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Soil Managment Difference Demonstration
This photo was taken October 5th at Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. This demonstration allows visitors to visualize the difference in runoff and infiltration between permeable pavement, concrete, till non-cover crop, and cover crop. The jars in the back represent infiltration while the jars in the front represent runoff. For the tilled, non-cover crop soil, the runoff is greater than the infiltration. For the cover crop, the infiltration is much greater than the runoff. For the concrete, the runoff is greater than the infiltration. For the permeable pavement, the infiltration is greater than the runoff. This setup demonstrates how different types of soil treatments/urban planning affect sustainability. Tilled soil is generally unsustainable because tilling disrupts soil structure and causes compaction, resulting in decreased infiltration and more runoff. Agricultural runoff negatively affects the environment by carrying with it pollutants such as fertilizer (nutrients), pesticides, and bacteria. Cover crops, however, enhance organic matter and pore space, causing better infiltration and reducing environmental impacts from runoff. Finally, permeable pavement limits flooding from stormwater by allowing infiltration as opposed to concrete.
This photo depicts the ecological concept of human impacts on soil properties and processes. As we discussed in class, urban soils are often highly disturbed due to human activity. This is true for many agricultural soils as well. Specifically, tilling strongly affects the soil profile by disrupting soil structure, leaving soils susceptible to rain and subject to large amounts of soil loss and runoff. Tillage also alters soil structure by diminishing organic matter. We also discussed soil’s numerous physical properties in class. One of these is compaction, which tilling can cause by destroying active organic matter (causing less pore structure created by soil life), and by heavy equipment pushing soil microaggregates together (Hoorman et al., 2011). Finally, we also discussed how soils can develop through losses. Tilled soils are susceptible to nitrate leaching and nutrient loss (Lv et al., 2023).
This photo relates to UN SDG 6-Clean Water and Sanitation. This sustainable development goals aims to ensure access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation. Water pollution from agricultural runoff is capable of degrading the quality of drinking water. According to the EPA, pollution from pesticides, fertilizers, and animal manure can enter groundwater and degrade sources of drinking water depending on the local geologic conditions and land use (EPA, 2024). As demonstrated by the image, farmers can take action to reduce their impact on water quality by incorporating reduced till/no-till methods and cover crops to limit runoff. The ecological principle and SDG are closely related. Soil properties and water filtration and efficiency are intertwined. Healthy soil that is strong in structure and high in organic matter has better infiltration and experiences less losses, preventing water contamination and contributing to Target 6.3, which aims to improve water quality by reducing pollution. This also limits pollution to water-related ecosystems, contributing to target 6.6. Practices that enhance organic matter and structure, such as no-till and crop rotation, improve water infiltration and retention, reducing the demand for irrigation and causing increased water efficiency in agriculture.This is critical for target 6.4 which aims to enhance water-use efficiency and “ensure sustainable withdrawals of freshwater to address water scarcity” (United Nations).
Sources:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/Biology%20o...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167198722...)
www.epa.gov/nps/nonpoint-source-agriculture#:~:text=Bacte....
Soil Managment Difference Demonstration
This photo was taken October 5th at Clagett Farm in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. This demonstration allows visitors to visualize the difference in runoff and infiltration between permeable pavement, concrete, till non-cover crop, and cover crop. The jars in the back represent infiltration while the jars in the front represent runoff. For the tilled, non-cover crop soil, the runoff is greater than the infiltration. For the cover crop, the infiltration is much greater than the runoff. For the concrete, the runoff is greater than the infiltration. For the permeable pavement, the infiltration is greater than the runoff. This setup demonstrates how different types of soil treatments/urban planning affect sustainability. Tilled soil is generally unsustainable because tilling disrupts soil structure and causes compaction, resulting in decreased infiltration and more runoff. Agricultural runoff negatively affects the environment by carrying with it pollutants such as fertilizer (nutrients), pesticides, and bacteria. Cover crops, however, enhance organic matter and pore space, causing better infiltration and reducing environmental impacts from runoff. Finally, permeable pavement limits flooding from stormwater by allowing infiltration as opposed to concrete.
This photo depicts the ecological concept of human impacts on soil properties and processes. As we discussed in class, urban soils are often highly disturbed due to human activity. This is true for many agricultural soils as well. Specifically, tilling strongly affects the soil profile by disrupting soil structure, leaving soils susceptible to rain and subject to large amounts of soil loss and runoff. Tillage also alters soil structure by diminishing organic matter. We also discussed soil’s numerous physical properties in class. One of these is compaction, which tilling can cause by destroying active organic matter (causing less pore structure created by soil life), and by heavy equipment pushing soil microaggregates together (Hoorman et al., 2011). Finally, we also discussed how soils can develop through losses. Tilled soils are susceptible to nitrate leaching and nutrient loss (Lv et al., 2023).
This photo relates to UN SDG 6-Clean Water and Sanitation. This sustainable development goals aims to ensure access to safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation. Water pollution from agricultural runoff is capable of degrading the quality of drinking water. According to the EPA, pollution from pesticides, fertilizers, and animal manure can enter groundwater and degrade sources of drinking water depending on the local geologic conditions and land use (EPA, 2024). As demonstrated by the image, farmers can take action to reduce their impact on water quality by incorporating reduced till/no-till methods and cover crops to limit runoff. The ecological principle and SDG are closely related. Soil properties and water filtration and efficiency are intertwined. Healthy soil that is strong in structure and high in organic matter has better infiltration and experiences less losses, preventing water contamination and contributing to Target 6.3, which aims to improve water quality by reducing pollution. This also limits pollution to water-related ecosystems, contributing to target 6.6. Practices that enhance organic matter and structure, such as no-till and crop rotation, improve water infiltration and retention, reducing the demand for irrigation and causing increased water efficiency in agriculture.This is critical for target 6.4 which aims to enhance water-use efficiency and “ensure sustainable withdrawals of freshwater to address water scarcity” (United Nations).
Sources:
www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/Biology%20o...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167198722...)
www.epa.gov/nps/nonpoint-source-agriculture#:~:text=Bacte....