Causes of soil erosion. water erosion

Definition of soil erosion

Erosion is the destruction of soil by wind and water, the movement of destruction products and their redeposition. Soil damage (erosion) by water manifests itself mainly on slopes from which water flows, rain or melt. Erosion is planar (when the soil is evenly washed away by water runoff, which does not have time to be absorbed), it is jet-like (shallow ravines are formed, which are eliminated by conventional processing), and there is still deep erosion (when it erodes strong currents soil and water rocks). Soil destruction by wind, otherwise called deflation, can develop on any type of terrain, even on plains. Deflation is everyday (when winds of low speed lift soil particles into the air and transfer them to other areas), the second type of wind erosion is periodic, that is, dust storms (when winds at high speed lift the entire top layer of soil into the air, it happens even with crops , and carries these masses over long distances).

Types of soil erosion

Depending on the degree of destruction, two types of soil erosion can be distinguished: normal erosion, that is, natural, and accelerated, that is, anthropogenic. The first type of erosion occurs slowly and does not affect the fertility of the soil. Accelerated erosion is closely related to the economic work of man, that is, the soil is not cultivated correctly, the vegetation cover is disturbed during grazing, and so on. With the rapid development of erosion, soil fertility decreases, crops are damaged, agricultural land becomes inconvenient due to ravines, this makes it very difficult to cultivate fields, rivers and reservoirs are flooded. Due to soil erosion, roads, power lines, communications and much more are destroyed. It causes great damage to agriculture.

Soil erosion prevention

For many years, soil erosion control has been one of the most important state tasks in the development of agriculture. To solve it, various zonal complexes are being developed that complement each other, for example, organizational and economic, agrotechnical, hydraulic engineering, forest reclamation anti-erosion measures.

A little about each event. Agrotechnical measures include deep cultivation of plots across slopes, sowing, plowing, which alternates every two or three years with ordinary plowing, slotting of slopes, spring loosening of the field in strips, grassing of slopes. All this contributes to the regulation of rainwater runoff and melt water, and consequently significantly reduce soil runoff. In areas where wind erosion is common, instead of plowing, flat-cut tillage is used by cultivators, that is, flat-cutters. This reduces splatter and helps build up in more moisture.

In every area that is subject to soil erosion, soil-protective crop rotations play a huge role, and in addition, sowing crops of high-stemmed plants.

In forest reclamation measures, protective forest plantations. Forest belts are field-protective, ravine and ravine.

In hydrotechnical measures, terracing is used on very steep slopes. In such places, shafts are built to retain water, and ditches, on the contrary, to drain excess water, fast flows in the channels of hollows and ravines.

Soil protection from erosion

Erosion is considered the biggest socio-economic disaster. Suggested to follow the following provisions: firstly, it is easier to prevent erosion than to fight it later, eliminating its consequences; v environment not find soils that are completely resistant to erosion; due to erosion, changes in the main functions of the soil occur; this process is very complex, the measures taken against it must be comprehensive.

What affects the erosion process?

Any erosion can occur due to such factors:

• changes in climatic conditions;
• terrain features;
• natural disasters;
• anthropogenic activity.

water erosion

Most often, water erosion occurs on mountain slopes, as a result of the runoff of rain and melt water. According to the intensity, the soil can be washed off in a continuous layer or in separate streams. As a result of water erosion, the top fertile layer of the earth is demolished, which contains rich elements that feed plants. Linear erosion is a more progressive destruction of the earth, when small gullies turn into large pits and ravines. When erosion reaches such proportions, the land becomes unsuitable for agriculture or any other activities.

wind erosion

Air masses are able to inflate small particles of the earth and carry them over great distances. With significant wind gusts, the soil can disperse in significant quantities, which leads to the weakening of plants, and then to their death. If a wind storm sweeps over a field that is just beginning to sprout crops, they can become covered with a layer of dust and be destroyed. Also, wind erosion worsens the fertility of the land, as the top layer is destroyed.

Consequences of soil erosion

The problem of land erosion is an urgent and acute problem for many countries of the world. Since the fertility of the land directly affects the amount of crops, erosion exacerbates the problem of famine in some regions, as erosion can destroy crops. Erosion also affects the reduction of plants, respectively, this reduces the population of birds and animals. And the worst thing is the complete depletion of the soil, which takes hundreds of years to restore.

Technique for protecting soil from water erosion

Such a phenomenon as erosion is dangerous for the soil, therefore, complex actions are required to ensure the protection of the earth. To do this, you need to regularly monitor the erosion process, draw up special maps and properly plan economic work. Land reclamation work must be carried out taking into account the protection of the soil. Crops should be planted in stripes and a combination of plants should be selected that will protect the soil from leaching. An excellent method of protecting the land is to plant trees, creating several forest belts, near the fields. On the one hand, tree plantations will protect crops from precipitation and wind, and on the other hand, they will strengthen the soil and prevent erosion. If there is a slope in the fields, then protective strips of perennial grasses are planted.

Soil protection from wind erosion

To prevent weathering of the soil and preserve the fertile layer of the earth, it is necessary to carry out certain protective work. For this, first of all, crop rotation is carried out, that is, the planting type of crops is changed annually: cereal plants are grown for one year, then perennial grasses. Also against strong winds plant strips of trees that create a natural barrier air masses and protect crops. In addition, high-stemmed plants can be grown nearby for protection: corn, sunflower. It is required to increase soil moisture in order to accumulate moisture and protect the roots of plants, strengthening them in the ground.

The following actions will help against all types of soil erosion:

• construction of special terraces against erosion;
• sideration technique;
• planting shrubs in stripes;
• organization of dams;
• regulation of the flow of melt water.

All of the above methods are different level complexity, but they must be used in combination to protect the land from erosion.

Soil erosion is a common process in which soil and soil are destroyed by streams and jets of melt, storm, rain and irrigation water or winds. The harm from such an impact is enormous. Soil erosion has already removed 2 billion hectares of land from agricultural use, including arable land (50 million hectares).

The soil is a self-healing system, however, it will take 300-1000 years to restore a damaged layer 2.5 cm thick.

Types of soil erosion are water and air (deflation).

Erosion forms gullies that impede tillage; creates ravines, while reducing the area of ​​land for crops; destroys roads, floods On the upper surface of short slopes, the chernozem layer is significantly reduced or completely washed away, which affects the yield.

Causes of erosion

The intensity of the occurrence of erosion processes is greatly influenced by climate, terrain, anti-erosion resistance of the soil, vegetation in these areas, people and other factors.

Soil erosion depends on the climate, because erosion processes are intensified as a result of sharp fluctuations in temperature, the amount and intensity of precipitation, wind speed and strength. From low temperatures the soil freezes deeply, and the intensity of its thawing and snow melting affects the rate of water absorption into the soil, which is reflected in water runoff, runoff and erosion.

Water erosion of soils is ravine (jet, linear), planar and irrigation (irrigation).

If in winter the snow is blown off the slopes by strong winds, the soil becomes bare, freezes and prevents the melt water from being absorbed. This causes an intense flow of water.

The wind also affects the process of water erosion, because it redistributes snow over the relief, blows it off the slopes into ravines, beams, etc.

Deflation depends on erosion starting to manifest itself at a speed of about 12 m/s at a height of about 10 m above the soil surface.

The wind speed also depends on the vegetation cover. In treeless expanses, in the steppe, the wind speed sometimes reaches 30 m/s, and in the forest zone and forest-steppe it is less.

Precipitation can significantly reduce wind erosion, but its abundance contributes to the development of water erosion.

The intensity of destruction is affected by the relief, the steepness and length of the slopes, the width of the watershed. The longer and steeper the slope, the greater the area damaged by erosion and the more serious its consequences.

The condition and characteristics of soils are reflected in the degree of destruction. So, qualitatively structured, chernozem soils are characterized by looseness, water permeability, and therefore erosion and washout on them is much less.

Soil erosion depends on mechanical B natural conditions air erosion is more susceptible to light soil - sandy and sandy loam. are subject to deflation only in a loosened, dusty state. Carbonate soils - chestnut and chernozem are easily destroyed by wind. Solonetzic soil and solonetzes are wind-resistant.

Thanks to the vegetation cover, the development of soil erosion is significantly reduced or completely eliminated. The impact of raindrops is softened by dense vegetation, part of the liquid is retained on the leaves of plants, and the grass sharply slows down the flow of water.

Soil erosion is reduced if the ground is covered perennial herbs, which protect the soil from the effects of raindrops and winds, increasing water permeability.

It has a great influence on erosive processes. specific gravity areas sown with tilled crops, the intensity of soil erosion increases.

When the soil is excessively tilled, it is sprayed, which increases both wind and water erosion. Soil compaction causes heavy agricultural machinery to pass through the field, which reduces its water permeability, increases water runoff, erodes and washes away.

Erosion(from the Latin word erosio - corrosive) - this is the destruction of soil and soil by jets and streams of melt, rain, storm and irrigation water (water erosion) or wind (air erosion - deflation).

Types of water erosion: ravine (linear, jet), planar and irrigation (irrigation).

Soil erosion causes great harm to world agriculture. Due to erosion the globe 2 billion hectares of agricultural land, including 50 million hectares of arable land, have already retired from agricultural circulation.

The soil is a self-healing system, however, to restore the 2.5 cm soil layer destroyed by erosion in a natural way to its original state, it will take from 300 to 1000 years, and 18 cm - up to 2-7 thousand years.

Under the influence of erosion, gullies are formed that make it difficult to cultivate the soil, ravines develop, as a result of which the area of ​​​​arable land decreases, roads are destroyed, agricultural land is silted, and streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds in the lower relief elements. On the upper third of the short slopes, the humus horizon is reduced or completely washed away, and the productivity of agricultural crops is sharply reduced.

Causes of soil erosion. The intensity of development of erosion processes is greatly influenced by climate, topography, anti-erosion resistance of soils, vegetation, economic activity person and other factors.

The climate influences the development of erosion processes as a result of temperature fluctuations, the amount and intensity of precipitation, and wind strength. The depth of soil freezing, the intensity of snow melting and thawing of the soil, the flow of melt water, and their absorption into the soil depend on temperature.

If a permanent snow cover is established on unfrozen soil, then in the process of its thawing in spring, water is well absorbed into the soil and there is no runoff of water, washout and erosion of the soil. If snow is blown off the slopes in winter, the soil becomes bare, freezes deeply and melt water is little absorbed, there is a large runoff of water and soil destruction.

The most intensive destruction of soils by melt water in Ukraine, it occurs in the northern part of the Forest-Steppe and Polissya, and in the rest of the territory, erosion develops mainly from heavy rains. In the mountainous areas - Donbass, the mountainous part of the Carpathians and the Crimea - soil washout reaches its largest size.

The wind influences the development of water erosion by redistributing snow over the relief elements, blowing it off the slopes into gullies, ravines, etc.

Wind plays a leading role in the development of deflation. The erosive force of the wind begins to manifest itself at a speed of 8–12 m/s at a height of 10 m from the soil surface, it becomes significant at 12–15 m/s, and strong at 16–25 m/s.

Wind speed is influenced by vegetation cover, especially forest species. In the treeless expanses of the steppe zone, the wind speed reaches 20-30 m/s, and in the Forest-Steppe and Polissya it is less.

Precipitation significantly reduces wind erosion due to soil moisture, but its abundance causes the development of water erosion.

The relief serves main reason development of water erosion. The length and steepness of the slope, the size of the watershed, the shape of the slope surface determine the degree of development of erosion processes. The longer the slope and the steeper it is, the more larger area and erosion develops with greater intensity.

The intensity of soil flushing depends on the shape of the slope. On convex slopes it is greater, on concave slopes it is less. Often the slopes have a complex shape: in one place - convex, in another - straight or concave.

The degree of soil erosion and the formation of ravines depend on the size, shape and steepness of the slope.

The condition and characteristics of the soils themselves have a great influence on the intensity of erosion. Thus, well-structured, humus-rich soils of light and medium loamy mechanical composition are characterized by looseness, good water permeability, and therefore runoff and erosion on them are sharply reduced. On the contrary, on unstructured, dispersed, compacted soils of heavy mechanical composition, water slowly absorbs, accumulates on the surface and flows down to low relief places, causing washout and erosion of the soil.

The formation of a soil crust on the surface and the plow pan, the presence of a frozen layer impede water permeability, cause water runoff, washout and erosion of the soil. According to the degree of decrease in erosion resistance, the most important types of cultivated soils in Ukraine can be arranged in the following sequence: chernozems, gray forest, sod-podzolic, chestnut, solonetzes.

The emergence and development of erosion is largely determined by the mechanical composition of the soil. Under natural conditions, deflation is more susceptible to soils of light mechanical composition - sandy and sandy loam. Heavy (argillaceous) soils are subject to air erosion only in a loosened, sprayed state or after the destruction of the upper layer as a result of grazing. Carbonate soils - chernozem and chestnut soils - are easily destroyed under the influence of wind. Solonetzic soils and solonetzes are wind-resistant.

Vegetation cover greatly reduces or completely eliminates the development of soil erosion. Dense vegetation prevents the direct impact of raindrops and the destruction of soil aggregates. Part of the water is retained by the crown of the plants themselves, and the dense herbage drastically slows down the rate of water flow. Thus, vegetation contributes to the absorption of water by the soil, protects the soil surface from destruction and slows down the movement of water over the surface.

The remaining plant residues (stubble) on the soil surface contribute to the retention and accumulation of snow on the field, reducing the depth of soil freezing. They prevent the development of water and wind erosion of the soil.

Perennial grasses have the most beneficial effect on reducing soil erosion.. Their herbage protects the soil from the effects of wind and raindrops, improves the physical properties of the soil and increases its water permeability.

Of great importance are the wings of tall plants.

Of the cultivated plants, tilled crops, especially sugar beets, are the least resistant to soil erosion. By reducing the number of inter-row tillage with industrial technologies for their cultivation, we reduce the risk of erosion. However, the effect is insignificant. The use of plants to protect soil from erosion is called phytomelioration.

Human economic activity has a huge impact on erosion processes.. Thus, an increase in the proportion of tilled crops and bare fallows in crop rotations is accompanied by an increase in the intensity of soil erosion. The specialization of the economy, for example, in the cultivation of beets contributes to increased soil erosion.

In sloping areas, intensive mechanical tillage with wrapping of the arable layer contributes to the development of soil erosion. Intensive mechanical tillage causes its dispersion, destructuring and strengthening of both wind and water erosion. Under the influence of heavy tractors and other agricultural machinery passing through the field, the soil is strongly compacted, its water permeability decreases, water runoff, soil erosion and washout increase.

The erosion resistance of the soil largely depends on the content of humus in it. Humus contributes to the formation of a water-resistant soil structure, which prevents the development of erosion.

Irrational use of land with high saturation of crop rotations with tilled crops, high intensity of mechanical tillage, lack of soil-protective crop rotations and crops of perennial grasses contribute to the development of erosion.

Under this common name - erosion (lat. erosio– separation), we will consider the unfavorable and dangerous processes of the impact of water flows, waves and winds on the relief: flat and linear (ravine) erosion, deflation (wind) erosion, reformation of river beds. Mudflows, abrasion of the coasts of the seas and reservoirs, discussed above, also refer to soil erosion. On the earth's surface there are no places where precipitation does not fall. Flowing water does work everywhere within the land, and the landforms it creates are universal. Plowing activity of flowing water called erosion. Erosion can be of several types and types (Table 2.48), each of which is characterized physical processes occurring mainly in the soil.

soil erosion(flat erosion) - the process of destruction of the upper, most fertile soil layers and underlying rocks by melt and rain waters (water erosion of soils) or wind (wind erosion of soils, deflation, blowing). In a number of places, more fertile land is being lost from soil erosion than is being reclaimed. Natural soil erosion is a very slow process. For example, demolition surface waters 20 cm of soil under the forest canopy occurs in 174 thousand years, under a meadow in 29 thousand years. At correct crop rotations fields lose 20 cm of soil in 100 years, and with corn monoculture - in just 15 years. In the last two cases, the rate of destruction of the soil cover is much higher than the rate of soil formation.

Soil erosion has led to complete or partial, but economically significant loss fertility of more than half of the world's arable land (1.6–2 million km 2, with modern usage 1.2–1.6 million km 2). Every year, due to erosion, from 50 to 70 thousand km 2 of land is removed from agricultural use (more than 3% of the exploited arable land per year). V varying degrees 73% of Russia's lands are eroded. Russia's losses from erosion are estimated at 10.7 billion rubles a year.

flat erosion(soil erosion) is distributed everywhere where there is any intense precipitation. The flat erosion rate is measured by the thickness of the layer removed on average per year, or by the mass of material removed per unit area. The natural rate of flat erosion in the interfluve plains of the temperate climate zone measured in hundredths of a millimeter per year; erosion rate up to 0.5 mm/year corresponds to the rate of humus accumulation in the soil; higher values ​​mean cutting the soil.

Erosion intensity is a function of the amount and intensity of precipitation, the distribution and rate of snowmelt, and mechanical properties soil, the angle of inclination of the microrelief of the slope surface. Significant erosion of bare soil surfaces begins with precipitation of more than 10 mm/day and 2 mm/min on slopes with a slope of more than 3°. Erosion especially intensifies (up to 4–10 mm/year) with precipitation more than 30 mm/day, with showers with a droplet diameter of more than 1.5 mm, and on slopes steeper than 10–12°. As the relatively water-permeable and stable humus horizon of the soil is washed away, the runoff during rains increases up to six times, and the rate of erosion increases 10 times.

Anthropogenic erosion soil has accompanied agriculture throughout its history, but especially increased in the 19th-20th centuries, with the use of mechanical traction and standard agricultural techniques on huge fields with various local erosion potential values. The rate of erosion of bare soil in some places increases hundreds of times in comparison with erosion in forests. During agricultural production average value erosion has nearly tripled. V former USSR Of the 225 million hectares of arable land, 152 million hectares are noticeably eroded, including 64 million hectares that are heavily eroded. Every year, soils are completely eroded on an average of 2 million hectares, about 2 billion tons of soil are washed away. Erosion is also strong on 175 million hectares of hayfields and pastures, which leads to desertification of 40-50 thousand hectares of land per year.

wind erosion(blowing) soils light composition possible at wind speeds already 4–6 m/s, if the soil is dry (which is achieved at a relative air humidity of about 50% or less) and not too protected by vegetation. The rate of deflation is proportional to the third power of the wind speed: with winds over 6 m/s, deflation can reach the character of a dust storm. For example, in Turkmenistan, 40% of dust storms occur at a wind speed of 7–10 m/s, the rest - 15–20 m/s or more. Deflation is most typical for areas with a dry climate (annual precipitation of about 200 mm or less): for the Sahara, the countries of the Middle East, Afghanistan, India, Central Asia, China, Mexico, etc.

In Central Asia, hundreds of dust storms are observed annually, mainly due to cyclones coming from the south (“Afghan”). In some areas, the frequency of storms exceeds 50 per year. Particularly strong storms occur once every 30–40 years; the deflation layer with them is up to 20–25 cm. In the south of the East European Plain, the average annual number of days with dust storms is 8–23, in some years (1960, 1969, etc.) it is up to 70. From 10 to 50% of dust storms last more than for 6 hours and with a wind speed of more than 16 m / s are classified as strong and destructive. Tornadoes can also produce significant deflation here. For example, in Ukraine, the width of the strip, where a few centimeters of soil are blown by a tornado, reaches 500–700 m, the length is 15 km, and the area is 1000 ha; in the wind shadow next to such a strip, the thickness of the soil deposit is up to 10–15 cm.

Ravine (linear) erosion replaces flat erosion on slopes with a slope of more than 15°. Under natural conditions, modern gullying is a rare phenomenon, since the slopes suitable for this have long been eroded. It is possible under a combination of circumstances, for example, when precipitation falls shortly after the vegetation burns out. Almost all currently growing ravines and the predominant share of them total number anthropogenic. In Russia human activity generated 3/4 ravines. On arable land, in the last 10 years, the area of ​​ravines has increased from 5 to 6.6 million hectares, which means a loss of approximately 150 thousand hectares per year.

In the foothills of Central Asia on pastures, the rate of elongation of ravines reaches 4–6 m/year, deepening - 1 m/year, which is 2–3 times higher than in the Non-Chernozem region. In the steppe zone, the record speeds of elongation of ravines are up to 100 m/year, and on irrigated lands - up to 165 m/year.

On ice-bearing permafrost rocks, thermal erosion is observed - a kind of ravine erosion provoked by anthropogenic intensification of runoff (melt runoff from snow drifts, domestic water etc.), as well as mechanical disturbance of the heat-insulating vegetation cover. In the area of ​​Vorkuta, thermal erosion on loams with a surface slope of 3–5° in one rain can create potholes up to 10–15 m long, up to 2.5 m wide, and up to 1.5 m deep. They are laid at intervals of 30–50 m, much denser than in the Non-Chernozem region, and fully develop only in 20–35 years, 5 times faster than in the Non-Chernozem region. In the north Western Siberia thermal erosion growth of ravines in the tracks of caterpillar vehicles has a speed of up to 30 m/year.

The effects of erosion are having a negative impact in many countries. In Bulgaria, 72% of cultivated areas are subject to water erosion. Every year, about 40 million m 3 of fine earth are lost from them, which is equivalent to the loss of 60 million tons of fertile land. In Hungary, varying degrees of erosion threaten 2.3 million hectares of land, or about 30% of agricultural land. In Poland, surface erosion is observed on 13% of the country's territory. In England, annually (from March to June) from 4 to 6 thousand hectares of sugar beet crops grown on peat and sandy soils are exposed to the danger of blowing. In some years, up to 50% of these areas are reseeded several times. In India, as a result of the development of erosion processes, about 4.2 million tons of nitrogen, 2.1 phosphorus, 7.3 potassium, 4.3 million tons of lime are annually removed from soils with agricultural crops. Soil erosion causes great damage to the countries of Asia, Africa and Latin America. In Mexico, only 19% of the country's territory can be considered not subject to erosion, while moderate and accelerated erosion covers 24 - 26%, 17% of the territory has been turned into waste land, and urgent measures are required for 15%, where erosion is just beginning.

One of important factors providing negative impact on soil productivity is erosion - this is the destruction of the upper fertile soil layer under the influence of natural and anthropogenic forces. The more intensively the land is used, the more efforts must be made to maintain its fertility. Irrational land use leads to rapid depletion of the soil, which ultimately makes it completely unsuitable for agriculture.

It has two goals - preventing erosion and weathering of the fertile soil layer and increasing, these goals are inseparable from each other. Today, a wide range of measures has already been developed and successfully applied to protect agricultural land from depletion.

Natural soil erosion is largely related to the climatic features of this region, while human activities in growing crops can significantly accelerate natural processes.

The following factors influence the rate of damage to the surface layer:

• Climate features. The development of water erosion is typical for regions with prolonged heavy rains, as well as with the rapid arrival of spring, accompanied by a sharp melting. a large number snow. The resulting meltwater erodes the soil and damages the valuable fertile layer. Wind erosion is typical for flat areas with a dry climate; due to a small amount of precipitation, the soil dries quickly.
• Relief features. The rate of erosion directly depends on the steepness and length of the slopes; in addition, destructive processes develop faster on convex slopes than on concave surfaces. On the plains, erosion develops faster where vegetation cover is minimal.
• Soil properties also play an important role in the rate of erosive processes. Chernozems are considered the most stable, such soil practically does not weather and does not erode. Serozem, clay and sandy soil, on the contrary, is characterized by the least stability and quickly collapses under certain conditions.
• The presence of a plant layer. The roots of plants guarantee the soil reliable protection from water and wind, in addition, they provide rapid absorption of moisture and prevent the soil from drying out even in hot weather. Tall plant stems also prevent soil weathering, as the wind speed near the ground decreases.
• Human economic activity remains one of the most destructive factors. Uncontrolled grazing in the same areas, plowing land in violation of crop rotation rules, mining - all this leads to damage to the soil layer, and it is extremely difficult to restore it.

Thus, when choosing methods to combat those other types of erosion, it is necessary to take into account the causes of its occurrence. Only when the causes are eliminated, it is possible to achieve a sustainable result and ensure the protection of the soil.

Soil protection from water erosion is a whole complex of agro-reclamation and hydro-reclamation measures that must be carried out according to a pre-agreed plan.

The complex of works on soil protection includes the following main areas:

• Organizational and economic work. They include periodic survey of fields with the preparation of plans and maps, comprehensive assessment erosion processes, development of an action plan and control of their implementation. Pre-planning is one of the important success factors in erosion control.
• Agro-reclamation measures are a system of crop rotation, taking into account soil protection. It involves planting perennial crops, placing cultivated plants in strips on slopes, developing and installing a snow retention system to prevent soil from being washed out by melt water. In addition, among the activities are the introduction of mineral and organic. The main task at this stage is to minimize the washing out of soil by melt water and prevent soil depletion.
• Forest and hydro-reclamation soil protection. It involves the planting of forest belts on the slopes, the arrangement of channels for the removal of melt water, the terracing of slopes, the creation of dams and artificial reservoirs. These measures make it possible to direct water disposal along strictly limited routes and protect the main land mass.

Works to protect the soil from water erosion also depend on the level of the slope. In areas with a slight slope, not exceeding 2 degrees, surface runoff is quite easy to minimize, for this it is enough to sow in transverse stripes or plant plants along the contour.

On fields located under a slope of up to 6 degrees, it is applied wide range methods of soil protection: including stepped plowing, furrowing, dimple and other methods.

With a stronger slope, protective strips of perennial grasses are created on the field. For 40 meters of planting of cultivated plants, the width of the protective grassy strip must be at least 7 m. The width of the protective buffer strip depends on the steepness of the slope: the higher it is, the wider the strips should be. Planting row crops on steep slopes is unacceptable.

A set of measures to combat water erosion allows you to get a good result and ensure the safety of the soil for many years. The state of the soil should be periodically monitored with correction of the applied protective measures.

Soil protection from wind erosion is a set of measures designed to prevent soil weathering and ensure the safety of the upper fertile layer. For this, a soil-protective crop rotation is used, which involves the placement of strips of grain cultivated plants and perennial herbs. In addition, erosion protection requires measures to accumulate moisture and create protective forest buffer strips.

The main way to protect the land from wind erosion is to create a dense vegetation cover that prevents the gradual weathering of soil particles.

Where wind erosion poses a serious threat to the preservation of crop yields, crop rotation floors are located across the prevailing wind direction, in addition, it is undesirable to have roads and forest belts along the slopes.

There are several common ways to combat wind erosion:

• Planting backstage from tall crops. Such plants become an effective protective barrier to the wind and significantly reduce its speed and negative impact on the soil. The sowing of perennial grasses and winter crops is being expanded, and fodder lands are being improved.
• Measures for moisture accumulation. To do this, the scenes are planted from tall plants, such as mustard or corn. Planting is carried out in mid-July: in this case, the plants grow quickly, but no longer produce seeds. Landing wings allows you to ensure even distribution of snow in winter and prevent the negative impact on the ground of strong winds.
• Snow retention with interstrip snow compaction. It allows you to reduce the freezing of the soil and ensure its intensive moistening in the spring. This has a positive effect on productivity and protects the roots of plants from freezing.

Such simple agricultural practices allow you to get a good result and preserve the fertility of the soil. In addition, to protect against wind erosion, windbreak forest belts are planted, they are located on the borders of fields allocated for crop rotation.

Most of the methods of combating water and wind soil erosion are preventive in nature: these measures are not aimed at restoring the soil, but at preventing its destruction. Timely implementation of preventive measures allows avoiding the occurrence of foci of erosion and its further spread over agricultural coal.

In addition to the above, there are also several other effective ways soil erosion control:

• One of effective methods to combat water and wind erosion is the construction of anti-erosion terraces. The areas are sown with perennial grasses, the rows are placed across the slopes. For this, legumes are actively used.
• Sodding (another name is green manure). This is a technique for plowing the green mass of plants into the ground, green manure is plowed during the flowering period. Thus, the soil is enriched with useful organic matter, in addition, its resistance to erosion and weathering increases.
• Strip landing across the slope. Protective stripes prevent both water and wind erosion, they become a reliable barrier to soil destruction. Forest strips are also planted on the upper boundaries of slopes to protect them from shedding and erosion, as well as on the bottom of ravines and on the edges of fields.
• The arrangement of dams, the creation of artificial reservoirs contributes to an increase in soil moisture and protects it from drying out. To maintain soil moisture in early spring harrowing is carried out, while a protective mulch layer is introduced into the soil, which also enriches it with organic substances.
• Correction of the melt water runoff process. For this, methods such as mole, intermittent furrowing, etc. are used.

All these methods can significantly slow down erosive processes and preserve soil fertility. The timely introduction of complex into it contributes to the accelerated growth of plants, which creates an additional powerful barrier to soil destruction. Taking care of the condition of the land will keep it high for many years to come.

More information can be found in the video.