Importance Of Soil Conservation Environmental Sciences Essay

Importance Of smut Conservation Environmental Sciences Essay denary determination of the extent and impact of crack erosion by irrigate in the tropics concur been sketchy. However all easy prove indicates that accelerated erosion is a problem of in force(p) magnitude and with a multitude of negative effects in many a(prenominal) tropical countries. The sentiency to conserve stigma began approximately nine thousand years ag peerless when human civilization shifted from nomadic hunting and gathering experience to a more permanent, settled and intensive nation-dependent lay down and animal farming systems (Miller, Rasmussen and Meyer, 1985). smear provides the ordinary from which about of the sustenance for humankind is derived. This thin, complex, crustal carpet uniquely integrates many attributes of the lithosphere, atomosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere (Miller, Rasmussen and Meyer 1985). dry land is regarded as a nonre bare-assable source since its formation from the rise up rock material to an agriculturally productive growth medium is a genuinely slow process (Lal 1990). The top reason is where intimately of the living activities of twain flora and fauna take place. According to Brady and Weil 1999, the top deformity is the stop number most routine of the soil ordinarily moved in farming ara or its equivalent in uncultivated soils which range in prescience from 7 to 25 cm (the plow layer). Removal of this plant alimentary enriched topsoil due to soil erosion would result in morose of soil fertility through losses of both radical discipline and nutrients which would result in step-down of crop brooks (Lal 1986 rose and Dalal 1988). This loss in soil productivity due to erosion is serious in caribbean countries where fertiliser substitute for the lost plant nutrients is not affordable. This would lead to poorer soil write characteristics such as low organic proceeds levels (Rose 1989Rose 1998).Soil Erosion is perhaps the m ost serious form of solid ground degradation throughout the world. For the tropics specifically, while it is acknowledged that erosion is more serious than else where, no analytical or systematic studies have been chthonictaken to document the problem, it consequences or potential solutions. Soil erosion results in lost water and plant nutrients at rates even greater than those occurring naturally through leach ( Brady and Weil 1999). If there are no preservation practices present, soil erosion go away occur and arena degradation, reduced productivity due to loos of top soil, increase run make and off site sedimentation problems (such as siltation of bodies of water and injure to crops and roads) will occur. The consequent socio-economic costs of sometimes more obvious off site damage are commonly easier to identify and quantify (Chrisholm 1987 Rose 1993).1.2 Soil Conservation StrategiesThe caribbean is characterized by steep slopes. The degrees of steepness and the proporti on of the pull down area classified as steep may vary. In Trinidad and Tobago, a larger propotion of steep slopes is still covered with natural vegetation which reduces the soil washed off the surface. Trinidad is marked with a long dry inure in the early part of the year and then followed by an main(prenominal) wet season. Most erosion occurs when the land is cleared of vegetation for farming. This normally occurs just before the rainy season. It is all important(predicate) to bank note however that most food crop exertion in Trinidad as well as the rest of the Caribbean, is carried out by small farmers on sloping land with no attention to soil saving practices. This is the main reason for grave soil erosion in Trinidad and Tobago and by extension the Caribbean.Soil saving is understood as not only involving the control of loss of soil material due to erosion but also the decline in fertility (chemical, physical and biological breakdown of the soil). (Young 1984). The adve rse effect of soil erosion is not engrossed only to decrease in soil insight but ultimately to the loss loss of organic matter and plant nutrients and consequently to degradation of soil physical properties and crop damp decline ( Young 1984). It is important to note however that treating the benefits of soil conservation in isolation from other agricultural gains does not assure espousal of the soil conservation practice (Young 1984). Integration of soil conservation is important ( Douglas 1988 Shaxson 1988).Sheng and Meiman (1988) stated reasons for the difficulty of farmers in adopting soil conservation practice. The reasons are as follows i) long time for the result of soil conservation to be fulfild, ii) naming of benefits from soil conservation and iii) the need for big investments by farmers. It is important to note however that Williams and Walter (1988), in a terracing project in Venezuela, found that improvement in the living incomes and opportunites for employmen t, increases the difficulty of motivating the farmers to adopt soil conservation practices. Apparently when low income and underemployment prevail, farmers easily participate in soil conservation programmes (Williams and Walter 1988 Liao et al 1988).The adverse effect of soil erosion is not confined only to loss of soil particles but also the loss of organic matter and plant nutrients. As a result of this crop yield decline will occur (Young 1984). Conservation farming should serve as the basis for counteracting the problem of soil erosion. To carry out this feeler in developing countries, novel approaches in extension and research are needed. The volume of the soil conservation techniques were super-developed in the United States of the States under condtions different from the other parts of the world experiencing erosion (Sheng, 1982 Hudson 1988 Sheng 1988). The techniques that worked well in the United States were extrapolated to the tropics in the 1930s and 1940s. It took fi fty years to realize that these methods were unsuitable for the tropics ( Hudson,1987 Hudson 1988). The dominant traditional farming system in the tropics are the shifting cultivation and related bush unplowed systems (Okigbo and Greenland, 1976). The non-acceptance of the many recommendations on soil conservation methods is attributed to their in appropriateness and horror with the farmers operating environment (Douglas, 1988).The following agricultural conditions in the United States of America paved the way for the development of soil conservation activities (Hudson,1982Hudson 1987)Combined straightforward topography and favourable climateLow population pressure for intensive land useStrong and sustained government support well improve and informed husbandry sectorReadily available credit and pecuniary supportReliable prices and market outlets for agricultural produceHighly developed and highly mechanized agricultural industry.According to Hudson (1987), the absence of thes e conditions in most developing countries made the North American approach to soil conseration in appropriate. The absence of political will, or the limitations in or lack of resources oftentimes hindered soil conservation programmes in developing countries. The main aim of soil conservation should be preventation rather than cure. Soil conservation activity should be focused mainly on preserving good land rather than reclaiming dishonored land. Without waiting for visible soil erosion damage, farmers should be encouraged to clear that there is a need for soil conservation due to keep reduction in agricultural yield (Hudson, 1987).Loss of agricultural productivity should be emphasized in any soil conservation programme. For sometime, soil erosion research activities had almost been exclusively directed towards uantfying soil loss, and then data on the effect of soil erosion on agriculture productivity is seriously lacking (Crosson and Stout, 1983 ASAE,1985 Follet and Stewart, 1985 Stocking, 1985). Removal of topsoil resulted in decline of yield of a variety of agricultural crops (El-Swaify, Dangler and Amstrong 1982). Factors like type of soil, depth of soil, fertility status, topography, and type of crop affected the size of the decline in agricultural yield (Frye et al, 1982 Langdale and Schrader, 1982 Schertz 1983). There is limited data for soil and crops in the tropics (Lal, 1977). The effects of soil erosion on soil productivity in the tropics are move unplayful than for temperate countries (Moberg, 1972). This is because of highly weathered soils, fragile fertility status and most crop nutrents are found in the topmost layer of the soil. There is also large deterioration of physical qualities of the soil as a growing medium after soil erosion (Lo, 1990). Higher erosion rates, the more severe changes in chemical qualities resulting from erosion and the inability of the farmer to provide the necessary inputs for restoring those qualities to a suf ficient level were the primary reasons given for these conclusions (El-Swaify, 1990). The benefits of soil conservation are not immediately realized in every slip and may initially result in crop yield reductions (John 1988). good in agricultural production, rather than mitigating soil erosion, is of more significance and lovable for the farmer, while prevention of soil loss is an unreal concept for them (Hudson, 1987). The new approach of soil conservation will be a potpourri of both agronomy measures as well as automatonlike working ( Tracy, 1988). Mechanical systems are frequently expensive, consume space and time, need uniform tending and do not assure improved crop production (Roose, 1988). Too much emphasis put into mechanical works discourages in effect(p) soil conservation policies (Rose, 1989). Conservation farming systems include improved farming, with mechanical protection works being a component of last resort. This approach is consistent with the principle that improved agricultural production should lead to let on soil erosion control (Hudson 1988). Biological measures provide immediately recognizable short term benefits to farmers. Any mechanical work confused in soil conservation must maximize the use of locally available experts, minimize, the use of structures and required labour. Community involvement must be involved (Hudson, 1987).To gain acceptance by farmers, any proposed soil conservation outline should offer short-term, apparent, rapid or immediately recognizable, directly effective benefits and confirmative results, particularly for subsistence farmers who work in a short-time scale and who comprise a large percentage of farmers in less developed countries (Harper and El-Swaify 1988 Hudson,1988 Lovejoy and Naiper, 1988 Sanders, 1988 Thomas 1988 Tracy, 1988 Wenner, 1988 Williams and Walter, 1988). Soil conservation techniques recommended for farmers should be simple, easily understood and demonstrated, low cost, productiv e, sustainable and welcome (Douglas, 1988Vonk 1988). Conservation measures should involve principles that can be applied to more than one situation. However, methods and techniques are often site specific and caution should be exercised in extrapolating them to other sites (Saunders 1988).Adoption of soil conservation technology is assured if the farmers have full understanding, support and participation in all the stages of the project, from planning, implementation to maintenance (Harper and El-Swaify, 1988 Sanders, 1988 Vonk 1988 Tracy 1988). Farmers full participation is ensured if they are convinced that their relevant and important postulate can be adequately met (Sanders 1988). Thus the farmer needs to be recognized as part of the solution rather than a part of the problem (Hudson,1987 Hudson,1988).