...Solutions of Soil Erosion Renfang(Alice) Liao Academic Skills 300-1 Professor Smithwick Aug 17, 2012 Introduction Soil erosion is a global issue troubling most of the countries. China ranked 129 among the 142 environmental suspensibility evaluated countries; one of the reasons is the serious soil erosion. 19% of China's land is affected by soil erosion, which is one of the highest rates (Liu& Diamond, 2005: 1181). The statistics are thought-provoking, and the effects of soil erosion are significant. In fact, soil erosion is a part of a vicious circle. Scientists and technicians around the world are working hard to find out the better and more efficient ways to monitor and control soil erosion. Soil erosion is a progress in which soil particles are carried away by force such as water ,wind and gravity. Water and wind erosion are the most important erosion types classified by the erosive agents (Toy, Foster, and Renard, 2002: 55). In this report, the vicious circle of soil erosion, reduction of vegetations and sediments in river is discussed. Among the technologies applied in soil management, the one suitable for local condition is the best. Discussion Soil Erosion and Vegetation Soil Erosion's effects on Vegetation Plants absorb what they need from soil with roots. The topsoil provides the best environment for plants' roots with loose structure, enough air, and rich organisms, but it is removed firstly through soil erosion (Plaster, 1992:...
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...Deforestation has become a serious global issue which is resulting in many negative effects such as a loss of biodiversity, land erosion and climate change. Deforestation can be broadly defined as “forest conversion and different types of degradation that reduce forest quality” (Sven, 2000). The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) provides a narrow definition: “depletion of tree crown cover to less than 10% as the deforestation” (FAO, 1993: 10). Forests play a significant role in humanity’s life. According to the World Rainforest Movement (1998), 25% of medicines come from the forests. Moreover, over the past 8000 years, about 5000 square miles of forest has been cut down annually (Rochen, 2008; Seitz, 2008). There are three main causes which lead to the deforestation: logging, overpopulation and road construction. This essay will examine each cause and evaluate the effects. It will begin with discussing the causes of deforestation. Next, it will examine the serious effects. Industrial logging is one of the most significant causes of deforestation. According to Phelps (2005), industrial logging is the clearance of trees for commercial purposes. In West Africa, over the past 40 years, about 2800-3500km² forests have been logged every year (Middleton, 2008). The peasants in Africa play an important role but it is modern industry that cut down so many trees. For example, as Heller (2001) found, every year more than 800 square miles of trees disappear due to the demand of paper...
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...Although dams provide significant benefits to societies, their impacts are diverse and include resettlement and relocation, socioeconomic impacts, environmental ecological concerns, sedimentation issues… The dams in the Pacific Northwest are not an exception. Indeed, these dams constitute an obstacle to the movement of species and sediment (sand, mud ...). For animal species, particularly migratory species (salmon…), these dams block access to breeding and cause the death of many individuals, even when there are fish ladders[iv]. Moreover dams trap sediments that accumulate and concentrate the pollutants in the water retention basin (video about the polluted water). The lack of supply of new sediment downstream of the dam could cause erosion problems that affect aquatic environments, collapsing banks or nibble beaches. The Elwha River, located in the Northwest of the US used to be full of salmons before the construction of the dams and the salmons represent a resource non negligible that must be protected for the growing world population. Although these dams produce hydropower, they should be removed because they aren’t indispensable...
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...storage of rain water at the surface or in a sub surface aquifer. (Aquifer: a layer of permeable rock, sand or gravel through which water flows containing enough water to supply wells and springs). Basically saving the rain water from going inside the sea or waste and saving it artificially to recharge the ground water, increase reservoir levels. NEED: Overcome inadequacy, meet demand of people, arrest declining of ground water level, increasing infiltration of soil, improve ground water, increases vegetation and green. ADVANTAGES: Aquifer serves distribution system, no land is waste, ground is not exposed to evaporation, storing water under ground is environmentally friendly, increases productivity, mitigates drought, reduces soil erosion. DESIGN ASPECTS 1. Hydrogeology of the area. 2. Nature and extent of aquifer. 3. Soil covers. 4. Topography depth. 5. Chemical quality of water. 6. PRIME: one of the prime requisite for ground water recharge is basically non-committed surplus rain water runoff. 7. Areas contributing to runoff: Other wise opportunity are • Area available. • Land use pattern • Industrial residential • Green belt • Paved areas • Roof top area. 8. Potential Area: 9. Methods and techniques NOTE: Please feel free to write to me if you require more details. Regards...
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...control the implementation of the development itself, but designed to control the pollutant (TSS) released as a result of earth disturbances into Malaysian waters. TSS has been identified as a major pollutant that has caused detrimental impacts on rivers. 1. These regulations may be cited as the Environmental Quality (Control of Suspended Solids) Regulations 2011 Interpretation 2. (1) In these Regulations- “accelerated erosion” means the removal of the surface of the land through the combined action of human activities and the natural processes, at a rate greater than what would occur because of the natural process alone. Note : These definitions are subject to discussion with stakeholders and approval by the AG Chambers 1 LAMPIRAN 1 - DRAFT1 OCTOBER 2012 “agricultural operation” means the management and use of farming resources for production of crops, livestock, or poultry, or for equine activity. “best management practices” means activities, facilities, measures, planning or procedures used to minimize accelerated erosion and sedimentation and manage stormwater to protect and maintain the quality of soil or inland or Malaysian waters and the existing and designated uses of waters before, during, and after earth disturbance activities. “boundary of premise” means the line indicating the specific limit of a premise “development...
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...Which river does NOT begin in the Champaign Urbana area. * Sangamon River CHAPTER 6, 11, 12, 14 * Flood probability is constant over time while risk of future eq is very low right after major eq and then will increase slowly as pressure builds CLIMATE CHANGE Climate- Long term average of daily weather conditions. Extremes * Early Earth = Very Warm * End of Paleozoic = Very Cold * End of Mesozoic = Very Cold * End of Ceonzoic = climate oscillations from very cold to very ward Importance of Studying Climate Change A.) Effect on sea level- * If current glaciers were to melt, that water would drain into oceans and cause sea levels to rise (result in flooding) Alternatively if glaciers were to become much larger, water from oceans gets transferred to ice on leand and reduces sea level B.) Large Change in Climate- * If significant global warming occurs, some areas will become much drier (others wetter) causing deserts and also possibly worse severe weather and greater disease. If glaciers advance over large areas, it will force some people to migrate C.) Glaciers’ effect on landscapes/floods- * formed great lakes, flattens landscapes in other areas, rich soil of Midwest due to deposition of glacial debris. Can cause catastrophic floods. D.) Predict Future Climate- * Understand geologic past to help predict future (Inverse uniformitarianism) * Gas by abundance * Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Others ...
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...Measuring Soil Erosion Purpose: Soil erosion is a serious problem in our world today. The purpose of this project is to determine its effect, the damages that it does to our lives and in what ways can we prevent it to happen. Procedure: 1. Find patches of different types of soil that are on slight slopes or hillsides. a. Alternatively, you could look for patches of the same soil type with different amounts of plant cover, for example, bare soil and a grassy area. b. Alternatively, you could compare different degrees of slope with the same soil type and plant cover. c. Choose a sufficient number of sites so that you can compare the variable of interest as the sole change between sites. For example, if you wanted to investigate degree of slope, you should select at least three sites with similar soil types and plant cover but different slopes. If you want to investigate the effect of plant cover, select at least three sites with similar slope and soil type, but different amounts (or types) of cover. 2. For each test site, make 3 sampling containers. d. Cut the tops off plastic bottles such as soda bottles or milk jugs. Use the utility knife safely: keep your fingers away from the path of the blade. e. Use the same size bottle for all sites. f. Bury each container so the lip is even with or slightly below the soil surface. 3. Weigh the soil that collects in the containers after each rain. Dry the soil in an oven before you weigh...
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...Introduction My aim was to study the changes of the river Chess from source to confluence. The hypothesis: There is a correlation between river discharge and erosion. My key questions: Will the wetted perimeter increase further downstream ? Will the river channel get wider further downstream ? Will the river channel get deeper further downstream ? Will the velocity increase further downstream ? Will the pebble size change further downstream? The key terms I will use are: Discharge – the amount of water being released Meander- bend in the river Lower course - the section of the river near the sea, where deposition is the most important process and the valley becomes wider and flatter. Middle course - the section of the river between the mountains and the lowland, where transport of eroded material is important and the river begins to cut sideways due to the reducing gradient. Upper course - the mountain stage of a river with steep gradients and much erosion. Confluence – where the tributary meet the main river channel Erosion – wearing away on land from hydraulic action , abrasion , attrition , solution. Attrition- The particles are knocked about as they are transported, and they gradually become more rounded and reduced in size. Abrasion- the pebbles being transported wear away the bed and banks of the river channel. Hydraulic Action: The sheer force of the water by itself can erode material from the bed and banks of the river channel. Solution: some...
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...Agricultura Colombiana: Adaptación al Cambio Climático Charlotte Lau, Andy Jarvis y Julián Ramírez El cambio climático probablemente tendrá impactos significativos en el sector agropecuario en Colombia, responsable de más de una décima parte del PIB del país y fuente de empleo para más de una quinta parte de su población. Los análisis indican que para el 2050 es probable que se presenten aumentos significativos de la temperatura, precipitación más errática y mayor prevalencia de plagas y enfermedades. Para atender las múltiples implicaciones socioeconómicas de estos cambios, el gobierno debe priorizar la adaptación, invirtiendo en evaluaciones regionales, investigación y desarrollo, y transferencia de tecnologías a los agricultores y capacitación en su uso. Mensajes Claves • Es probable que a mediados de este siglo haya aumentado tanto la temperatura promedio anual como la precipitación, lo que tendría impactos significativos en la agricultura. Este impacto, a su vez, tiene amplias repercusiones en la economía nacional, las tasas de pobreza rural y la seguridad alimentaria. El cambio de cultivos y la diversificación, junto con mejores prácticas pecuarias y de manejo de recursos, son claves para que haya un cambio ascendente. Los climatólogos se deben enfocar en mapear el clima de manera más detallada para comprender las vulnerabilidades y los impactos. Los biólogos y agrónomos deben desarrollar cultivos resistentes al estrés climático. Se debe prestar especial atención a...
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...The Causes of massive movements are due more too human or physical factors? What can increase the chance of a landslide? Several factors can increase a slopes susceptibility to a landslide event: * water (rainfall or the movement of the sea) — this acts as a grease to the material increasing the likelihood that it will slip and also adds extra weight to the rock * erosion processes — such as coastal erosion and river erosion * steepness of slope * type of 'rocks' — soft rock such as mudstone or hard rock such as limestone * shape of the rock 'grains' * jointing and orientation of bedding planes * arrangement of the rock layers * Weathering processes — for example freeze-thaw reduces the stickiness (cohesion) between the rock grains. * lack of vegetation which would help bind material together * flooding * volcanoes and earthquake activity nearby * man's activity — mining, traffic vibrations or urbanisation which changes surface water drainage patterns Aberfan disaster 1966 * 21st October 1966, involving a coal tip slag heap at Aberfan, killed 147 people. * A build-up of rain water inside the tip at Aberfan probably burst the base of the tip and caused 2 million tons of waste to slid down the valley * Thus cause of man’s activity as dumping kept increasing the weight on the slope on the slope, increasing sheer stress and reducing sheer strength. * Physical causes of hill (the clay) being eroded by water increase...
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...Purpose of investigation: To test the theory of sorting. This suggests that the further up the beach, the larger the pebbles. This is due to constructive waves having a large swash, meaning they have the energy to carry large sediment up the beach. The energy then percolates down into the beach meaning it only has a weak backwash and can only carry the smaller sediment back down, progressively depositing it down the beach so the largest is at the top and the smallest is at the bottom. Methods used: Selecting pebbles: To select pebbles, we used a tape measure to mark every 2 metres down the beach from the vegetation line. This ensured the results were spread evenly down the beach. At every 2 metre point, we placed a quadrat down and used a random number generator to select 5 pebbles from each sample point. For example if the number generator said 3 and then 7, we would select a pebble from the 3rd row up and 7th column along. This ensures an unbiased sample. Measuring pebbles: To measure the pebbles once we selected them, we used a calliper. This is a piece of measuring equipment which allows you to measure the length of an object, usually pebbles. We measured each of the 5 pebbles we had previously selected and recorded our results in a table. This piece of equipment was fairly good as it was designed to measure pebbles, which is what we needed to do. However, the callipers we were using were fairly bad quality and kept getting jammed, making them unreliable. Also...
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...This document of GLG 220 Week 3 Discussion Questions shows the Solutions to the following problems: DQ 1: Answer in 200-300 word count. Choose one question below and title your answer with Reply. 1. Describe the hydrologic cycle. How does this cycle affect the earth? 2. What is the potential danger due to mass wasting in your state or region? What is the effort spent to minimize the impact of mass wasting? 3. What is the impact of soil erosion on farmland? What are the tools that could be utilized to minimize the loss of farmland to soil erosion? DQ 2: Answer in 200-300 word count. Choose one question below and title your answer with Reply. 256 1. Based on your reading, do you believe that we are in a period of glacial or interglacial stage? Why or why not? What are the current factors that might cause the acceleration of one stage over the other? 2. One philosophy about pollution of water is that water can always be cleaned (e.g. by the use of distillation). Is this a viable solution? Why or why not? 3. What are the different sources of water in the United States? Which source of water is mostly used in your region? How could we protect the sources of our water from drying up and contamination? General Questions - General General Questions Resource: Ch. 9 of Geoscience Laboratory Complete University of Phoenix Material: Week Two Earthquakes Lab Report and University of Phoenix Material: Week Two Lab Report Worksheet by answering the following questions in Ch...
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...vital moisture and fertility to the soil. Thus, the normal floods are considered a blessing for Bangladesh. Only abnormal floods are considered disastrous, i.e., the high-magnitude events that inundate large areas. Causes of Devastating Floods · Excessive rainfall in the catchment area · Synchronization of the peak water levels of all the major rivers of Bangladesh. · Sometimes solar eclipse retards the outflow of water drainage by raising the tidal level. · Earthquakes cause tectonic anomaly in the Himalayan region and the Bay of Bengal. · Infrastructure development without adequate drainage EXTENT OF BANK-EROSION AND DISPLACEMENT Rivers constantly alter their course, changing shape and depth, trying to find a balance between the sediment transport capacity of the water and the sediment supply. This process, called riverine erosion or riverbank erosion, is usually seen as the wearing away of riverbanks...
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...Long Island took more than 450 million years to develop into the geography we inhabit present day. Long Island’s geologic history began when future North America (known as Laurentia) collided with continental fragments, resulting in a foundation of consolidated hard rock. Several hundred million years of continental collisions and separations formed the Appalachian Mountains, whose eroding streams delivered Long Island’s sedimentary layer of sand, silt and clay. Over the next 63 million years, erosion continues to carve out valleys that will eventually become the Long Island Sound and bays off the North Shore. The next stage of growth is a result of approximately 4 Glaciers delivering the top layers of Long Island over thousands of years....
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...National Geographic Society. All rights reserved.), (“In United States only 5% of original grassland is still remaining.”) Grassland have several threats which are the nonstop of global warming affecting present grasslands by turning them into wasteland including the pattern changing of rainfall, city expansion are highly growing decreasing the grassland environment, having few crops growing, bugs, illness can extend without problems causing the requirement of toxic pesticides, dried plants, cold weather, wheat, and corn lets crops developed into natural prairie. Grasslands also have solutions for all its negative threats such as schools and teachers educating students more on exactly how to safe from harm the soil and how to stop soil erosion, defending and reestablish wetlands which are important for the grassland ecosystem, paying attention to the agricultural crops to avoid the enervating of nutrients, planting trees as shelters, and last by not least the behavior of dehydrate during the time of year wanting to gain fresh development to restore all the vitamins in the soil when dry...
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