Soil Erosion and Conservation Chapter Notes | Eureka Plus Class 5: Book Solutions, Notes & Worksheets PDF Download

Introduction

Long ago, there was no soil on Earth. Soil is formed from rocks through a process called weathering. Let's learn how soil is formed and understand why it's important.

Formation of Soil

The entire Earth was covered with rocks initially. Over time, rocks broke into pieces due to the sun's heat and rain. Fast-flowing water and strong winds turned these pieces into sand, silt, and clay. Plants grew on Earth, and when they died, their remains mixed with the soil, forming fertile soil.

Components of Soil

Soil has pebbles, sand, silt, and clay, which are formed from rocks. It also contains air, water, seeds, and tiny living things. The topsoil, the topmost layer, is essential for plant growth and contains humus, a dark, organic material that makes the soil fertile.

Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is when the topsoil is damaged or removed, making the soil less fertile. Natural causes include wind and flowing water. Barren land erodes faster because it lacks plant cover, exposing it to the sun's heat and making it prone to erosion.

Causes of Soil Erosion

• Deforestation: Cutting down many trees exposes the land to wind and water, causing soil erosion.
• Overgrazing: Cattle eating too much vegetation destroys plants, leading to barren land and soil erosion.

Soil Conservation

Soil conservation is important to protect fertile soil for farming and forests. Preventing soil erosion is called soil conservation.

Steps for Soil Conservation

1. Growing Plants and Afforestation:

• Barren land should have plants to prevent soil erosion.
• Afforestation, planting trees on barren lands, helps create new forest-like areas.

2. Terrace Farming or Step Farming:

• In hilly regions, farmers create steps on slopes to reduce water force and prevent soil erosion.
• Advantages include reducing water force and efficient water absorption by plants.

3. Building Bunds:

• During the rainy season, bunds of stones are built along river banks to prevent fertile soil from being washed away.

4. Cover Crops:

• After harvesting, farmers grow cover crops on barren land to protect it from the sun and wind, preventing soil erosion.

5. Shelter Belts:

• Rows of trees and shrubs along farmland boundaries reduce the force of strong winds, preventing soil erosion.