Question

State any 2 methods of controlling soil erosion.

Answer 1

Hint: Soil loss can have a serious impact on the quantity and quality of services provided by the soil ecosystem, with serious economic, social and political consequences. Adequate measures can enable the capacity of land to retain water and improve the quality of water, both of which benefit food production. It is possible to classify soil erosion methods into two - permanent methods and temporary methods.

Complete answer:
The displacement of the upper layer of soil is soil erosion; it is a form of soil degradation. The dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, animals and humans, causes this natural process.

Erosion is sometimes divided into water erosion, glacial erosion, snow erosion, wind erosion, etc., according to these agents. Soil erosion may be a slow, relatively unnoticed process or may occur at an alarming rate that causes severe topsoil loss. Reduced crop production potential, lower surface water quality and damaged drainage networks may reflect the loss of soil from farmland. Soil erosion could also cause sinkholes.

Two methods of soil erosion control are:
Afforestation: Afforestation is the process by which trees and tree seedlings are introduced to an area that has not been forested before. Afforestation can be carried out, naturally or artificially, by tree planting and seeding. The roots of the trees hold on to the soil and prevent erosion of the soil. This also helps to increase the soil's vegetative cover, helping to prevent wind and water erosion.

Terrace farming: Terrace farming is a method of farming in which "steps" known as terraces are constructed to be used for crop cultivation on the slopes of hills and mountains. Rice-growing countries such as Vietnam, the Philippines, and Indonesia are commonly used for terrace farming in Asia.

Terrace farming prevents the rain from washing away soil nutrients. This leads to healthy crops growing. Known as graded terracing and level terracing, there are two forms of terracing. Terrace cultivation in the hilly regions prevents the soil from being swept away by flowing water. It is an incredibly powerful form of erosion management that has been practised by people all over the world for thousands of years.

Note:
-It has also been shown that conventional methods of planting, such as mixed-cropping (instead of monocropping) and crop rotation, greatly reduce erosion rates.
-Human activities have risen globally by 10-50 times the rate at which erosion occurs.
-The formation of 2.5 cm of topsoil under normal agricultural conditions takes around 500 years.