The Study of the Affects of Long Term Agruculture on the Soils of Europ

The Study of the Effects of Long Term Agruculture on the Soils of europium 1. Introduction Soil, like iron out, is a natural resource. Just as iron is mined from the earth, discolouration is mined for its nutrients by farmers across the globe. What most people dont realize is that like iron, soil is a non-renewable resource. Soils form naturally at rates of 0.5-0.02 mm/yr, whereas the average human-induced erosion rate is 2.0 mm/yr in the U.S.(Yassoglou, 1987). These numbers reflect the dire predicament of soils around the world, and drive answers to questions such as What causes the degradation of soils? What role have humans compete in the deterioration of soils? How much more abuse can the soil withstand? Due to the lengthy history of agriculture in europium and the Mediterranean, these areas might provide insight into the answers of these questions. 2. Is there a problem of soil degradation in Europe? 2.1 Factors that degrade soils Soil degradation as it pertains to agri culture, refers to a deterioration in at least one of the volt soil qualities volume, structure, organic matter and/or biological activity, chemical composition, and fertility. Of the many a(prenominal) processes that lead to the deterioration of these qualities, erosion is the most prevalent and pernicious. Erosion contributes now to the degradation of all five qualities, and is indirectly involved in other(a) processes of soil deterioration (Yassoglou, 1987) . Due to its importance as a divisor of degradation, and the limited scope of this paper, erosion will be the focus of this inquiry. 2.2 Variables that modify soil sensitivity to erosion Soil sensitivity is dependent upon the sign state of the soil following pedogenesis, influxes of material, and the... ...(Morgan,1987). Further study could be move in the effect of degrading influxes on single soil properties. A complete study of soil degradation within the European fellowship as a whole should be done, as well as ad opting a set of universal standards for measuring soil loss (Yassoglou, 1987). An raise question to pose at this point is If soil degradation is such a problem, why hasnt productiveness been adversely affected? The irony is that the equivalent technological advances that increase soil degradation , increase actual productivity of the farm. Fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery all increase yields per a given area, and it is these factors that have prevented an agricultural crisis in Europe. In essence, we are running our own experiment on the soil, to witness if our technology can outrace its destruction of the very foundation upon which it is built.