Soil Compaction and Its Effects on Erosion By Jarrod Ward Background According to the Department of Primary Industries (2015) compaction occurs when a force compresses the soil and pushes air and water out of it so that it becomes denser. Such forces can come from agricultural stock, farming equipment or recreational activities such as four wheel driving. Compaction becomes more severe when the soil is wet and less able to withstand compression. The amount that the soil compresses can also be dependent on its parent material. Sandy soils do not compact well as they do not hold water and have more rounded particles, whereas clay soils can be highly compacted due to their high moisture content and extremely fine particles. Plant growth is hindered by compaction as the plants are unable to establish deep roots and reach valuable nutrients. With a growing population comes a growing food demand and a rising need for suitable soils to cultivate. This means that the negative effects of soil compaction is doubled due to not only the decreased crop yield but also due to the following erosion. The effect will multiply over time as the soil that is left becomes more and more heavily farmed. Soils Matter (2015) states we lose about 1.7 billion tons of soil per year just from our cropland. Dr. David Pimentel from Cornwell University takes this statistic even further in his report Population Growth and the Environment, pointing out that it takes approximately 500 years to replace 25 millimetres of top soil lost to erosion and the minimum depth for agricultural production is 150 millimetres. From this perspective productive soil is a non-renewable, endangered ecosystem. Erosion rates are increased by compaction due to water pooling on the surface and carrying away any unconsolidated materials when it runs off. The University of Minnesota (2015) says from the standpoint of
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Soil Compaction and Its Effects on Erosion By Jarrod Ward
Background
According to the Department of Primary Industries (2015) compaction occurs when a force compresses the
soil and pushes air and water out of it so that it becomes denser. Such forces can come from agricultural
stock, farming equipment or recreational activities such as four wheel driving.
Compaction becomes more severe when the soil is wet and less able to withstand compression. The
amount that the soil compresses can also be dependent on its parent material. Sandy soils do not compact
well as they do not hold water and have more rounded particles, whereas clay soils can be highly
compacted due to their high moisture content and extremely fine particles.
Plant growth is hindered by compaction as the plants are unable to establish deep roots and reach valuable
nutrients. With a growing population comes a growing food demand and a rising need for suitable soils to
cultivate. This means that the negative effects of soil compaction is doubled due to not only the decreased
crop yield but also due to the following erosion. The effect will multiply over time as the soil that is left
becomes more and more heavily farmed.
Soils Matter (2015) states we lose about 1.7 billion tons of soil per year just from our cropland. Dr. David
Pimentel from Cornwell University takes this statistic even further in his report Population Growth and the
Environment, pointing out that it takes approximately 500 years to replace 25 millimetres of top soil lost to
erosion and the minimum depth for agricultural production is 150 millimetres. From this perspective
productive soil is a non-renewable, endangered ecosystem.
Erosion rates are increased by compaction due to water pooling on the surface and carrying away any
unconsolidated materials when it runs off. The University of Minnesota (2015) says from the standpoint of
crop production, the adverse effect of soil compaction on water flow and storage may be more serious
than the direct effect of soil compaction on root growth.
Aim
To investigate the effects of compaction on three different types of locally found soils.
Hypothesis
Compacted soils will experience an increase in erosion rates and compaction will cause a decrease in the