Anti-erosion measures are a set of measures to counteract destructive processes leading to the destruction of the soil layer. Such processes can be: flushing of the soil cover, blowing, mudflows, landslides. Events may have an engineering, forestry, agronomic and organizational focus. The choice of one or another type of anti-erosion measures depends on the specific conditions of the area.
What is the danger of soil erosion
Soil erosion develops with inept farming. In this process, the fertile layer loses its integrity and gradually collapses, and particles of a valuable substance are carried away by rivers or winds, turning into dirt or dust. A decrease in fertility dramatically worsens the conditions for plant growth, which inevitably affects a decrease in productivity.
The following processes contribute to soil erosion:
- Excessive and incorrect logging, in which heavy machinery damages the integrity of the soil cover, and the removal of plants helps to accelerate the destruction process. The water in the rivers becomes muddy and dirty, acquiring the color of destructible rock. Clear cutting on steep mountainsides has the most negative effect.
- Deforestation of protective forest belts leads to increased winds and accelerates wind erosion.
- Mountain cultivation in mountainous areas contributes to water erosion.
- Mass grazing.
Erosion leads to depletion and depletion of the soil layer, a decrease in the content of organic and mineral substances in it, which forces the introduction of more fertilizers. Another negative consequence is the increased risk of floods and floods, which is especially true for mountainous areas. The use of anti-erosion measures can significantly slow down the malicious process.
In the fight against erosion, two aspects are important:
- Ecological: pluses for ecology.
- Features of the economy of anti-erosion measures.
Based on the analysis of these factors, a final decision is made.
Features of soil erosion control measures
To successfully resist erosion, a set of measures is necessary, the planning of which should take into account local characteristics. To one degree or another, such activities should be carried out everywhere.
By nature, erosion control measures of the soil are divided into preventive, general and special. The former are aimed at reducing anthropogenic pressure, such as logging, grazing, and traffic. General measures are actions aimed at rational soil cultivation, deepening the arable layer, proper placement of crops in the fields, application of various fertilizers, etc.
The system of anti-erosion measures include planting forest belts, creating engineering structures, planting trees and grasses, strengthening slopes and other similar measures.
Prevention of soil erosion
The development of erosion control measures begins with an analysis of the local situation. For various conditions, the following organizational decisions can be made:
- With a steep slope, preference is given to reforestation or the use of the territory as pasture. For this, annual or perennial grasses can be planted, which will become the forage base for domestic animals grazing there.
- Rational differentiation of farms and territories where economic activity will not be carried out. These boundaries should be drawn taking into account the erosion factor.
- Proper and rational road planning. They should pass along the flat parts of the watersheds, and in the absence thereof, across the slope.
- Control over the number of livestock in risk areas.
- Alternation of agricultural land with forest plantations. Of particular importance is the presence of forests along the slopes of gullies and ravines, near rivers and between fields.
- Rational distribution of farmland based on the features of the relief.
Preventive (organizational) measures are considered the most preferable from both an economic and environmental point of view.
Agrotechnical measures
They consist in the proper management of agriculture, namely:
- Rational tillage: transverse or contour plowing, non-mold plowing on heavy soils, optimization of the use of heavy equipment (combining several operations into one).
- Proper sowing of crops: joint and / or condensed sowing of winter and spring crops, striped farming, in which alternating row crops and grain crops with stripes of perennial grasses occur.
- Regulation of the level of surface runoff in the fields: mulching with plant residues, bunding, etc.
- Improving soil fertility through the application of organic and mineral fertilizers.
Engineering Activities
Design of erosion control measures may include engineering solutions. They are in addition to the measures described above and are implemented as necessary. Such measures may include:
- Terracing of slopes, which prevents the appearance of ravines and soil erosion with rain or melt water.
- Measures to strengthen the ravines: the creation of dams, the construction of drops, the strengthening of slopes by concreting or planting plants.
- Strengthening steep slopes with a special mesh.
- Planting trees on bare surfaces.
Features of wind erosion
Wind erosion has an adverse effect on agricultural development. Most often develops on virgin lands located on wide plains in regions with high repeatability of strong winds. In addition to wind, soil blowing and field eddies also contribute. Under the influence of wind flows, soils are destroyed and blown away, and crops are killed. This effect is more significant on the windward side of the slopes. Much depends on the type of soil and vegetation. The sandy soils, over-dried peatlands are most strongly blown out. The thicker the vegetation cover, the less soil damage during deflation. If the wind speed exceeds 15 m / s and has a stable character, then a dust storm can occur in adverse soil and climatic conditions.
The following factors contribute to the blowing of the soil layer:
- Natural environmental factors (soil-plant, climatic, geomorphological).
- Economic factors (degradation of natural vegetation, plowing, road construction, groundwater abstraction, mining).
Wind erosion control
To prevent wind erosion, the following methods are used:
- carry out the landing of stubble;
- treat the soil perpendicular to the prevailing wind direction;
- Forest belts are planted between cultivated fields and near rivers.
Agrotechnical anti-erosion measures
- Hole With this technique, holes break out on the path of water flows. Thanks to them, a significant part of the flowing water goes into the ground. The creation of holes is carried out with the help of a special unit - the LOD-10 shredder during the plowing period, but no later than the first decade of October.
- Bundling and furrowing of fields. This technique is used in the presence of slopes and consists in creating rollers and furrows that are staggered. As a result, the surface runoff is dispersed throughout the field, which helps to absorb water and reduce its destructive effect. All this is done in the fall after plowing. Furrows rummage at a distance of 3-5 meters from each other across the slope. Their depth is 25 cm. A roller is made in front of each furrow. It inhibits the movement of water, and in case of a breakthrough, it goes into the groove. To create such furrows, the UBP-1-35 furrower is used, which is supplied in combination with a plow. As a result of such actions, arable land can hold an additional 300-350 cubic meters of moisture per hectare.
The steepness of the slope, at which this technique is recommended, should be from 6 to 80 degrees. An even greater result (600-800 cubic meters of moisture) can be achieved by periodic arcuate passes with a tractor.
Creating Buffer Strips
Such bands allow the dispersion of water flows, reduce their speed and facilitate the deposition of particles suspended in water. The width of the strips and the distance between them is selected depending on the steepness of the slope. The distance should correspond to a multiple of the size of the cultivating arable units. Buffer strips are created from crops of bean and cereal crops, Vico-rye, ranks and peas. Stripes from grain crops can be used to produce grain, and bean-seed crops - green feed. Buffer strips are removed one month before sowing winter crops. The criterion for using this technique is the presence of a slope of 1-2 ° steepness or 2-3 ° steepness. In the first case, the distance between the strips should be 50-70 meters, and in the second - 30-50 meters. As you move away from the watershed, the distance interval between them should decrease, and their width should increase.
Erosion control in growing vegetables
To avoid soil erosion when cultivating row crops (potatoes, vegetables, soybeans), the following techniques are used:
- selection of fields with an angle of inclination less than 30 degrees;
- sowing plants dotted or in rows across the slope;
- on long slopes (more than 500 m) create buffer strips;
- use in-depth loosening of the soil, intermittent furrowing, placement of plants in strips, slotting between rows.
Among other agrotechnical measures, it is possible to distinguish such as stubble peeling, rocker pairs, snow retention, worming, slotting, tinning of troughs, falling asleep to ravines.
Waterworks
With insufficient effectiveness of general and agronomic measures, they can resort to hydraulic engineering anti-erosion measures. Special hydraulic structures not only protect the soil from erosion, but also improve the hydrological situation on the slopes, as well as allow more complex areas to be involved in agricultural circulation. Such measures may include the following:
- Special facilities for delaying surface runoff: various types of terraces, earthen ramparts, artificial estuaries and runoff diffusers.
- Structures for drainage from the catchment areas: drainage shafts or channels.
- Constructions for the discharge of concentrated runoff: stepped structures, shafts, pipes, trays, consoles.
- Facilities for holding runoff in natural watercourses (gullies, ravines): ponds, dams, dams.
- Bank protection structures near river beds, gullies, ravines: retaining and protective walls, as well as measures aimed at clearing, straightening and deepening the channels.
Lane system
Regardless of the type of terrain, in areas with a wide development of agriculture, it is advisable to create a system of shelterbelts. Observations showed that their presence accelerates the growth of crops. Forest belts lead to a weakening of winds, a decrease in the frequency of dry winds, contribute to snow retention and slightly soften the climate. For planting, species such as oak, ash, acacia and some other types of trees are used. A network of forest belts was created in the Soviet Union, thanks to which the landscape itself was transformed, and dry winds became a rarity. Unfortunately, after the collapse of the USSR, this creative process ceased, and many forest belts even began to degrade. An unfavorable factor for them is the increased droughts, fires, illegal logging, overgrowing with weed species and shoots, and an increase in general clutter. All this, in many respects, was the result of a tear that prevailed in the vast expanses of the former USSR, especially and mainly in Russia and Ukraine.
Conclusion
Thus, the complexes of anti-erosion measures can dramatically reduce the risk and extent of soil erosion and, thus, increase their fertility. For more favorable terrain conditions, mainly general measures are used, without special agricultural, hydraulic and engineering techniques. However, if such measures are not enough, then they use means of protection of directed action. They are agrotechnical, hydraulic and other engineering solutions for securing slopes. The fight against erosion gives not only a direct economic effect, but also indirect environmental and even climatic benefits. It allows you to increase the biomass of plants, reduce the continentality of the climate, the strength of the winds, reduce the risk of drought, increase species diversity, etc.