Preventing Soil Erosion

Soil Erosion and How to Prvent It helps young readers see the real impact of erosion on all life. This intriguing book describes the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition, the impact of erosion on plants and animals, and kid-friendly steps to preventing erosion.

Despite almost a century of research and extension efforts, soil erosion by water, wind and tillage continues to be the greatest threat to soil health and soil ecosystem services in many regions of the world. Our understanding of the physical processes of erosion and the controls on those processes has been firmly established. Nevertheless, some elements remain controversial. It is often these controversial questions that hamper efforts to implement sound erosion control measures in many areas of the world. This book, released in the framework of the Global Symposium on Soil Erosion (15-17 May 2019) reviews the state-of-the-art information related to all topics related to soil erosion.

For developing nations, soil erosion is among the most chronic environmental and economic burdens. Vast amounts of topsoil are washed or blown away from arable land only to accumulate in rivers, reservoirs, harbors, and estuaries, thereby creating a double disaster: a vital resource disappears from where it is desperately needed and is deposited where it is equally unwanted. Despite much rhetoric and effort, little has been done to overcome this problem. Vetiver, a little-known tropical grass, offers one practical and inexpensive way to control erosion on a huge scale in both humid and semi-arid regions. Hedges of this deeply rooted species catch and hold back sediments while the stiff foliage acts as a filter that also slows runoff and keeps moisture on site. This book assesses vetiver's promise and limitations and identifies places where this grass can be deployed without undue environmental risk.

Introduction and history; Rainfall-runoff erosivity factor (R); Soil erodibility factor (K); Slope length and steepness factors (LS); Cover-management factor (C); Support practice factor (P); RUSLE user guide; Coversion to SI metric system; Calculation of EI from recording-raingage records; Estimating random roughness in the field; Parameter values for major agricultural crops and tillage operations.

Soil Erosion and How to Prvent It helps young readers see the real impact of erosion on all life. This intriguing book describes the processes of weathering, erosion, and deposition, the impact of erosion on plants and animals, and kid-friendly steps to preventing erosion.

Common Grasses, Legumes and Forbs of the Eastern United States: Identification and Adaptation presents photographic identification of the most important grassland, turf, and noncrop plants, and their seeds to facilitate quick identification in the field. Unlike many publications that focus solely on floral identification, this book emphasizes vegetative identification as well to allow for accurate plant identification year-round. The book includes 23 forage legumes, 61 grasses, and more than 100 nonleguminous forbs found in pastures and grasslands of Eastern United States. In addition to identification of important species, the book describes other key characteristics such as adaptation, favorable and unfavorable soil types, seasonal growth patterns, and toxicity. For plants harvested for hay or silage or by grazing, the book also discusses cutting and grazing management, quality factors, and potential yields. Through its practical approach and comprehensive structure, Common Grasses, Legumes and Forbs of the Eastern United States is a valuable reference for farm advisors, teachers and students of agronomy, and for anyone interested in the dynamic relationship between plants and agriculture. Features full-color illustrations of both seed and plant, allowing for rapid identification at multiple stages of development Presents various identification methods and use cases for over 180 plants Details seasonal growth patterns and toxicity, as well as favorable and unfavorable soil types Discusses cutting and grazing management