3. Plant roots typically protect soil from erosion by water. Explain a potential

Question

3. Plant roots typically protect soil from erosion by water. Explain a potential positive feedback loop that can accelerate soil erosion when plants are removed from a hillside. 4. How do worms help to build soil? You answer should include the term detritivore. 5. In "Rivers of Life" (excerpted from the book Dirt), David Montgomery uses three different regions to illustrate the potential hazards of poor soil management practices. Briefly explain the main cause of soil loss/degradation for the Sumerians of Mesopotamia, Chinese people from the province of Shansi, and Egyptians on the Nile River Delta a) Mesopotamia b) Shansi c) Egypt Part 2: Erosion 6. Identify units of erosion measurement in Figure A. Convert the average erosion rate into mm/yr. 7. Which regions in the United States have the highest continental erosion rates, why do these locations have the highest rates? 8. According to Figure B, which regions in the United States have the greatest erosion from human activity. 9. Describe how the rates of human driven erosion compare to natural (continental) rates of erosion. 10. Predict the potential source of human erosion in Figure B.

Explanation / Answer

3. The plant roots hold the soil surrounding it and which in turns resist to soil erosion by water. But the removal of the plant from hill side weakens the soil surrounding to it. Due to this weakening the soil gets easily eroded with water and the removal of soil weakens the other plants and trees surrounding to it. This cycle keeps removing the trees and plant from the hill and then the soil erosion accelerates exponentially. This is how positive feedback loop can accelerate the soil erosion

4. Detritivore are defined as the organisms which obtain the nutrients or the energy from the decomposing plant or animal parts. These organisms are very important for the nutrient recycling to the soil. Earthworm is a good example of a soil-dwelling detritivore. Earthworm consume the complex compounds in the decomposing material and convert it to simple sulfur, nitrogen, phosphorus etc for the use of plants. The addition of these nutrients make soil better for the vegetation.

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