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Environmental Management
Soils: formation, composition and uses
- Elements of soil
Soil is the loose material on the Earths surface above the solid rock. Its thickness varies greatly from place to place. Most soils have three layers called horizons: Its known as the A horizon. It gains new material from the decomposition of vegetation. Minerals may also be washed out of this layer into horizons below by leaching, because of rain water. Material accumulates from horizons above and below. It contains many loose pieces of rock, broken off from the parent rock below by weathering.
Soil Profile
A B C
Latosol is a type of soil commonly found under tropical rain-forests. The dominant colours are red and yellow. The topsoil is the darkest layer because of the concentration of humus from decomposition of dead branches and leaves. In these types of soil, the C horizon cannot be seen because they are deep and the zone of weathered rock hasnt been reached yet.
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The best type of soil for farming is loam. It has both large and small pore spaces, which gives an air supply (large pores) and a water supply (small pores).Therefore, this soil retains some moisture for plants to use, but it also lets water drain through. There is enough clay for holding nutrients, making work easy. Farmers often describe sandy soils as hungry soils, because they need large and frequent feeding with fertilizers for crops to be grown successfully. Soil is the top layer of the Earths crust. It can be argued that it is the most important part of it for humans. Plants need it for growth. They in turn are the basis of the food chain which supports humans and all the land animals upon which humans feed.
- Salinization
Salinization is the increase of amounts of salt in the topsoil. Dry places are likely to contain salt in the soil. But in some places human activity increases the salt in the soil reducing crop output. It is a particular problem on irrigated land. It occurs most when large quantities of water are spread over the soil surface.
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city size and the extent to which the disposal of waste is managed. In developing countries, waste amounts are larger as people cant afford waste collection or disposal. 1. Domestic waste: Waste comes from the preparation, cooking and serving of food; from the throwing away of rubbish, from heating and from its burning. Domestic waste is usually thrown untreated on to the street or into a nearby water course. The lack of sewerage and sanitation systems both contribute to this waste disposal. Diseases frequently appear in the overcrowded slum areas of developing world cities. 2. Toxic waste: Industrial wastes include leftovers from food-processing and scraps of wood and metal. But wastes from metals are of greatest concern, especially lead, mercury, arsenic, and cadmium. All of them are a threat for human health. Toxic effects of other metals are usually greater for life in rivers and lakes. Nitrates and phosphates can occur in soil and water. Many industrial wastes can cause diseases and are very dangerous towards life in general, not only human. 3. Nuclear waste: Nuclear waste is likely to cause serious long-term environmental implications. It can cause the emission of radioactivity and disposal of waste. The half-life is the time taken for half of the radioactivity of a radioactive substance to die away. Some substances die away relatively quickly, so they are easy to dispose of, usually in the sea. However, even this is controversial. Nuclear power stations emissions can cause cancer in children in the surrounding areas. It takes many years to make them disappear, and may still be dangerous to people and other kinds of life for many more years. This needs to be stored safely deep underground or at the plant.
Marcos Lund Santiago Zalaya Fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, coal) Minerals (copper, lead, zinc, etc.) Fish stocks Animals Soil
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Non-renewable
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More trees will be cut down where available. Crop stubble is removed from crop land for livestock feed. Soil is lost. Eroded topsoil ends up in rivers, which increases the amount of sediment, which makes rivers overflow the top of their banks causing floods. Rivers silt up HEP dams; fish breeding areas are damaged. Deep water channels are difficult to keep open to shipping as it costs port and harbour authorities more time and money.
- Desertification
Desertification occurs when deserts spread and engulf areas that formerly carried surface vegetation cover and farming settlements. Land is turned into a desert as a result of human activity, although other factors may also contribute. Soil erosion and salinization both may result in desertification, because both can create land surfaces unable to support vegetation. Semi-arid regions where rainfall is concentrated in one season and the amount that arrives is very variable from year to year are the areas which are most at risk. In dry years, overcultivation, overgrazing and further deforestation for fuel wood begin the train of events that end with soil erosion. Causes of desertification: causes Symptoms of desertification Reduced crop yields Reduced total biomass Reduced wood biomass Reduced water availability Advancing sand dunes Natural Decline in rainfall Increased disruption to life drought processes Overgrazing Human Overcultivation Activities Irrigation and salinization Demand for food Population increase Demand for fuel wood Effects - food; + hunger & malnutrition - available feed for livestock - wood for fuel & longer searches for fuelwood supplies Longer searches for surface / underground supplies Farmland, settlements, water holes, etc. overwhelmed Peoples need to relief aid increases, some migrate,Increased refugees becoming Decline in soil erosion vegetation Desertification by wind cover and rain
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Research in field stations. Passing on advice and giving demonstrations to farmers. Providing farmers with new seeds. Returning some vegetation cover by spreading seeds of perennial plants that will naturally re-seed and regenerate in future years. What the Sahel needs in sustainable environmental management. Soil erosion will be stabilized, fertility will be improved, and the region will become a potential source for wood for fuel and building materials. Resources must be managed: the amount consumed each year should be less than the amount produced. This way, halting desertification should be permanent. Methods for tackling the causes of desertification: Cause Overcultivation Overgrazing Deforestation Population pressure Method Higher yielding/drought resistant seeds Crop rotation Reduce numbers of cattle by using higher-yielding breeds Rotate grazing land Tree planting schemes Alternatives to fuel wood Policies for reducing birth rates Alternative employment