Soil Conservation Flashcards
What are the short and long term costs of erosion
Short term: nutrient losses
Long-term costs: loss of land value and decreased production
What are the 4 types of water erosion
Sheet, Rill, Gully, Streambank
What are the 3 types of wind erosion?
Suspension, saltation, and creep
What is suspension erosion (wind)?
very fine dirt and dust. Can be transported over very long distances.
What is Saltation erosion (wind)?
most common, picks up velocity as it goes, knocks other particles lose, can cause damage to soil surface and vegetation
What is creep erosion (wind)?
too large to be lifted by air, particles roll across the surface
What are the 5 factors affecting wind erosion?
- Soil erodibility
- Ridge roughness
- Climate factors
- Vegetative cover
- Length:unsheltered distance across a field, measured along the prevailing wind direction
What are conservation practices to reduce erosion?
Cover crops
Green Manure
contour plowing
What is contour plowing?
Cut along the natural contour to slow the slope
What is strip cropping?
two different crops growing at the same time (cover crop).
Can also use contour strip cropping
What is Riparian buffer?
on the side of a stream. Protect waterway from erosion coming off your field. If you have a field in a nutrient sensitive watershed you have to use this method.
