Assignment – SOIL CONSERVATION

NAME: Jhon Paul J. Balaba Section SBAC 2A Date: March 06, 2023

A. Pedology is the study of different types of soil, its properties and characteristics in its natural environment.
DRAW the different horizons of soil. Label and describe each layer or horizon. (10) points

● Humus- Humus is dark, organic material that forms in soil when plant and animal matter decays.
● Topsoil- The topsoil layer is where nutrients are provided to plants, water is absorbed, sunshine supports the
developing process, and animals and microbes interact with the plant in a variety of ways.
● Subsoil- Subsoil has more tiny pebbles and clay minerals than topsoil, but less organic matter, nutrients, insects, and
bacteria. Sand, silt, and clay are the three basic components of subsoil.
● Weathered rock fragments- Weathering of rocks is the process through which rocks and minerals deteriorate and
break down. Temperature fluctuations, plants and animals, acids, salts, and water, whether solid or liquid, can all
contribute to this.
● Bedrock- Bedrock also contributes nitrogen to the Earth's nitrogen cycle. An outcrop is a bedrock deposit that occurs
at the Earth's surface. Weathering and erosion have an impact on bedrock.

B. Soil Degradation. Common human activities that causes soil erosion are the following: kaingin farming, logging,
infrastructure projects or land conversion, mining & overgrazing. To reduce the problem on soil erosion there are
ways to control it, rehabilitative and preventive methods. Answer the following: (10 points)
1. Differentiate rehabilitative from preventive methods.
Mine soil rehabilitation strategies must take into account the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the
soil at the same time. Crucially, the effectiveness of remediation approaches must be measured in terms of
pollutant bioavailability decrease and restoration of soil functioning, soil health, and ecosystem services. On
the other hand, Preventive methods are preventing soil erosion with the use of farming techniques like
planting more grass and shrubs because Bare soil is easily swept away by wind and water.
 2. Under rehabilitative methods, discuss the different vegetative methods: cover cropping, strip cropping,
contour tillage and terracing. The techniques/methods are soil erosion control practices for sustainable
agriculture.

Cover crop- Cover crops might be an off-season crop sown after the cash crop has been harvested. Cover
crops, which are commonly produced during winter, are nurse crops in the sense that they promote the
survival of the primary crop being harvested.

Stip cropping- Strip cropping also refers to a type of dry farming practiced in locations such as the Great
Plains of the United States and the Prairies of Canada. Cropland is periodically left fallow in these arid
locations to collect moisture.

Contour tillage- Contour tillage is used when there is a risk of erosion on sloping fields. Farmers are aware of
this and use contours to attempt to avoid it.

Terracing- Terrace farming is an agricultural method used by farmers on steep slopes, mountainous terrain,
and at higher elevations. Terrace farmers build repeated layers of flat areas on mountain slopes or other
terrains with steep inclines to improve soil conservation and runoff water control.

C. What is Green Revolution in agriculture? What is its impact to agriculture? You can use another sheet if the
space is not enough. (10 points)

The Green Revolution is a word that refers to the restoration of agricultural techniques that began in Mexico in
the 1940s. Green Revolution technology extended globally in the 1950s and 1960s as a result of its effectiveness
in generating more agricultural goods there, greatly boosting the amount of calories generated per acre of
agriculture. The Green Revolution also refers to the efforts by agricultural workers and agricultural activists in
various nations to reduce the effects of people on the environment and promote sustainable lifestyles, including
increased crop output. The Green Revolution was defined by a movement among certain agriculturalists to
utilize environmentally friendly techniques. Some of the most significant impacts of Green revolution includes
the following:

● Substantial rise in food production, notably wheat and rice, aided in improving food security and
reducing hunger.
● The initiative aided in raising farmers' earnings and improving their standard of living in India.
● The Green Revolution aided the Indian economy by increasing agricultural productivity, which
contributed to economic growth.