How Do Living Things Change Earth’s

Surface?
Plants and animals cause weathering, erosion, and
Science deposition. Like water and wind, living things can change
Vocabulary
Earth’s surface with these processes. Sometimes living
• Dam
things also slow down or prevent the processes from
• Till
happening. In this lesson, you will discover some of these
changes caused by plants and animals, including humans.
1. Plants Cause Erosion and Weathering

The roots of a tree can grow into cracks in rocks, forcing them apart. The weathered pieces can
then be eroded more easily by water and wind.

One reason why Earth is special is that it is covered in plant life. Plants can be big,
like a tree, or so small you need a microscope to see them. Each plant helps
change Earth’s surface.

Plants change Earth’s surface through weathering and erosion. Suppose you are
hiking in a rocky area without many plants. It is hard for plants to grow where there
isn’t any soil. Small plants like moss grow on the rock first. They take minerals from
the rock. This is a type of weathering, and it weakens the rock. Eventually the
surface of the rock starts to break down and become soil.

It is hard to observe soil forming because it takes a long time, but other changes
are easier to see. As larger plants like trees start to grow in a rocky area, their roots
grow into the small cracks in the rock. Slowly, as the tree grows, its roots break the
rock apart. This forms more soil and makes it easier for other plants to grow there
as well.

Plants affect erosion too. You learned that plants help make soil, and often this soil
remains in place. Eventually though, some of this soil erodes away. The rock that
plants have weathered can then be more easily eroded.
2. Plants Prevent Erosion and Weathering
Beach grass catches grains of sand
that are moving in the wind. It causes a
lot of deposition in sandy areas where
the grass lives. This builds up and
slows down sand dunes.

You just learned that plants can

cause weathering that leads to
erosion. But plants can also
prevent or slow down weathering
and especially erosion.

Plants’ roots affect weathering

and erosion. Again, picture the
roots of the trees in a rocky area.
Although these roots can crack
rock, they can also slow down
and trap pieces of rock and soil.
The roots hold on to this material.
They keep water and wind from
carrying it away. The soil then helps prevent the rock underneath it from quickly
weathering away.

Sometimes roots also cause deposition. Water that is carrying sediment can be
slowed down by roots. Some of the sediment in the water gets deposited and builds
up. The roots continue to grow and catch more sediment. Eventually the deposited
material becomes packed. This makes it harder to erode, and the soil is now
deeper than before.

Plants in dry, sandy areas slow down weathering and erosion, and they cause
deposition. The leaves of small plants catch and deposit sand that is being blown
over the ground by the wind. This
slows down the process of wind
erosion. The sand continues to
build up, catching and depositing
more sand. Over time, small hills of
sand can form. Eventually, shifting
dunes can turn into grasslands.

Tree roots can trap rock and soil. This

helps prevent erosion in the area around
them.
3. Animals Cause Erosion and Weathering
When a prairie dog burrows, it scrapes
away the top layer of soil and pushes
deeper soil to the surface. This loosens
the soil. Wind and water can now erode it
more easily.

Plants are not the only living things

that can cause weathering and
erosion. Animals, including humans,
change Earth’s surface with these
processes too.

Animals can cause weathering. For

example, you might see snails along rocky ocean shorelines. Some of these snails
eat algae that grow just under the surface of the rock. They use their hard
mouthparts to scrape away the surface of the rock to eat the algae. This constant
scraping of many thousands of snails weathers and erodes the rock over time.

Animals that burrow, or dig holes for shelter, change Earth’s surface. On the
American prairie, you might see many mounds with holes in them. These are the
homes of prairie dogs, a type of burrowing animal. The holes protect the prairie
dogs from weather and predators. To make a burrow, a prairie dog scrapes away
the top layer of soil. This breaks up the hard surface. The prairie dog continues to
dig deep into the ground and push soil up to the surface. This movement of soil is
erosion. The soil is now loosened and more exposed. Wind and water might carry it
away.

Animals cause erosion in other ways too. When too many animals live in one place,
they tend to eat and trample all the plants. Without the plants to protect the soil, it is
much more likely to be eroded by wind and water.

Animals cause weathering and erosion

on rocky shorelines. Snails and other
animals scrape rock as they feed on
algae, repeatedly removing the top layer.
4. Animals Cause Deposition

A
beaver dam causes a flowing river to slow down. The river then deposits much of its soil and mud
in the beaver pond behind the dam.

Animals like sea snails and prairie dogs change Earth’s surface with weathering
and erosion. Can animals change Earth’s surface with deposition?

A beaver is one animal that changes Earth’s surface by depositing material.

Beavers build dams. A dam is a wall of material that blocks the flow of a stream or
river. Beavers use dams to get food and to protect themselves. The dams also
allow them to access their homes. Beavers build their dams on a stream or river
using rocks, mud, and pieces of trees. The dam stops water from flowing. Water
builds up behind the dam, which causes a pond to form. Some of these ponds are
larger than a football field!

The water flowing into the pond deposits sediment. Upstream of the dam, the river
erodes rock and soil as it flows. It carries sediment along in the current. But once a
dam is in place, the water no longer can flow easily. When it reaches the dam, the
river slows down. The sediment that it is carrying slows down too. Much of the rock
and soil is deposited at the bottom of the pond.

The sediment builds up over many years. It is now deposited on the bottom of the
beaver pond, instead of flowing in the water. So, the water flowing out of the dam
has less sediment and is clearer than it was. A large dam that exists for many years
can cause a lot of deposition.
5. Humans Cause Erosion
Paths are formed by walking in the same area
many times, which erodes material. In the right
places though, paths help prevent erosion.

Like other animals, humans change Earth’s

surface. As you know, many natural
processes cause erosion. But humans often
make this process happen much faster than
is natural.

Humans sometimes cause erosion without

trying. Suppose you and your friends walk
through a field to get to school. Where you
walk, some of the grass is worn down. If the
ground is wet you might leave footprints.

When people walk over the same area

often, they can wear a path where plants no
longer grow. Since the soil is exposed, it
might be eroded by water or wind. Paths are
not always bad because they keep all of the
damage in one place. But if they are in the wrong place, like somewhere steep, it
can be a problem.

Construction projects can cause a lot of erosion. When people clear land to make
room for new buildings, they scrape away the plants that used to live in the area.
While they are building, a lot of the soil is left uncovered. This lets water and wind
erode the soil.

Sometimes, humans speed up soil erosion by having pets or raising animals.

Usually, plants eaten by wild animals grow back quickly. But if there are too many
animals in an area, they can eat the plants faster than they grow back. This
uncovers soil and rock so that it erodes faster.

Construction is a human activity that causes

erosion. By scraping away the plants that used
to live here, the soil is no longer protected from
water and wind.
6. Humans Can Reduce Erosion
Since
erosion can
cause
damage,
humans
design
solutions to
prevent it.
Sometimes
people build
terraces,
like this
one. By
making
many
sections of
flat land,
terraces
help
prevent
erosion.

Like other organisms, humans can also prevent weathering and erosion. Since
erosion can cause damage, humans take measures to prevent this from happening.

You have learned how soil forms and collects. This takes a long time. Soil erosion
can happen much faster than the soil forms and valuable soil can be lost. The soil
that is eroded can damage buildings or pollute the water.

One cause of soil erosion is planting crops on steep slopes or in dry areas. Before
they plant their crops, farmers till the soil. To till the ground is to break it up or turn
it over to prepare the soil for planting crops. Before the crop plants come up or after
they die, erosion increases.

One way to prevent soil erosion is by only planting crops in the right places. Wind
erosion is a risk where it is very dry. Water erosion is a problem in steep, wet areas.
People usually should not till the land in very steep and dry places.

In some parts of the world, people make terraces on hillsides. Each terrace is flat
like the step of a staircase. Rainwater stays on each terrace for a long time so the
plants can use the water for growing. This prevents soil erosion and lets people
farm where the land is steep.

You can see how living things, including humans, change Earth’s surface. Living
things weather, erode and deposit material. They move this material to new places.
Summary: How Do Living Things Change Earth’s Surface?

1. Plants Cause Weathering and Erosion Plants

weather and erode Earth’s surface. Plant roots in
particular can weather rock down in many ways.
Plants like moss take minerals from rocks and break
the rocks down. By weathering rock, plants help form
new soil.

2. Plants Prevent Erosion and Weathering

Plant roots can also prevent erosion by holding onto
soil and rocks. They slow down the rate of erosion,
and sometimes even cause deposition. Plants help
keep the soil in place.

3. Animals Cause Erosion and Weathering

Some animals weather rocks by scraping them as
they feed. Other animals change Earth’s surface by
burrowing into it and moving material. Too many
animals in one place can destroy most of the plants,
leading to faster erosion.
4. Animals Cause Deposition Some animals,
like beavers, cause deposition. Beavers build dams
across streams and rivers. When the water behind
the dam slows down, it deposits the sediment it
was carrying.

5. Humans Cause Erosion Humans have

greatly increased the amount of erosion on Earth.
This is often caused by humans removing the wild
plants that protect the soil. Activities like
construction projects and farming can all increase
erosion.

6. Humans Can Reduce Erosion People should

farm and build in ways that do not cause too much
erosion. Crops should normally not be planted in
steep or dry areas. People have designed solutions
like terraces to let them farm in these areas
responsibly.
Reading Further

Saving Soil
Humans change Earth’s surface more than any other species. The history of the
Great Plains of North America serves as just one example of how people have
reshaped the planet.

People first came to the Great Plains about 12,000 years ago. For food, they mostly
hunted animals and gathered wild plants. Then they started farming in small areas
near rivers, avoiding the grassy soils that covered most of the Plains. In the mid-
1800s, European settlers began to move from the east to the west. As they did,
they completely changed the surface of the Great Plains. The change began when
they dug into the grass.

The climate of the Great Plains

includes cold winters, hot summers,
a lot of wind, and little rain. The
plants native to the region are mostly
tall grasses. The deep roots and
lower stems of the grasses keep
loose earth in place. This forms a
special layer in the ground called
sod. Sod traps any rain that falls.
This process allows very deep, rich
soil to develop through the years.

Settlers from the East realized that

the rich soils of the Great Plains
would be perfect for farming. They
wanted to use it to grow crops, so
they cleared fields by digging up sod.
In some places the sod was so thick
that the settlers used chunks of it to
build homes. But removing this sod
would eventually lead to devastating
changes in the landscape.

People built this home from blocks of sod in

the prairie.
Soil Is Formed … and Lost

Grasslands have covered the Great Plains for thousands of years. As some soil
eroded, more soil would form. Insects, grasses, and tiny living things made new soil
from rock and dirt. Grasses held the rich, loose soil in place. Animals such as bison
ate the grasses without disturbing the soil much. And enough rain fell to maintain
this soil and the living things it supports. Life, soil, and erosion were each balanced
with one another.

Most trees and shrubs on the Plains naturally grew only near creeks and rivers.
These wet areas were often far apart. At one time, people could look for long
distances in any direction and see only grass. This is why many describe the Plains
as a sea of grass. But the Plains also get little rain. So, even with all that grass,
people also call it the Great American Desert. In such a dry place, even small
changes can upset the balance between life, soil, and erosion.

Settlers began to farm on the Plains by clearing the grasses with plows. A plow is
made of blades that are like huge knives for cutting into the ground. Farmers use
plows to till the soil before planting seeds. Plows also bury weeds and dead crop
plants. With tilling, soil is left without plant cover for a many months. In a windy
place like the Plains, tilling tips the balance from soil formation toward soil erosion.

In tilling,
plows are
used to
clear the
ground
before and
after
growing
crops.
A Big Bowl of Dust

At first, people farmed in the Great Plains without many problems. But several
changes caused farmers to till more of the soil. Starting in the late 1800s, inventors
made many new machines. New plows let farmers till more land easily and quickly.
Then during the 1910s and 1920s, it rained more than normal. The extra rain let
farmers grow more plants. A demand for wheat caused wheat prices to be high.
The government pushed people to replace great amounts of grassland with wheat
farms. People around the country began to depend on the wheat. Meanwhile, a
large amount of the Great Plains lost its natural grass cover.

During the early 1930s, almost no rain fell for several years. This is called a
drought. Crops could not grow, so people left the farms. The powerful spring
windstorms of the Great Plains came as usual. Only this time, soil that had taken so
many years to form was easily carried away. Scientists estimate that 850 million
tons of soil was lost. This era of severe dust storms throughout the Great Plains is
called the Dust Bowl.

Periods of soil erosion have happened many times in history. Droughts still happen
as part of natural changes in climate. The Dust Bowl is one example of how human
changes to land can act with natural changes to create disasters.

A dust storm
approaches
buildings in
Stratford,
Texas, in
1935.
One Possible Solution

The good news is that people have learned a lot from events like the Dust Bowl.
Scientists who study soil problems all over the world look for solutions. Where
farming methods cause problems, people try other ways to grow food. One method
is no-till farming. As the name suggests, no-till farming does not rely on usual tilling
methods. Its goal is to disturb the soil as little as possible.

In normal tilling, farmers plow a field many times each season. In no-till farming,
plows disturb the soil only when it is time to plant seeds. This has several
advantages. One is that soil gets packed down less because machines drive over
the field less. Loose soil is good for crops because air, water, and nutrients can
move more easily to the plants. Using less equipment also means using less fuel.

Tilling removes weeds and stubble from fields. Stubble is the remains of old crop
plants. No-till farming leaves stubble on the fields. Stubble helps to trap snow in
winter, which means more water for the soil later. Stubble and snow also act like a
blanket over the soil. They keep it warmer through winter and hold the soil in place
the rest of the year. Stubble also protects new seeds in the spring.

With no-till farming, soil erosion occurs at about the same speed as soil formation.
And this may be the key to bringing life, soil, and erosion back into balance in
places like the Great Plains.

A blanket of
snow gets
trapped in the
remains of old
crop plants. This
keeps the soil
warmer through
winter and
means more
water for the soil
the rest of the
year.