Soil And The Enviroment Essay, Research Paper
SOIL Soil Erosion The soil over North America is becoming more and more useless for agriculture purposes. A great deal of the fertile top soil has vanished leaving behind a cement like surface of rocks and pebbles. This deterioration of the soil is called erosion . The forces most responsible for this kind of erosion are wind, water and ice. For many years leaves and grasses on the prairies protected the soil from the force of heavy rains permitting water not to be absorbed into the soil but into the leaves and grasses then. When man cut away trees, leaving areas barren, gone was the soils protection which resulted in soil erosion. This caused the soil to wear away using up all its goodness, leaving you with garbage soil. In the l930 s the Prairies in Alberta were overused, farmers constantly planted in the soil year after year, not giving the soil a break, which eventually turned the land into dust. In Manitoba heavy flooding was blamed on soil errosion was caused as water was not being absorbed into the ground was running off easily. Little or no rainfall also causes soil errosion, droughts make rivers and streams dry out leaving little or no water for farm lands. Today Governments are investing tax dollars to prevent the earth s surface from erosion by researching ways to absorb and keep rainfall in reserve below the surface.
SOIL Soil Pollution In order to survive humans rely on food. All foods in some direct and indirect way rely on soil to grow. Fruits and vegetables are grown in soil, while cows and chickens etc. eat foods (grass) grown in soil and fish swim in polluted waters (industry pollution). Biologists are becoming more and more concerned that chemicals in the air (car exhausts) on the roads (salt in the winter) in the lakes and streams (from industry pollution) and pesticides and insecticides (kill weeds and insects) are getting into our digestive systems through foods. While most pesticides break down in the soil causing no harm to humans others can take years to do so. It is feared that one day man s immune system will no longer fight off these chemicals. Today more and more companies are coming up with environmentally safer solutions that do not give off pollution into the soil. Soil on the Moon and Planets Some people fear that man will take its means of destruction of the earth s environment to other planets in the universe. While technology advances it also brings with it lack of consideration for one s environment . What is unknown is the ability of man to adjust the soil of other planets to produce foods to which he is accustomed to. Questions remain as to whether other planets would have soils able to produce viable crops and agriculture which can sustain man on those planets.