapted to local environments and overgrazing by livestock are seen as the
major causes of soil degradation.

Water Erosion

• Rainfall: The impact of raindrops on the soil surface can break down soil aggregates and
disperse the aggregate material over the surface. Lighter aggregate materials such as very fine
sand, silt, clay, and organic matter can be easily removed by the raindrop splash and runoff
water. Greater raindrop energy or runoff amounts might be required to move the larger sand
and gravel particles. Runoff can occur whenever there is excess water on a slope that cannot
be absorbed into the soil or trapped on the surface. The amount of runoff can be increased if
infiltration is reduced due to soil compaction, crusting, or freezing.
• Soil type: Soil erodibility is an estimate of the ability of soils to resist erosion, based on the
physical characteristics of each soil type. In general, soils with faster infiltration rates, higher
levels of organic matter and improved soil structure have a greater resistance to erosion.
Sand, sandy loam and loam-textured soils tend to be less erodible than silt, very fine sand,
and certain clay textured soils.
• Slope gradient: Naturally, the steeper the slope of a field, the greater the amount of soil loss
from erosion by water. Soil erosion by water also increases as the slope length increases due
to the greater accumulation of runoff.
• Soil use: Plant and residue cover protects the soil from raindrop impact and splash, tends to
slow down the movement of surface runoff and allows excess surface water to infiltrate.

Wind Erosion

The rate and magnitude of soil erosion by wind is influenced by the following factors:

• Erodibility of soil: Wind can suspend very fine particles and then transport it over great
distances. Fine and medium size particles can be lifted and deposited, while coarse particles
can be blown along the surface (commonly known as the saltation effect).
• Soil surface roughness: Soil surfaces that are not rough or ridged offer little resistance to the
wind. However, over time, ridges can be filled in and the roughness broken down by abrasion
to produce a smoother surface susceptible to the wind.
• Climate: The speed and duration of the wind has a direct connection to the extent of soil
erosion. Soil moisture levels can be very low at the surface during periods of drought, thus
releasing the particles for transport by wind.

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 • Vegetative cover: The lack of permanent vegetation cover in certain locations has resulted in
extensive erosion by wind. Loose, dry, bare soil is the most susceptible. The most effective
vegetative cover for protection should include an adequate network of living windbreaks
combined with good tillage, residue management, and crop selection.

Chemical Deterioration
• Chemical deterioration of soils is often also due to agricultural over exploitation, relying solely
on replenishing nutrient losses through harvesting by artificial fertilizers. Artificial fertilizers
most often not able to balance all nutrients, leading to an imbalance in soil. They are also not
able to replenish the loss of organic matter, which is important for nutrient absorption.
Furthermore, artificial fertilizers can be polluted (e.g., phosphate rock is often radioactively
contaminated).

Physical Deterioration
• Physical deterioration involves soil crusting, sealing and compaction and can be caused by
several factors like compaction through heavy machines or animals.
• Soil crusting and compaction tend to increase runoff, decrease the infiltration of water into
the soil, prevent or inhibit plant growth and leave the surface bare and subject to other forms
of degradation. Severe crusting of the soil surface because of breakdown of soil aggregates
can inhibit water entry into the soil and prevent seedling emergence.

HUMAN ACTIVITIES THAT AFFECT THE SOIL QUALITY

1. Agricultural Depletion- Farmers boost the growth of their crops by adding nutrients to
soil in the form of organic or artificial fertilizers. However, some fertilizers hinder natural
microorganisms from creating nutrients to replace the ones lost during farming. Fertilizers
become potential pollutants when they run off to nearby bodies of water or when they
seep into ground water.

2. Overgrazing Animals - Grazing animals are animals that live on large areas of
grassland. Overgrazing destroys natural vegetation and causes the soil to wash or
blow away more easily. In many dry regions of the world, overgrazing and the clearing of
land for farming have led to desertification. It is the expansion of desert conditions
in areas where the natural plant cover has been destroyed.

3. Deforestation- Deforestation is another practice that can greatly increase the rate of
erosion in a region. One of the most important barriers to erosion is plant life, as long-
lived trees and other species put down roots that literally help hold the soil together.
Logging kills these plants, and even if the operation plants new trees toreplace the old
ones, the younger plants require years to put down the kind of root system that once
protected the soil.

4. Mining operations- are major contributors to erosion, especially on a local level. Many mining
techniques involve shifting large amounts of earth, such as strip mining or mountaintop removal.
In mining operations that expose sulfide minerals, the increased in chemical weathering
causes a type of pollution known as acid drainage. Sulfide minerals react with their air,
and the water to produce sulfuric acid. Then the acid water drains from the mines,
polluting the soil in surrounding areas.

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5. Development and Expansion - Urban and suburban development can also exacerbate
erosion, especially if the developers ignore the natural state of the land. Construction of
a building often begins by clearing the area of any plants or other natural defenses against
soil erosion. To make roads, houses, shopping malls, and other buildings, people need to
dig up the soil. Some of the soil at construction sites washes or blows away because its
protective plant cover has been removed.

6. Recreational activities, like driving vehicles off-road or hiking - Humans also cause
erosion when hiking and riding off-road vehicles. An even greater amount of erosion
occurs when people drive off-road vehicles over an area. Bare spots eventually develop
on spaces frequented by humans. No plants can grow here, and erosion becomes a
serious problem in these areas.

SOIL CONSERVATION PRACTICES

Agricultural Depletion

A. Terrace Planting – This type of planting is done by

maximizing the topography of the land. It benefits
from the way the rainwater flows naturally. This is
a way to protect the soil from erosion. It is also a
proven method to encourage growth from moist
soil areas.

B. Crop Rotation – The way you plant your crops

can have an impact on the soil. Crop rotation is
a process that works to conserve soil. It is accomplished
by planting andgrowing a serious of different crops in
the same soil. This process prevents overgrowth of
pathogens and a lack of fertility in the soil, overall.

C. Add Earthworms – There are a variety of things that live

in the soil around us. You can add earthworms to your soil
to ensure its health. This is a conservation method that
encourages the decomposition of organic material. This is
what earthworms do on a regular basis. They increase the
soil’s ability to absorb nutrients.

D. Indigenous Crops – Farming is all about diversity, but

indigenous crops are important. These are native crop
options that enhance the soil. Planting these is a way to
ensure conservation efforts. They should be planted even
when diverse crops are being planted, as well.

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 E. Plant Windbreak – Also known
as a cover crop, they are composed of
shrubs, plants, and trees. They work in
combination and serve a conservation
purpose. These will work together to
slow the force of wind over ground
areas. This is a method that can also
work to prevent erosion of the soil.

F. No-Till Farming – There are several approaches used when it comes to farming. It is
possible to do this work and still conserve the soil. No-till farming is an approach that allows
crops to remain in place for a season. This keeps the soil from being left bare and
unprotected.

Overgrazing Animals

A. Feed supplement- Pasture forage can be augmented

with stored livestock feed.

B. Pasture scheduling- Livestock can be pulled off

pasture and have better schedules. Having schedule,
allows the organisms such as grass in the soil to recover.
Thus, protecting the soil.

C. Grazing chart and replanting- A percentage of

posture acres can be planted form warm or cool season
species while perennial-species recover.

D. Managing numbers- If those animals

aren’t properly managed and rotated, range quality will suffer, and overgrazing will
occur. Limit herd.

Deforestation

A. Forest Protection – The natural forest

cover in many areas has been decreased
due to commercial activity. One of the
purposes this cover provided was the
protection of the soil. Businesses
involved in building can conserve by
ensuring these areas are protected.

B. Rain garden – It is a shallow depression in

the land which holds and collects running
water from impervious surfaces and prevents
erosion while saving the nutrients that
inevitably get washed away. This also gives
you a good bed to grow wetland plants.

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 C. Reforestation- New crops or plants are planted
in an area that once used to bear foliage but now
has none. Reforestation brings a piece of land back
to life.

D. Afforestation- New crops or plants are planted

on a piece of land that had previously been barren.

Mining Operations

A. Incorporating environmentalism – incorporating environmental matters as a basic part

of short- and long-range planning for all projects and operations.
B. Following rules – Complying with all applicable environmental laws, regulations,
and prescribed standards and criteria, and ensuring that its contractors do
likewise.
C. Transparency – Regularly reporting performance on environmental matters
through regulatory authorities.
D. Operational evaluation – Assess, coordinate, and monitor the environmental
aspects of Kennecott's projects and operations for uniform and consistent compliance
with current and anticipated laws, regulations, and standards
E. Education – Develop and maintain a continuing education and training
program in environmental matters for all staff

Development and Expansion

A. Reduction of impervious surface/concrete surfaces- Driveway`s patios and paved pathways

allow precipitation to flow freely off them. Lots of concrete surfaces, especially in residential areas
make it difficult for water to get to the soil. Using paving stones for patios and gardens work to
protect the soil.

B. Stream bank protection- During floods, stream banks can often cave in. Preventing this by
constructing walls along the banks or planting useful tree species will prevent this in the future and
prevent soil loss down the stream.

C. Plant tress- Simply planting trees is a good conservation method. As the tree grows, its roots
become even more secure in the soil. Erosion will be prevented from this process.

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Activity
Produce a videoblog showing some steps for to help soil conservation.

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