ShareRocks and Soils - Keeping Soil In Its Place
The oil - soil connection
Just like the farmers around the world, we all depend on soil. If you think about it, almost all the items surrounding
you in your daily life can be traced back to soil. Take
for example, a plastic cup. A plastic cup is made from oil that is taken
from deep underground. The same oil that is used to make the cup is made
from the remains of ancient plants. These plants were once living. They
grew in soil many millions of years ago.
Do It!
You know how important water is to life on our planet.
Almost all living things depend on it to survive and thrive. Just like
water, soil is a major natural resource. Soil is like the skin of the
Earth. There is a lot of action, reaction, and interaction going on to
make soil. The amount of topsoil that is usable for crop production is
only a very small percentage. Who should care? Everyone! The following activity demonstrates the value of Earth's soil.
Materials:
- One apple
- Knife to cut the apple (Be sure to get an adult to help you do this.)
- Paper towels for clean up
Procedure:
- Imagine Earth as an apple.
- Cut the apple into four equal parts. Only one of these sections represents land. Can you explain why?
- Cut the land piece in half. One of these sections represents the land area that is covered with mountains, deserts, or ice.
- Cut the remaining "livable" area into fourths. Three of these sections are rocky, wet, hot, infertile or covered with roads and cities.
- How much apple is now remaining? If you have done your math correctly, you now only have 1/32 of the original apple.
- Peel the skin from this section of the apple. This represents the topsoil on which the food is grown. This small amount of "soil" must "feed" all of the people on this planet.
- Write a short summary of this activity. Include a paragraph on the importance of soil to life on Earth.
- Go ahead, eat your apple and don't forget to clean up your mess!
Keeping Soil in its Place - Conservation
Have
you ever visited Zion's National Park, the San Rafael Swell or Bryce Canyon?
A process called erosion that occurred over millions of years created
all these magnificent places. Erosion is the loosening, transportation,
and relocation of soil particles from one place to another. Erosion occurs
primarily due to the action of wind and water. The rate and extent of
erosion are determined by soil type and condition, slope of the land,
plant cover, land use and climate.
Make it!
Use
the Internet or other resources to find out about one of the areas listed
above. Either use a computer or paper and pictures to design a brochure.
Be sure to include pictures. If you are not using a computer, cut out
pictures or designs from magazines or print computer images. You might
want to type and paste the text.
Conserve it!
Unfortunately, erosion does not occur only on wilderness
landscapes, and the effects are not always positive, especially when you
are talking about soil. Landslides can bury towns and claim thousands
of lives. Streams or rivers loaded with eroded soil can turn sources of
clean 
drinking
water into major health hazards. Because topsoil is so shallow in Utah,
farmers, ranchers, and others who are charged with caring for the land,
must use practices that conserve topsoil and hold it in place. Plants
grow poorly in subsoil. That is why farmers must work hard to conserve
their topsoil.
Plant it!
Because topsoil is so valuable, we must find ways to
conserve or save it. Can you think of ways to help prevent erosion? One
of the best ways is to plant vegetation. The roots of plants can help
to anchor the soil to the ground preventing the wind and/or water from
removing it.
You're the Scientist
Here is your chance to really show off the gray stuff
inside your head. As a scientist, design an experiment to test the effectiveness
of different types of plants in controlling erosion. Remember to get permission
from your teacher or parents before you do your experiment.
- Title
- Background information (You may use this site or any other reference to write a paragraph about erosion and ways to prevent it.)
- Materials (This is what you need to do the experiment.)
- Hypothesis (Which method do you think will work the best?)
- Procedure (Step by step, what you will do.)
- Results (What did you find out?)
- Conclusion (Was your hypothesis correct?)
