Reasearch Paper proposal

Soil Erosion, Contamination and Fertility

I choose this topic because I consider that soil is the first thing that

appear on the earth before humans start colonizing each other and

take possession of it.

Soil erosion, contamination and fertility is a general problem

that any country face today. Soil is “ a complex mixture of inorganic

materials ( clay, silt , pebbles, and sand), decaying organic matter,

water, air, and billions of living organisms” ( “ Soil : The base of life”,

1994, para.1). Then soil erosion is “ the movement of soil

components, especially surface-litter and topsoil, from one place to

another” ( “Soil Erosion”, 1994, para.1). We have two main agents of

erosion which are flowing water ( by far the major cause of erosion)

and wind. According to Leopold ( 1949), land is not only made of soil

but also by a fountain of energy flowing through a circuit of soils,

plants and animals. According to a group of scientists ( OMAFRA

Staff; G. Wall - Ontario Institute of Pedology; C.S. Baldwin -

Ridgetown College of Agricultural Technology; I.J. Shelton - Ontario Institute of Pedology),( 2003), soil erosion is one form of soil

degradation that goes with soil compaction, low organic matter, loss

of soil structure, poor internal drainage, salinisation , and soil acidity

problems and soil erosion maybe a slow process that is relatively

unnoticed. Soil contamination occurred because of irrigation and it

contains dissolved salts. When the dry season start most of the water

evaporates and leave salts behind such as sodium chloride in the

topsoil. The accumulation of these salts is called salinization and

stunts crops growth, lowers yields and eventually kills crop plants and

ruins the land. Another problem with irrigation in some areas is water

logging which means farmers apply a heavy amount of water to leach

salts deeper into the soil. Water accumulates underground and saline

water envelops the roots of plants and kills them (“Environment :

Problems and Solutions”, Miller (1994), “ soil contamination by

excess salts and water, para.1,3). Soil fertility is when people apply fertilizers to the soil. It restores partially plants nutrients lost by

erosion, by crops harvesting, and by leaching when water flows

through soil layers, (“Environment : Problems and Solutions”, Miller

(1994), “ maintaining and restoring soil fertility“, para.1). There is

many kind of fertilizers that farmers can use to fertilize the soil which

are Animal manure, green manure, and compost.

In my paper, I plan on writing about soil erosion and how soil is

infected by the agent of soil erosion and how fertilizers works on soil

restoration. I also plan to write about how to reduce soil erosion, and

contamination.

I’ve found many articles talking about the causes , effects and

solutions about soil erosion, contamination and fertilizer.

I still need to find how fertilizer is commercial and the effect that I

can have on human being .

References

Omafra staff,Wall. G,Ontario Institute of Pedology, Baldwin. C.S, Ridgetown college of Agricultural Technology, Shelton, I.J, Ontario Institute of Pedology ( 2003) . Soil erosion - causes and effects. FACTSHEET magazine. Retrieved February 13, 2008, from http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/87-040.htm

This article gives information about the causes and effects of soil erosion and how to reduce it.

Leopold, A. ( 1949). Soils quotations, Natural Resources Conservation Services Articles. Retrieved February 13, 2008 , from

http://www.soils.usda.gov/education/resources/k_12/quotes/ This site provide quotes about the living existence of soil.