Now that you have some information on the importance of accepting soil erosion as an important conservation issue, how do you spot it?
It is important that as savvy conservation biologists we are able to recognize the tell-tale signs of soil erosion.
In a publication for the University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources entitled, "Understanding Soil Erosion in Irrigated Agriculture", many of the key indicators of soil erosion are discussed:
"
• bare soil
• plants or rocks on pedestals
• exposed roots
• small benches of soil behind obstacles
• surface soil crusts
• increased tendency of runoff water to flow
together into a network of connected channels
• deposits of soil where the field’s slope changes
• decreased thickness of topsoil
• exposed subsoil at the soil surface
• visible rills or gullies
• silt-clouded water or sediment deposits in surface water bodies and irrigation canals
• poor plant growth"
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| From Lancaster University News |
As you can see there a number of indicators to look for when assessing whether or not an agricultural area is experiencing soil erosion. It may seem as though a lot of these indicators are obvious, but many of them are often ignored. Field scientists often make the mistake of attributing the above observations to natural causes. However it is important to note that many of the above examples can be caused by agricultural processes. Therefore it is important that these key indicators are known by the scientific community and taken seriously.
One of the first steps toward mitigating soil erosion in agricultural regions worldwide is being able to RECOGNIZE when soil erosion is occurring!
(6) Lancaster University News
"Soil erosion- the forgotten player in the global change debate." Lancaster University News. Lancaster University. Web. 30 April. 2010.
(5) University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources
O'Geen, Anthony & Schwankl, Lawrence. "Understanding Soil Erosion in Irrigated Agriculture." University of California Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Publication 8196. 1-5. Print.
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