3.7 Managing soil erosion

Question 1

strategies to reduce soil
erosion

Answer 1

• terracing
• contour ploughing
• bunds
• wind breaks
• maintaining vegetation cover
• addition of organic matter to improve soil structure
• planting trees, mixed cropping, intercropping
  and crop rotation

Question 2

strategies to reduce soil erosion caused by wind

4

Answer 2

wind breaks;
maintaining vegetation cover / intercropping;
addition of organic matter to improve soil structure;
planting trees;

Question 3

terracing

Answer 3

• prevents the erosion of soil by rainwater on steep slopes
• Terracing creates flat steps that reduce slope and runoff speed, holding back soil and retaining water with bunds.

Question 4

Contour ploughing

Answer 4

• ploughing of land along the contour in a parallel way.
• Ridges and troughs (furrows) run along the contour.
• Each furrow holds water and prevents water from running down the slope, preventing the formation of gullie and run-off of topsoil.

Question 5

bunds

Answer 5

• artificial banks at the edges of growing spaces to hold back water.
• made by building ridges
• Useful for crops that require moist soils

Question 6

wind breaks

Answer 6

a permeable barrier used to reduce the impact of wind on an area.

Question 7

maintaining vegetation cover

Answer 7

• Sowing legumes immediately after a crop has been harvested prevents soil erosion.
• It also provides more nitrogen to the soil, increasing its fertility for the next major crop.
• When cultivating, the legumes can be ploughed.

Question 8

addition of organic matter to improve soil
structure

Answer 8

• Improves soil structure by creating additional air gaps.
• Increases decomposers in the soil that feed on organic matter.
• Adds nutrients to the soil through decomposition.
• Retains water like a sponge, preventing dehydration.
• Reduces soil erosion by stabilizing smaller particles.

Question 9

Planting trees:

Answer 9

A row of trees acts as a windbreak;
Provide a natural habitat for animals that feed on pests;

Question 10

Mixed cropping

Answer 10

growing more than one type of plant in the same area.

Question 11

Intercropping

Answer 11

rows of a different crop are grown between the rows of the main crop.

Question 12

crop rotation

Answer 12

alternating the types of crops grown in a specific area across different seasons or years