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Erosion control is the practice of preventing or controlling wind or water erosion in agriculture, land development, coastal areas, river banks and construction. Effective erosion controls handle surface runoff and are important techniques in preventing water pollution , soil loss , wildlife habitat loss and human property loss.
soil type and structure. For example, sandy soil holds little water while clay soils have high water-retention rates; the amount of water used by the plants/crops; how much nitrate is already present in the soil. [3] The level of nitrous oxide (N 2 O) in the Earth's atmosphere is increasing at a rate of 0.2 to 0.3% annually.
Tilling the soil, or tillage, is the breaking of soil, such as with a plough or harrow, to prepare the soil for new seeds. Tillage systems vary in intensity and disturbance. Conventional tillage is the most intense tillage system and disturbs the deepest level of soils. At least 30% of plant residue remains on the soil surface in conservation ...
The vadose zone of the soil below the soil surface and the water table is subject to four main hydrological inflow and outflow factors: [3] Infiltration of rain and irrigation water (Irr) into the soil through the soil surface (Inf) : Inf = Rain + Irr; Evaporation of soil water through plants and directly into the air through the soil surface ...
Soil conditioners may be used to improve water retention in dry, coarse soils which are not holding water well. The addition of organic material for instance can greatly improve the water retention abilities of sandy soils and they can be added to adjust the pH of the soil to meet the needs of specific plants or to make highly acidic or ...
Research to improve the water-use efficiency of crop plants has been ongoing from the early 20th century, however with difficulties to actually achieve crops with increased water-use efficiency. [5] Intrinsic water-use efficiency W i usually increases during soil drought, due to stomatal closure and a reduction in transpiration, and is ...
The rows formed slow surface water run-off during rainstorms to prevent soil erosion and allow the water time to infiltrate into the soil. Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the topmost layer of the soil from erosion or prevention of reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil ...
Soil erosion is the main factor for soil degradation and is due to several mechanisms: water erosion, wind erosion, chemical degradation and physical degradation. Erosion can be influenced by human activity. For example, roads which increase impermeable surfaces lead to streaming and ground loss.