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The Importance of SoilAg and Tech ! Ms. Lacross
The Importance of Soil
Please answer the following questions:
Why is soil important to you? What do we use soil for? Why do we need soil?
Objectives
You will be able to:Summarize ecological functions of soilDescribe 4 ways plants use soilList and explain uses of soil
The Important of Soil Past: The importance of soil dates back thousands of years but is still a
current problem today. in 340 B.C.E. observations of soil were taken by green historian Herodotus in the 1930’s the Dust Bowl caused drought because of soil misuse.
Present North and South America and Europe receive dust blown from Africa. As
soils of Africa degrade the movement of dust has been increasing.
Future: The Earths population has reached about 7 billion people The worlds growers will need to provide 70 percent more food by 2050
Renewable or Nonrenewable? Soil is a Slowly RENEWABLE resource
Minerals in Rocks and Fossil fuels are Nonrenewable
Compost is renewable
Nonrenewable: resources in which there is a limited supply. supply comes from the Earth takes millions of years to develop is FINITE
Renewable: resource that is replaced naturally can be used again
Soil is a life supporting layer of material
The atmosphere, crust and soil interact to provide plants and animals with the resources they need Temperature: plant roots grow best in certain
soil temperature ranges 40 – 50 degrees Gases: plant roots and other soil organisms need
o2 and give off c02 Water: Soils filter water as it moves through
purifying it
Soil is a life supporting layer of material
The atmosphere, crust and soil interact to provide plants and animals with the resources they need Carbon: Soils act as a carbon reserve keeping
carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere Nutrients:
Nitrogen: soil organisms convert gaseous nitrogen to forms that plants can use
Agricultural Uses Of Soil
Human societies depend on soil to grow foodfibertimberornamental plants andbiofuels
Agricultural Uses of Soil: Cropland
Cropland: is land on which soil is worked and crops are plants, cared for and harvested
worldwide the greatest acreage of cropland is devoted to ANNUAL crops (one year season)
Agricultural Uses of Soil: Grazing Land
Much land in the US is graze by cattle and sheep
Pasture is planted for forage Forage: food for horses or cattle aka Fodder
The environmental consequences of grazing depends on how the land is managed
Overstocked land suffers damage to soil and water
Agricultural Uses of Soil: Forest
Foresters disturb soil the LEAST but management is a concern
Trees are harvested after many years of growth logging equipment tears up the grass
(vegetative cover) and compacts the soil Compaction = erosion
Agricultural Uses of Soil: Landscape Horticulture
Landscape horticulture landscaping and growing plants in containers the practice we use to sustain soil and water
resources in Urban areas
Landscapers install and maintain plants in soils that have been heavily modified by construction
Agricultural Uses of Soil: Urban Agriculture
Seeks to provide food, especially for poorer people
urban farmers occupy small pieces of land vacant lots, large yards or grounds
Use of soil in the United States
Soil and Climate
Climate affects how we use the soil
How we use the soil affects the climate
Greenhouse gases: What we do when we manage soil can increase or decrease the concentration of gases in the atmosphere
Soil is one of the planets largest reservoirs of carbon in the form of organic matter if we lose organic matter from fields more CO2
goes into the atmosphere
Please answer the following questions:
Now that you know more about the importance of soil … What things would you NOT have if we did not have
soil?
Do foresters disturb the soil the most or the least?
What is Urban Agriculture?
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