Soil Conservation and Traditional/Sustainable Agriculture

Question 1

Soil erosion is affected by the following factors…

Answer 1

1) climate, 2) slope steepness, 3) type of vegetation

Question 2

Methods of soil conservation

Answer 2

terracing, contour plowing, strip cropping, and shelterbelt

Question 3

terracing

Answer 3

step like ridges are built and arranged sideways on a hill; slows down water erosion

Question 4

contour plowing

Answer 4

cultivated rows run sideways, rather than up and down; slows down water erosion

Question 5

strip cropping

Answer 5

different crops regrown on the same pice of land and rotated the next year; catches soil eroded from other crops

Question 6

shelterbelt

Answer 6

rows of trees are planted close together to help force wind moving upward away from the ground

Question 7

traditional agriculture techniques

Answer 7

slash and burn, clear-cutting, tillage, monoculture, fertilizer, pesticide/herbicide/insecticide

Question 8

slash and burn

Answer 8

the cutting and burning of plants in forests or woodlands to create fields

Question 9

clearcutting

Answer 9

most or all trees in an area are uniformly cut down

Question 10

tillage

Answer 10

preparing a field by diffing, stirring, or overturning soil

Question 11

monoculture

Answer 11

growing a single crop or plant species over a wide area and for many consecutive years

Question 12

sustainable agriculture techniques

Answer 12

crop rotation, cover crops, soil enrichment, integrated pest management

Question 13

crop-rotation

Answer 13

growing different crops in succession in the same field to replenish soil nutrients

Question 14

cover crops

Answer 14

prevent soil erosion and suppress weeds (*dust bowl)

Question 15

soil enrichment

Answer 15

adding a layer of manure, mulch, or compost

Question 16

integrated pest management

Answer 16

solve pest problems while minimizing risks to people and the environment