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Help Us Reach 50,000 Visitors by Friday!
The EcoMerge blog has been bringing engaging and informative content about ecological issues since 2007. This summer 2011 semester of the Multimedia Capstone course at Portland State University, that sponsors this blog, has been charged to bring educational and persuasive content on PRESERVING BIODIVERSITY.

Our website is up and running, so be sure to check it out at:


http://ecomergebiodiversity.weebly.com/

Visiting our website is fun and informative! Our hope is that you come away with lots of ideas on how to support, protect, and preserve biodiversity. 

• Learn how to make your own rain barrel.


• Calculate your greenhouse gas emissions in your home.


• There's even entertaining videos and activities for kids.

Loss of biodiversity affects us all, so what can you do to preserve it? Help spread the word. Visit the website and learn about issues and solutions. Tell us your ideas for preserving biodiversity. Share this blog!

Summer 2011 Multimedia Capstone Class Website

IT'S COMING! The summer 2011 multimedia capstone class is preparing to launch its WEBSITE about preserving diversity. It’s loaded with information, fun stuff for kids, ideas, and solutions for what you can do to preserve biodiversity in the world and in your own backyard.

Here’s a sneak peek!

Five Things You Can Do to Preserve Biodiversity

1. Recycle grey water. It’s not just for flushing down the sink. You can use the grey water in your home to water your garden. What is grey water? It can be the water from your humidifier, water from the pasta pot, or when you steam corn-on-the-cob.

2. Do you know how much greenhouse gas you are emitting? Use the EPA’s Household Emissions Calculator to find out.

3. Grow vegetables in your own garden. Make sure to freeze, or can enough for the winter months. Did you know that August 13 is National Can-it-Forward Day? Check out all the fun events!

4. Buy air-conditioning and refrigeration units using refrigerant, which emits limited CFCs into our air. And while you are at, up the air conditioner temperature by two degrees. Lowers energy and saves $$$.

5. Plan, plan, plan. When running errands try to get everything you need in close proximity, and in only one trip. Also gives you more time to spend in your vegetable garden!

Tell us some of the ideas you have to preserve biodiversity. Comment here or visit the EcoMerge Facebook page to post your idea. And while you're at it, Like us!



Credit: © Accent Alaska.com/Alamy

 Why is this happening? Collapsing shorelines is not new, but the rate at which they are collapsing are. The more sea ice that melts, the bigger the waves, and as those bigger waves crash into the coastline, they drag out more melted permafrost soil into the sea, creating more sea ice melt, and the process feeds onto itself.

“The coast’s protective blanket may never recover,” says James Overland, an oceanographer with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory in Seattle. “The Arctic really is the canary in the coal mine for global change.”

It is not yet predicted what this onslaught of dirty slurry is doing to the marine life along the Arctic coastlines. There is evidence that they are ingesting it, but what it is doing to them is not yet known. If this warming trend does not slow down it is predicted that nearly all sea ice will melt each summer by 2037. The Arctic climate and ice impacts not just the north, it also affects the rest of the globe.

To find out more, visit:
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/feature/id/332007/title/Collapsing_Coastlines_

Blog author: Kimberly Warren

What are Biodiversity Hotspots?
The concept of biodiversity hotspots was penned by British ecologist Norman Myers in 1988.        
        • Myers reasoned that a prudent conservation strategy would be to target dollars and research at those
          regions where these threats are greatest to the greatest number of species.

 Due to limited resources and time in the mid 1990s, Meyers with partners at Conservation International worked out a formula that would designate a hotspot and strategize how they would go about tackling the protection of species.
        • The region must support at least 1,500 plant species found nowhere else in the world.
        • It must have lost at least 70 percent of its original habitat.

Conservationists Name Nine New "Biodiversity Hotspots"
  Nine new "biodiversity hotspots” were named by conservationists. These regions are priorities due to their incredible species richness that has been under constant assault from human activity. All nine of these biodiversity hotspots have lost at least 70 percent of their original natural habitat. About half of all the plant and animal species on Earth are found in these hotspots, which originally covered 15.7 percent of the Earth's surface area. Hotspots are home to 24 families of plants and animals that cannot be found anywhere else in the world. Only about a tenth of their original habitat remains. Their ecosystems account for a high percentage of global biodiversity. Scientists say many of these regions face tremendous pressure from logging, agriculture, hunting, and climate change.

Base map source: USGS National Atlas. http://www.fs.fed.us/monarchbutterfly/migration/index.shtml

Another Hotspot is the Madrean pine-oak woodlands,
a rugged mountainous area that stretches from Mexico
to the southwestern United States. 

Patricio Robles Gil/Sierra Madre  Pinyon pine forest in the Chisos Mountains, Big Bend National Park, Texas.


 A book titled, Hotspot Revisited, details a four year analysis of its global hotspot strategy for biodiversity conservation. It was launched by Conservation International which is based in Washington DC for the purpose of identifying which hotspots are most affected and label them for preserving species threatened by extinction. By focusing attention on these regions, conservationists hope to maximize their efforts at saving as many species as possible from extinction. Michael Hoffmann, a biodiversity analyst with Conservation International and a contributing author to Hotspots Revisited, explained, "We need to have a guideline of where to go, and it helps us focus our attention on areas that are important and disappearing quickly”. He states that about 750 million U.S. dollars has gone into biodiversity hotspot conservation over the past 15 years. However, he noted many hotspots are experiencing low success. According to Conservation International some biodiversity hotspots are deteriorating rapidly and facing vigorous commercial logging and agriculture expansion. Failure to protect hotspots will result in the loss of nearly 50 percent of our Earth's plants and terrestrial vertebrates.

To read more about this article:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/02/0202_050202_hotspots.html

By Carol Staats

Soil biota multiply rapidly when organic material, roots, and plant litter, their food source, are available and the soil is moist and warm. Seasonal patterns of biological activity coincide with plant growth stages, litter fall, and root die-off. To be active, bacteria require films of water in soil pores, whereas fungi can function in drier conditions. When the soil is too dry, bacteria and fungi become less active or temporarily shut down, protozoa form dormant cysts, and the number of most other organisms declines. When the soil is saturated and anaerobic, the number of denitrifying bacteria increases. Organisms affect each other through predation and competition for food and space. Small soil pores can restrict the movement of large soil organisms. Different types of vegetation produce different types of litter and plant residue and thus provide different food sources for soil biota. Changes in the vegetation or the pattern of plant distribution affect the soil organisms.

Grazing.—Proper management of the plant community is the best strategy for maintaining the benefits of the soil food web. Plant production and the supply of organic matter can be maintained or enhanced by timely grazing, the proper frequency of grazing, and control of the amount of vegetation removed. If the plant community is overgrazed, a reduction in the amount of surface plant material and roots will result in less food for soil organisms. As biological activity decreases, a downward spiral of the important functions of soil organisms results in a lower content of organic matter and impedes nutrient cycling, water infiltration, and water storage. Heavy grazing also can reduce the abundance of nitrogen-fixing plants, causing a decrease in the supply of nitrogen for the entire plant community.

Erosion.—Erosion removes or redistributes the surface layer of the soil, the layer with the greatest concentration of soil organisms, organic matter, and plant nutrients. Runoff and wind erosion redistribute litter from one area of rangeland to a surrounding area. The loss of organic matter reduces the activity of soil biota in the areas from which the litter has been removed.

Compaction by grazing animals and vehicles.—Soil compaction reduces the larger pores and pathways, thus reducing the amount of habitat for nematodes and the larger soil organisms. Compaction can also cause the soil to become anaerobic, increasing losses of nitrogen to the atmosphere.

Fire and pest control.—Fire can kill some soil organisms and reduce their food source while also increasing the availability of some nutrients. Pesticides that kill above-ground insects can also kill beneficial soil insects. Herbicides and foliar insecticides applied at recommended rates have a smaller impact on soil organisms. Fungicides and fumigants have a much greater impact on the soil organisms.

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Soil biota, the biologically active powerhouse of soil, include an incredible diversity of organisms. Tons of soil biota, including micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, and algae) and soil “animals” (protozoa, nematodes, mites, springtails, spiders, insects, and earthworms), can live in an acre of soil and are more diverse than the community of plants and animals above ground. Soil biota are concentrated in plant litter, the upper few inches of soil, and along roots. Soil organisms interact with one another, with plant roots, and with their environment, forming the soil food web.

As soil organisms consume organic matter and each other, nutrients and energy are exchanged through the food web and are made available to plants. Each soil organism plays a role in the decomposition of plant residue, dead roots, and animal remains. The larger soil organisms, such as millipedes and earthworms, shred dead leaves and residue, mix them with the soil, and make organic material more accessible to immobile bacteria. Earthworms can completely mix the top 6 inches of a humid grassland soil in 10 to 20 years. Ants and termites mix and tunnel through soils in areas of arid and semiarid rangeland.

Predators in the soil food web include scorpions, centipedes, spiders, mites, some ants, insects, and beetles. They control the population of soil biota. The smaller organisms, including mites, springtails, nematodes, and one-celled protozoa, graze on bacteria and fungi. Other organisms feed on dead roots, shredded residue, and the fecal by-products of the larger organisms. The smallest soil organisms, microscopic bacteria and fungi, make up the bulk of the biota in the soil. They finish the process of decomposition by breaking down the remaining material and storing its energy and nutrients in their cells. Algae and fungi are the first organisms to colonize rock and form “new soil” by releasing substances that disintegrate rock.


Visit the Ecomerge website to learn more about organic gardening soil and how to preserve soil at home.

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The development of objectives relative to soil crusts is an important part of rangeland management. Biological crusts protect the soil from water erosion and wind erosion. Physical crusts can protect soils from wind erosion as effectively as biological crusts, except on very coarse textured soils. In the more humid areas, it generally is desirable to break up physical crusts and thus improve seedling emergence and plant establishment; however, desirable biological crusts can be destroyed when the physical crusts are broken. Adequate organic matter, seeds of desirable species, and a period of rest are needed for successful establishment of plants after crusts are broken.

Recovery of biological crusts may take decades to hundreds of years. Therefore, preventing degradation by minimizing disturbance is important. Biological crusts that are in areas of low rainfall, are on coarse textured soils with low stability, and are in areas with a large amount of bare ground are most susceptible to frequent disturbances and have the longest recovery times. Biological crusts of all types are least susceptible to disturbance when the soil is frozen or is covered with snow. Biological crusts on sandy soils are less susceptible to disturbance when the soils are wet or moist, and the ones on clayey soils are less susceptible when the soils are dry. Trampling or grazing when the soil surface is very wet or ponded should be avoided because it can displace and bury the biological crust.

The following management strategies apply to land used for grazing, wildlife habitat, or recreation:

• Maintain the optimum amount of live vegetation, litter, and biological crust relative to the site potential in order to maintain the content of organic matter and soil structure and control erosion.

• In humid areas improve soil structure and plant establishment by incorporating organic matter into the soil while breaking up a physical crust.

• Defer grazing and recreational use during periods when biological crusts are most susceptible to physical disturbances.

• Use prescribed burning according to the needs of each site to prevent fuel buildup that can produce hot fires followed by severe erosion.

• Control the establishment and spread of invasive annual plants that can carry fire.



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Physical crusts form when organic matter is depleted from the surface layer, soil aggregates become weak, and raindrops disperse the soil into individual particles that clog soil pores, seal the surface, and form a layer that is dense when dry. A physical crust consisting of numerous thin bands can form when sediment from erosion is carried downslope and buries the soil surface. Physical crusts are more common on silty, clayey, and loamy soils and are relatively thin or weakly expressed, if present at all, on sandy soils. Soils with a high content of sodium disperse readily in water and are more susceptible to crust formation than other soils.

To examine a crust, lift the soil surface with a knife tip and look for cohesive layers or thin bands parallel to the soil surface. These layers have no apparent binding by visible strands of organic material, such as cyanobacteria. Fragments of physical crusts disperse or “melt” when placed in water. A vesicular crust is a type of physical crust with many small, unconnected air pockets or spaces similar to those in a sponge.

A biological crust occupies a large amount of the surface of calcareous and gypsiferous soils. Soil texture, moisture, temperature, season of precipitation, and history of disturbance largely determine the dominant organisms in the crust. For example, moss tends to be dominant in the Columbia Basin, whereas cyanobacteria and lichen are dominant in the Mojave, Sonoran, and Chihuahuan Deserts.

Prevent crust formation by keeping organic matter on your garden. Adding a healthy layer of organic matter to your garden from time to time will help prevent soil erosion.



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A physical crust is a thin layer with reduced porosity and increased density at the surface of the soil. A biological crust is a living community of lichen, cyanobacteria, algae, and moss growing on the soil surface and binding it together. A chemical crust or precipitate is white or pale colored and forms in soils with a high content of salts. Both chemical and biological crusts can form on and extend into a physical crust. This information sheet deals only with physical and biological crusts.

Physical crusts generally indicate that the amount of organic matter in the soil has decreased and/or erosion has occurred. They have low aggregate stability, disperse readily when wet, and are easily reformed by raindrop impact or flowing water. They seal the soil surface, reduce the rate of water infiltration, and can increase runoff. Physical crusts generally have a very low content of organic matter and support little soil biological activity. The dense nature of the crusts can impede seedling emergence. Water that ponds in flat, crusted areas is likely to evaporate, reducing the amount of water available to plants. Physical crusts generally help to control wind erosion, but they do not protect the soil from water erosion.

Biological crusts stabilize the soil surface, protecting it from erosion. Depending on soil characteristics, biological crusts may increase or reduce the rate of water infiltration. By increasing surface roughness, they reduce runoff, thus increasing infiltration and the amount of water stored for plant use. Some organisms in biological crusts can increase the amount of nitrogen and other nutrients in the soil. In semiarid ecosystems biological crusts can provide a significant amount of nitrogen for plant growth. The germination of plants may be enhanced or inhibited, depending on the nature of the biological crust and the plant species. In general, the relative importance of biological crusts increases as annual precipitation and the potential plant cover decrease.

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The stability of aggregates is affected by soil properties that change relatively little and by properties that change in response to changes in vegetation and management. As a result, measurements of the aggregate stability of a given soil should be compared only with measurements for the same or similar soils with similar textures.

Soil properties.—Soil properties that change relatively little include texture and type of clay. Expansion and contraction of clay particles as they become moist and then dry can shift and crack the soil mass and create or break apart aggregates. Calcium in the soil generally promotes aggregation, whereas sodium promotes dispersion. The quantity of calcium and sodium is specific to each type of soil.

Vegetation.—Management affects the plant community. Changes in the composition, distribution, and productivity of plant species affect aggregation-related soil properties, including aggregate stability, the amount and type of organic matter in the soil, and the composition and size of the soil biotic community. The amount of plant cover and the size of bare patches also are important. The centers of large bare spaces receive few inputs of organic matter and are susceptible to degradation.

Grazing.—Disturbance of the soil surface by grazing animals has both beneficial and detrimental effects on aggregate stability. It breaks the soil apart, exposing the organic matter “glues” to degradation and loss by erosion; however, it also can incorporate litter and standing dead vegetation into the soil, increasing the content of organic matter in the soil. Heavy grazing that significantly reduces plant production disrupts the formation of aggregates by reducing the inputs of organic matter. Grazing is more likely to increase aggregate stability in areas where an unusually large amount of standing dead material is on the soil surface and the risk of erosion is not increased by removal of plant material and disturbance of the soil surface.

You can improve the productivity of rangeland through good range management which normally increases aggregate stability. A few practices that you could use include:

• Maintain the optimum amount of live vegetation and litter
in order to maintain the content of organic matter and soil
structure and control erosion.
• Decrease the number and size of bare areas.
• Minimize soil surface disturbances, especially in arid
areas.

Try putting these practices into action on land that you have access too.

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Stable aggregates are critical to erosion resistance, water availability, and root growth. Soils with stable aggregates at the surface are more resistant to water erosion than other soils, both because soil particles are less likely to be detached and because the rate of water infiltration tends to be higher on well aggregated soils. Unstable aggregates disperse during rainstorms, then form a hard physical crust when the soil dries. Physical crusts restrict seedling emergence because they have few pores for air and water entry into the soil. The crusts result in more runoff, more erosion, and less available water. Aggregated soils hold more water than other soils and provide pores for root growth. Large, stable aggregates can resist degradation and removal by wind better than small, weak ones.

Aggregate stability is a good indicator of the content of organic matter, biological activity, and nutrient cycling in the soil. The amount of organic matter increases after the decomposition of litter and dead roots begins. Stable aggregates result from this process because soil biota produce material that binds particles together. “New” organic matter stabilizes the larger aggregates, while the smaller aggregates are more likely to be bound by “old” organic matter. New organic matter holds and can release more nutrients. Changes in aggregate stability may serve as early indicators of recovery or degradation of soils and, more generally, of ecosystems. Perennial plants can often persist long after the soil and plant community have become too degraded to support.


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Soil aggregates are groups of soil particles that are bound to each other more strongly than to adjacent particles. Organic matter “glues” produced when soil biota break down dead roots and litter hold the particles together. Threadlike strands of fungi also bind particles into aggregates. Microscopic aggregates are the building blocks of larger aggregates. The larger aggregates and the arrangement of them, along with chemical attraction between particles, determine soil structure. The structure of the surface layer commonly is granular or blocky, but a degraded surface layer can be crusted, platy, or structureless. Pores important for the movement of air, water, and plant nutrients occur within and between aggregates. Pores also provide thoroughfares for soil organisms.

Aggregate stability refers to the ability of aggregates to resist degradation. Additions of organic matter to the soil enhance the stability of aggregates. Raindrops, flowing water, and windblown sand grains can break apart soil aggregates, exposing organic matter to decomposition and loss. Physical disturbances, such as vehicle traffic and trampling, can break down soil structure. Soils can resist degradation differently when wet or dry. For example, dense, cloddy soils can be very stable when dry but unstable when wet.

Listen to this short video that explains soil aggregates.


Soil & Compost:
What are soil 'aggregates'?

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What is soil organic matter?

Soil organic matter is carbon-rich material that includes plant, animal, and microbial residue in various stages of decomposition. Live soil organisms and plant roots are part of the carbon pool in soil but are not considered soil organic matter until they die and begin to decay. The quantity and composition of soil organic matter vary significantly among major ecosystems. Soil in arid, semiarid, and hot, humid regions commonly has less organic matter than soil in other environments. The total content of organic matter ranges from less than 0.5 to more than 8 percent in the surface layer of rangeland soils.

Soil organic matter includes three main components; light fraction, physically protected, and chemically stable. Light fraction is more biologically active than the other two and includes relatively fresh plant fragments. Physically protected organic matter is locked within aggregates of mineral particles, where it is protected from microbial decomposition. Chemically stable organic matter gives soil its dark color and is generally the largest pool of organic matter in soil. Physically protected organic matter may also be chemically stable.
Why is organic matter important?

Soil organic matter enhances soil functions and environmental quality because it:

• binds soil particles together into stable aggregates, thus improving porosity, infiltration, and root penetration and reducing runoff and erosion;
• enhances soil fertility and plant productivity by improving the ability of the soil to store and supply nutrients, water, and air;
• provides habitat and food for soil organisms;
• sequesters carbon from the atmosphere;
• reduces mineral crust formation and runoff; and
• reduces the negative water quality and environmental effects of pesticides, heavy metals, and other pollutants by actively trapping or transforming them.


Attempt to use organic matter in your soil. Try it out. It will help the garden produce a better plant. If you have ever used organic matter feel free to post a comment about your experiencing.



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The following features may indicate a compacted soil
layer:

• platy, blocky, dense, or massive appearance;
• significant resistance to penetration with a metal rod;
• high bulk density; and
• restricted, flattened, turned, horizontal, or stubby plant
roots.

Because some soils that are not compacted exhibit these features, refer to a soil survey report for information about the inherent characteristics of the soil. Each soil texture has a minimum bulk density (weight of soil divided by its volume) at which root-restricting conditions may occur, although the restriction also depends on the plant species.

Management strategies that minimize
compaction:

• Minimize grazing, recreational use, and vehicular traffic
when the soils are wet.
• Use only designated trails or roads; reduce the number of
trips.
• Do not harvest hay when the soils are wet.
• Maintain or increase the content of organic matter in the
soil by improving the plant cover and plant production.


Please put these tactics into action. Include the minimization of soil erosion in your daily lives.

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What is compaction?

Soil compaction occurs when moist or wet soil aggregates are pressed together and the pore space between them is reduced. Compaction changes soil structure, reduces the size and continuity of pores, and increases soil density (bulk density). Wheel traffic or pressure (weight per unit area) exerted on the soil surface by large animals, vehicles, and people can cause soil compaction. In areas of rangeland, compacted soil layers are generally at the soil surface or less than 6 inches below the surface, although they can be as deep as 2 feet under heavily used tracks and roads. Increases in density can be small to large.

When is compaction a problem?

Compaction changes several structural characteristics and functions of the soil. It is a problem when the increased soil density and the decreased pore space limit water infiltration, percolation, and storage; plant growth; or nutrient cycling.

Water movement and storage.—Compaction reduces the capacity of the soil to hold water and the rate of water movement through soil. It limits water infiltration and causes increased runoff and, in some areas, increased erosion. Compacted wheel tracks or trails can concentrate runoff that can create rills or gullies, especially on steep slopes. When the amount of water that enters the soil is reduced, less water is available for plant growth and percolation to deep root zones.

Water entering the soil can perch on a subsurface compacted layer, saturating the soil to or near the surface or ponding on the surface. This water readily evaporates. Compaction can increase the water-holding capacity of sandy soils. An increase in the amount of water stored near the soil surface and a decrease in the amount of water deeper in the soil may favor the shallower rooted annuals over the deeper rooted plant species, such as shrubs.

Plant growth.—Where soil density increases significantly, it limits plant growth by physically restricting root growth. Severe compaction can limit roots to the upper soil layers, effectively cutting off access to the water and nutrients stored deeper in the soil. Anaerobic conditions (lack of oxygen) can develop in or above the compacted layer during wet periods, further limiting root growth. Even in arid climates, anaerobic conditions can occur where water accumulates.

Nutrient cycling.—Compaction alters soil moisture and temperature, which control microbial activity in the soil and the release of nutrients to plants. Anaerobic conditions increase the loss of soil nitrogen through microbial activity. Compaction changes the depth and pattern of root growth. This change affects the contributions of roots to soil organic matter and nutrients. Compaction compresses the soil, reducing the number of large pores. This reduction can restrict the habitat for the larger soil organisms that play a role in nutrient cycling and thus can reduce the number of these organisms.

Please be aware of soil compaction. Take action by preventing compaction in your town. Read up about some causes, effects, and control techniques at this Website


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The soil and vegetation properties that currently limit infiltration and the potential for increasing the infiltration rate must be considered in any management plan. Where waterflow patterns have been altered by a shift in vegetation, such as a shift from grassland to open-canopy shrub land, restoration of higher infiltration rates may be difficult or take a long period, especially if depletion of organic matter and/or soil loss have occurred. Excessive grazing of forage can impair infiltration.

Management strategies include:
• Increase the amount of plant cover, especially of plants that have positive effects on infiltration.
• Decrease the extent of compaction by avoiding intensive grazing and the use of machinery when the soils are wet.
• Decrease the formation of physical crusts by maintaining or improving the cover of plants or litter and thus reducing the impact of raindrops.
• Increase aggregate stability by increasing the amount of organic matter added to the soil through residue decomposition and vigorous root growth.

Infiltration rate
The infiltration rate is generally highest when the soil is dry. As the soil becomes wet, the infiltration rate slows to the rate at which water moves through the most restrictive layer, such as a compacted layer or a layer of dense clay. Infiltration rates decline as water temperature approaches freezing. Little or no water penetrates the surface of frozen or saturated soils.

Vegetation
A high percentage of plant cover and large amounts of root biomass generally increase the infiltration rate. Different plant species have different effects on infiltration. The species that form a dense root mat can reduce the infiltration rate. In areas of arid and semiarid rangeland, the infiltration-limiting layer commonly is confined to the top few millimeters of the soil, particularly in the open spaces between plant canopies. These areas receive few inputs of organic matter, which build soil structure. Also, the impact of raindrops in these areas can degrade soil structure and form physical crusts.


Don't be afraid to practice these techniques. They will serve your soil right and you will reep all the benefits. Please tell your friends and family how infiltration affects them directly.

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What is infiltration?

The process of water soaking into the soil is infiltration. “Infiltration rate” is simply how fast water enters the soil and is usually measured in inches or millimeters per hour. This rate depends on soil texture (amount of sand, silt, and clay) and on soil structure. Soils in good condition have well developed structure and continuous pores to the surface. As a result, water from rainfall or snowmelt readily enters these soils.

Why is infiltration important?

Soil is a reservoir that stores water for plant growth. The water in soil is replenished by infiltration. The infiltration rate can be restricted by poor management. Under these conditions, the water does not readily enter the soil and it moves downslope as runoff or ponds on the surface, where it evaporates. Thus, less water is stored in the soil for plant growth, and plant production decreases, resulting in less organic matter in the soil and weakened soil structure that can further decrease the infiltration rate.

Runoff can cause soil erosion and the formation of gullies. It also carries nutrients and organic matter, which, together with sediment, reduce water quality in streams, rivers, and lakes. The sediment reduces the capacity of reservoirs to store water. Excessive runoff can cause flooding, erode streambanks, and damage roads. Runoff from adjacent slopes can saturate soils in low areas or can create ponded areas, thus killing upland plants. Evaporation in the ponded areas reduces the amount of water available to plants.

Please manage your soil properly in order to prevent the restriction of infiltration. Attempt to deter runoff that may cause gullies and other types of damage.


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Wind erosion is the physical wearing of the earth’s surface by wind. Wind erosion removes and redistributes soil. Small blowout areas may be associated with adjacent areas of deposition at the base of plants or behind obstacles, such as rocks, shrubs, fence rows, and roadbanks. In many cases the fine soil particles and organic matter are blown offsite or into the atmosphere as dust. Reducing the amount of bare ground by increasing the extent of vegetation, litter, and biological crusts reduces the risk of wind erosion.


Source: soils.usda.gov/sqi/management/files/RSQIS10.pdf

A number of farming practices are currently being implemented in the developed world to limit soil degradation, including using drip irrigation, planting cover crops at the end of the growing season, applying manure or other organic material to the soil, rotating crops, practicing contour cultivation, and using no-till methods. The practice of organic agriculture, which eschews pesticides and synthetic fertilizers and optimizes long-term soil fertility, is becoming more prevalent to meet consumer demand. In parts of the developing world, grassroots community action is being taken. In one region of Burkina Faso, Africa, basins are dug during the dry season and filled with compost or manure to reclaim degraded land and restore soil fertility. Sorghum yields there have increased by 400 percent. If you are not familiar with how to conserve your soil then please visit this website that can teach you how in seven easy and simple steps. Thank you for caring!

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When I think about comparing fuels or using alternative fuels I automatically think of cars, and buses. While looking around the Internet I discovered an article about using alternative fuels for airplanes. It makes sense, there are thousands of flights a day and those huge airplanes just fly through fuel, why not use better fuels in the skies as well?

The article Alternative Jet Fuels Put To The Test, we learn that researchers along with NASA are testing 2 types of fuels, both not petroleum based. For these tests the alternative fuels will be used on a DC-8 aircraft. The aircraft will remain on the ground so that the researches can test the exhaust. For these experiments they will use a 50/50 blend of fuels and also a 100 alternative fuel.

I wonder if it would cost more for the airline to use alternative fuels? Would you as a passenger be willing pay more per ticket if your airline was more environmentally friendly? Could it be cheaper to produce these fuels?

NASA/Langley Research Center. "Alternative Jet Fuels Put To The Test." ScienceDaily 1 February 2009. 15 October 2009