Question

"Soil is a resource"
Give me a report on this

Answer 1

hi friend....
here is my report on...soil as a resource for human beings...since I'm free right now..so I'm writing this for you...
SOIL IS A RESOURCE FOR HUMANS...
it is difficult to rate the importance of the different soil functions, since all are vital to our well-being to some extent. However, the function of supporting food and agriculture worldwide is fundamental for the preservation and advancement of human life on this planet.

Most of us know that: no soil, no sustenance. Famines are driven by soil degradation, as poor farming practices lead to soil loss through erosion and leaching of nutrients from the soil. Anyone who has done even a little gardening recognizes how the quality of the soil can change the outcome of the harvest. But soil serves us in so many other ways, FAO points out.



It is difficult to rate the importance of the different soil functions, since all are vital to our well-being to some extent.

1. Since soil is the basis for plant growth, it contributes to the maintenance of both the natural and planted landscape. It supports the forests, wetlands, jungles, prairies and grasslands that spawn the planet's amazing vegetative biodiversity. Those plants—some of which we are still discovering—provide food, fuel, animal feed, medicine and raw materials for clothing, household goods and other essentials. Plants in turn help prevent soil erosion.

2. Soil also supports animal biodiversity, above and below ground. It's essential to the lives of both wildlife and domesticated livestock. And the soil itself is teeming with a fathomless number of micro-organisms and insects as well as familiar organisms such as earthworms that maintain soil quality, provide nutrients, break down toxic elements and interact with water and air to help maintain a healthy natural environment.

3. Soil is important in providing an adequate water supply and maintaining its quality. Soil and the vegetation it supports catch and distribute rainwater and play a key role in the water cycle and supply. Soil distribution can impact rivers, lakes and streams, changing their shape, size, capacity and direction.

4. The water absorption properties of soil play a role in reducing pollution from chemicals in pesticides and other compounds.

5. Soil provides both the foundation and base materials for buildings, roads and other built infrastructure.

6. Soil holds the key to Earth's history, containing and preserving artifacts of the planet's past, both its natural and its human/cultural antecedents. You can thank soil for those dinosaur fossils every kid loves to see at a natural history museum as well as the relics that tell us how our own human story evolved.

7. And critical to Earth's future, soils and how we use them play an important role in helping us to address climate change. Soil organic matter is one of our major pools of carbon, capable of acting as either a source or sink. Soil contains the fossil fuels that drive climate change when extracted but when left underground give us the chance to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that drive climate change and reach our eventual goal of a zero-emissions world.

The FAO Soils Portal provides a wealth of information about what is being done and what can be done to maintain the beneficial qualities of soils around the globe.


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WARM REGARDS...BY ANVI GOTTLIEB...

Answer 2

  SOIL POLLUTIONFirst of all we should know that what is soil?The soil is a resource for which there is no substitute.Environmental historian ³Donald worster´ reminds us thatfertilizers are not a substitute for fertile soil.The soil is a thin covering over the land consisting of a mixture of a minerals, organic materials, living organism, air and water, Thattogether support the growth of plant life. Several factors contributeto the formation of soil from the parent material. This include themechanical weathering activities, and lichens. Climate and timeare also important n the development of soils. In extremely dry or cold climates soils develop very slowly, while in humid and warmclimates soils develop more rapidly. Under ideal climateconditions ,soft parent material may require hundreds of years todevelop into soil. Mature soils are arranged in a series of zonescalled µsoil horizons¶. Each horizons has a distinct texture andcomposition that varies with different types of soils. A cross-sectional view of the horizons in a soil is called a soil profile.Therefore it is essential that proper soil conservation measuresare used to minimize the loss of the top soil. There are severaltechniques that can protect the soil from erosion, today, bothwater and soil are conserves through integrated treatmentmethods. The two types of treatment generally used are:-yArea treatment, which involves treatment the landyDrainage-line treatment, which involves treating the naturalwater courses(nalas)   Area treatmentPURPOSE TREATMENT MEASURE EFFECTReduce the impact of rain drops on the soilDevelop vegetative cover onthe non arable landMinimum disturbance anddisplacement of soil practices.Infiltration of water where it falls Apply water infiltrationmeasures on the areaIn-situ soil and moistureconservationMinimum surface runoff Store surplus rain water byconstructing bunds, ponds inthe area Increased soil moisture in thearea, facilitate ground water rechargeRidge to valleysequencingTreat the upper catchmentfirst and then proceedtowards the outlets Economically viable, less riskof damage and longer life of structures of the lower catchmentsDrainage-line treatmentPURPOSE TREARMENT MEASURE EFFECTStop further deepening of gullies and retain sedimentrun-off Plug the gullies at formation Stops erosion, rechargesgroundwater at the upper levelReduce run-off velocity,pass cleaner water to thedownstream sideCreate temporary barriersin nalasDelayed flow and increasedgroundwater rechargeMinimum sedimentation inthe storage basinsUse various methods totreat the catchmentsLow construction cost Use local material and skillsfor constructing thestructuresStructures are locallymaintained WHAT IS SOIL POLLUTION?The contamination of soil with solid waste, acid rain excess of fertilizers, Insecticides and herbicides is called soil pollution (or land pollution). Soil pollution results from the build up of contaminants, toxic compounds, radioactive materials, salts,chemicals and cancer-causing agents. The most common soilpollutants are hydrocarbons, heavy metals (cadmium, lead,chromium, copper, zinc, mercury and arsenic), herbicides,pesticides, oils, tars, PCBs and dioxins.Until the 1970s, there was little talk of soil pollution and itsdevastating effects. In the 1980s, the U.S. Superfund was createdto set guidelines for the handling of hazardous material and soilcontamination cleanup. Today there are more than 200,000 sitesawaiting EPA soil cleanup, which is very expensive and labor-intensive work. Even a small cleanup project can cost $10,000,while larger areas require millions of dollars to clean it up for