Post on 29-Jan-2016
Soil and LandIAFNR MODULE 4NATURAL RESOURCES
Let’s Review…
• What is soil?
• How is soil formed?
• What is the soil profile?
• How is soil classified?
Look Familiar? Let’s see what you remember from the Plant and Soil Science
Module!
What is soil?
• Traditionally, Soil is defined as…– The material that nourishes
and supports growing plants. It can include rocks, water, snow, and even air, all of which are capable of supporting plant life.
Image retrieved from: http://bonnieplants.com/library/articles/soil-soil-building/
Formation of Soil
• Five Factors of Soil Formation– Parent Material-The rock or
other material in which soil is formed• Glaciers• Wind• Water• Gravity
– Time– Climate– Organisms– Topography
SOIL PICTURE W/ Grass
Organisms
Time
Topography
Climate
Parent Material
The Soil Profile
Image retrieved from: http://clu-in.org/ecotools/seq.cfm
Soil Classifications
• Soils are classified just like plants
• They are grouped according to their– Agronomic Use- good/ poor soil for certain crops– Color– Organic Matter Content- mineral soil or peat soil– Texture- sand or loam– Moisture Condition-wet or dry
• Scientific Classification– 12 soil orders- used worldwide
• Broken down into suborders, great groups, subgroups, families, and series
– Soil series- used locally
Image retrieved from: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:SoilTexture_USDA.png
More about Soil:
Erosion
What is Erosion?• The process of wearing
away or removal of the surface layer of anything. Especially in natural resources management, erosion refers to the loss of surface soil to water and wind.
Image retrieved from: http://www.tn.gov/agriculture/water/arcf.shtml
When is Erosion a problem?
• Soil Erosion is Normal– Natural erosion, called geological erosion, is happening on all types of
soils at all times at a slow pace– It is a normal part of the soil formation process, but becomes a
problem in these three cases:• Accelerated Erosion
– The normal rate of erosion is sped up when land is cleared or vegetation removed
• Water Caused Erosion– Water causes
• Splash Erosion-caused by the striking of rain upon the earth’s surface• Runoff Erosion-more destructive, caused by moving surface water
• Wind-Caused Erosion– Damage from both drying out and moving soil particles
Did you know a raindrop
strikes earth at about 20
mph?!
Types of ErosionSheet
• Gradual, somewhat uniform removal of surface soil
• Results in gradual reduction of topsoil thickness and lower soil productivity
• Advanced cases show discolored places in fields
Rill
• Rapid and more visible kind of erosion
• Streamlet cuts in the soil surface from running water
– Larger rills are considered gullies
Image example of sheet and rill erosion in one field
Image retrieved from: http://luirig.altervista.org/pics/index4.php?search=Severe+sheet+and+rill+erosion+on+highly+erodible+soils+in+Cas...&page=1
Types of Erosion
Gully• Formation is obvious or easy to
recognize
• Difficult for tractors and farm equipment to cross
Sandblows• Two forms of damage
– Soil removal• Surface is dry/loose and blows
away
– Sand deposits or drifts• Wind forced to change direction
quickly
Image retrieved from: http://luirig.altervista.org/pics/index4.php?search=Gully+erosion+in+corn+field.+Ionia+County,+Michigan.&
page=1
Image retrieved from: http://www.showme.net/~fkeller/quake/liquefaction.htm
Non-Farm Erosion Control
• Erosion doesn’t just occur in agriculture!– It is important to control when
• Buildings are constructed• Highways or road are built• Mining or any underground
work is being done
• Erosion control through mechanical techniques and vegetation
Image retrieved from: http://www.ch2m.com/corporate/europe/projects/coastal-erosion-uk.asp#.VSVAnU3wuHs
Non-Farm Erosion Control
Mechanical
• Ditches– Used to direct the flow of runoff
– Secured with concrete, rocks, or sod
• Waterways– Collect excess soil water and move
it somewhere else to be disposed of
• Bank Protection– Stabilization for steep banks in
construction areas
– Mulch, concrete, rocks typically used
Vegetative
• Lawns– More than just your front yard!
• Sod– A living layer of grass and topsoil
– Quick fix to erosion problem
• Mulch– Maintains surface moisture and
holds grass seeds in place
Land Fills and Solid Waste Management
Image retrieved from: http://thetrashblog.com/2013/02/19/landfill-tourism/
What is Solid Waste?
• Solid Waste– Nonliquid, non soluble, materials ranging from municipal
garbage to industrial wastes that contain complex, and sometimes hazardous, substances.
– Includes • Municipal Waste
– Urban and rural trash disposal to landfills
• Industrial Waste– Trash from industrial processes that is not disposed of in landfills
• Sewage, sludge, agricultural refuse, demolition wastes and mining residues
• Liquids and gases in containers
Image retrieved from: http://cliparts.co/clipart/25954
Types of Solid Waste
Hazardous Waste
• Waste with properties that make it dangerous or potentially harmful to human health or the environment– Considered hazardous if
• Ignitable, corrosive, reactive, or toxic
Nonhazardous Waste
Image retrieved from: https://www.westlanddc.govt.nz/hazardous-waste
Image retrieved from: http://www.nreresearch.com/home/index.php/us/msw-treatment
• Municipal and industrial waste– Does not meet definitions of
hazardous or radioactive waste
Types of Solid Waste
Radioactive Waste
• Three types– Low-level waste
• Medical wastes from hospitals
– High-level waste• Used nuclear reactor fuel
– Uranium mill tailings• Residues leftover after uranium
ore is processed
Image retrieved from: http://www.tophazardouswaste.com/chemicalwaste.php
Waste Disposal
• Humans have disposed of waste for centuries by burying it– Large-scale disposal hauls waste to a rural landfill – Up until the 1960’s this was still how waste was disposed of
• Effects of waste disposal– Studies revealed that significant amounts of water percolate through
landfills• This water transports contaminants such as bacteria and viruses
– Water, usually comes from rain or melting snow, is called leachate
– Leachate then enters groundwater for human use
Where Does Your Trash Go?
Landfills• An open area into
which garbage is placed, to be covered by a layer of some other material, typically soil.
• Natural attenuation landfills• Holds waste in a covered
area and allows percolation through soil
• Three shapes; grade, canyon, or trench
• Containment landfills• Designed with a liner to
minimize seepage of leachate into soil and groundwater
Image retrieved from: http://www.johnstonnc.com/recycling/swcontent.cfm?pageid=landfill
Recycling
• Why Recycle?– Solid Waste disposal is wasteful and costly– Recycling centers employ over 1 million Americans– Savings in energy
• Energy required to recycle a pound of reusable metal is only 5% of what it takes to produce a pound of aluminum from raw ore
• Do you recycle?– What’s happening in Indianapolis
• http://wishtv.com/2014/08/06/controversial-indy-recycling-plant-gets-green-light/
Covanta- Energy from Waste
References
Barras, D. (2014, Aug. 6). Controversial Indy recycling plant gets green light. Retrieved from: http://wishtv.com/2014/08/06/controversial-indy-recycling-plant-gets-green-light/
Camp, W., & Heath-Camp, B. (2009) Managing our Natural Resources. New York: Delmar.
CBSTV20. (2011, March 7). Where does your trash go? Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ermDZy6Flr0
Covanta. (2013, June 11). Animated Video: Learn How Trash Turns Into Renewable Energy at Covanta. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0_0ePXlJ44