SOIL RESOURSCES

PRESENTED BY:
IRISH L. SOLOMON
11 STEM
 SOIL IS AS IMPORTANT AS WATER AS A
RESOURCE. IT PROVIDES NUTRIENTS AND AN
ANCHOR TO THE ROOTS OF PLANTS AND IS
THEREFORE ESSENTIAL TO THEIR HEALTHY
GROWTH AND YIELD OF FOOD. IT IS A COMPLEX
MIXTURE OF ORGANIC AND MINERAL CONTENT
WHICH IS CONSTANTLY BEING FORMED BY THE
WEATHERING OF ROCKS.
 IMPORTANCE OF SOIL

• SOIL IS THE BACKBONE OF OUR FOOD SECURITY. WITHOUT HEALTHY SOILS, FARMERS
WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO PROVIDE US WITH FEED, FIBER, FOOD, AND FUEL.
• JUST LIKE HOW A FOUNDATION FOR A HOME IS CRITICAL, HEALTHY SOILS ACT AS A
FOUNDATION FOR PLANTS BY SUPPORTING PLANT ROOTS AND KEEPING PLANTS
UPRIGHT FOR GROWTH.
•  SOILS ARE HABITATS FOR BENEFICIAL SOIL MICROBES; THESE ORGANISMS ARE NATURE’S
HIDDEN HELPERS. THEY FORM SYNERGISTIC RELATIONSHIPS WITH PLANTS TO PROTECT
THEM FROM STRESS AND PROVIDE THEM WITH NUTRIENTS, AMONG OTHER TASKS.
•  SOILS FILTER SURFACE WATER OF DUST, CHEMICALS AND OTHER
CONTAMINANTS. THIS IS WHY UNDERGROUND WATER IS SOME OF
THE CLEANEST SOURCES OF WATER.
•  WHEN IT COMES TO HUMAN HEALTH, ALMOST ALL OF THE
ANTIBIOTICS WE TAKE TO HELP FIGHT INFECTION WERE OBTAINED BY
SOIL MICROBES
• HEALTHY SOILS PROTECT THE LAND FROM EROSION.  
• SOIL ACTS AS A HOLDING FACILITY FOR SOLID WASTE.
•  SOILS HELP REGULATE THE EARTH’S TEMPERATURE.
• HEALTHY SOILS MITIGATE THE IMPACTS OF EXTREME WEATHER
EVENTS.
 OUR SOIL IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR
QUALITY OF LIFE. IT NOT ONLY PLAYS A ROLE IN HOW
THINGS GROW BUT ALSO IN THE AIR THAT WE BREATHE.
THERE ARE METHODS THAT CAN PROTECT AND 
CONSERVE OUR SOIL AT THE SAME TIME. THE GOAL HERE
IS TO REDUCE EROSION AND TO ENSURE THE SOIL’S
FERTILITY
• “ESSENTIALLY, ALL LIFE DEPENDS UPON THE SOIL… THERE CAN BE NO LIFE WITHOUT SOIL AND
NO SOIL WITHOUT LIFE; THEY HAVE EVOLVED TOGETHER.”

•WITH SO MANY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES GOING AROUND LIKE AIR POLLUTION,

WATER POLLUTION, LAND POLLUTION, GLOBAL WARMING, OCEAN ACIDIFICATION,
DEPLETION OF THE OZONE LAYER, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING INTO WAYS OF KEEPING
OUR PLANET SOUND. ONE SUCH WAY TO DO THIS IS SOIL CONSERVATION. 
•SOIL CONSERVATION IS THE PREVENTION OF SOIL LOSS FROM EROSION OR REDUCED
FERTILITY CAUSED BY OVER USAGE, ACIDIFICATION, SALINIZATION OR OTHER
CHEMICAL SOIL CONTAMINATION.
WONDERFUL WAYS TO CONSERVE
AND PROTECT SOIL
•  FOREST PROTECTION
• THE NATURAL FOREST COVER IN MANY AREAS HAS BEEN DECREASED DUE TO
COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY. ONE OF THE PURPOSES THIS COVER PROVIDED WAS THE
PROTECTION OF THE SOIL. BUSINESSES INVOLVED IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS CAN
CONSERVE BY ENSURING THESE AREAS ARE PROTECTED.
• BUFFER STRIPS
• SOIL EROSION IS A LARGE PROBLEM THAT IS BEING BATTLED AROUND THE COUNTRY.
THIS IS PARTICULARLY AN ISSUE WHERE THERE ARE NATURAL BODIES OF WATER.
BUFFER STRIPS COME IN HANDY FOR CONSERVATION EFFORTS. THEY PROVIDE
PROTECTION WHERE STREAM BANKS EXIST. THEY CAN BE CREATED WITH GRASS, TREES
AND SHRUBS.
• NO-TILL FARMING
• THERE ARE A NUMBER OF APPROACHES USED WHEN IT COMES TO FARMING. IT IS
POSSIBLE TO DO THIS WORK AND STILL CONSERVE THE SOIL. NO-TILL FARMING IS AN
APPROACH THAT ALLOWS CROPS TO REMAIN IN PLACE FOR A SEASON. THIS KEEPS THE
SOIL FROM BEING LEFT BARE AND UNPROTECTED.
• FEWER CONCRETE SURFACES
• THE SOIL REQUIRES AN ADEQUATE AMOUNT OF WATER IN ORDER TO FUNCTION
PROPERLY. LOTS OF CONCRETE SURFACES, ESPECIALLY IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS,
MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR WATER TO GET TO THE SOIL.
• PLANT WINDBREAK AREAS
• WINDBREAKS ARE COMPOSED OF SHRUBS, PLANTS AND TREES. THEY WORK IN
COMBINATION AND SERVE A CONSERVATION PURPOSE. THESE WILL WORK
TOGETHER TO SLOW THE FORCE OF WIND OVER GROUND AREAS. THIS IS A
METHOD THAT CAN ALSO WORK TO PREVENT EROSION OF SOIL.
• WATER THE SOIL
• THIS IS A SIMPLE PROCESS THAT PROVIDES A LOT OF BENEFITS TO THE SOIL.
WATERING YOUR SOIL ALONG WITH PLANTS AND VEGETABLES IS IMPORTANT.
THIS HELPS TO NOT ONLY NOURISH THE SOIL BUT TO PROTECT IT. MOIST SOIL IS
NOT IN DANGER OF EROSION DUE TO WIND ACTIVITY.
•PLANT TREES TO SECURE TOPSOIL
•SIMPLY PLANTING TREES IS A GOOD CONSERVATION METHOD AS IT SECURES TOPSOIL AND
EROSION IS PREVENTED. SOW GRASS AND PLANT SHRUBS AND OTHER GREENERY IN BARE
SPOTS IN YOUR YARD OR GARDEN. THE FOLIAGE WILL ABSORB EXCESS WATER AND
PROTECT THE TOPSOIL FROM THE IMPACT OF RAIN, HEAVY WIND AND FOOT TRAFFIC. 
•AS THE TREE GROWS, ITS ROOTS WILL ALSO HELP ANCHOR THE SOIL ONCE THEY TAKE
HOLD, SECURING THE SOIL BENEATH FROM WATER RUNOFF. GRASS AND PLANT ROOTS
ALSO DRAW NUTRIENTS FROM DEEP IN THE SOIL CLOSER TO THE SURFACE, IMPROVING THE
QUALITY OF THE TOPSOIL.

AND MANY MORE…………..

 “LAND IS NOT MERELY SOIL, IT IS A FOUNTAIN OF ENERGY FLOWING

THROUGH A CIRCUIT OF SOILS, PLANTS AND ANIMALS.” 
IRISH L. SOLOMON
11 STEM

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