Dust Bowl What are 3 natural causes of the dust bowl? What are 2 man made causes of the dust bowl?

Dust Bowl

• What are 3 natural causes of the dust bowl?

• What are 2 man made causes of the dust bowl?

What is this agricultural device?

1. What is one advantage of using this device?

2. Why was it so important to early Kansas farmers?

3. Is there a reason this device could have hurt the farmers business?

Plow

• Allowed farmers to plant crops on land that was covered with natural grasses.

• Allowed farmers to grow crops as surplus.

• Led to great amounts of soil erosion.

Crop Rotation:  Changing the crops grown in a field, usually in

a planned sequence.

• 4. What crops do you think are rotated in Kansas today?

• 5. What do you think the purpose of this row of trees is?

Shelterbelt

• windbreak: hedge or fence of trees designed to lessen the force of the wind and reduce erosion

Stubble mulch

• Tillage or preparation of the soil in such a way that plant residues or other materials are left to cover the surface

6. How do you think this different from plowing?

Terracing and Contour farming

Terracing

• Creating ditches that run with the contour of the land.

• How do you think terracing help prevent soil erosion?

• 7. What is this called? (hint: not crop circles)

Irrigation

• Keeps soil moist, allows crops to grow better

• Keeps soil from blowing away

• 8. Can you think of a drawback to using irrigation?

We are going to read this article in class as a group and I want you to

tell me what current farming technique is being used by many

farmers today in Kansas.

• http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2005/jan/25/landowner_relies_on/