A vital resource for agriculture is soil. Though a simple word, it is a complex system which provides sustainable resources to the Earth. Soil provides organic matter necessary for plant growth which supports crops and livestock. 2 It consists of disintegrated rock, organic matter, water, gases, nutrients, and microorganisms, plus it is a renewable resource (Withgott & Laposata, 2014). However, if healthy soil is not maintained, it can have devastating effects on crops and livestock.
One such incident caused from over farming of the land is the Dust Bowl which occurred in the 1930’s in the southern Great Plains of the United States. Through an overabundance of farming and livestock grazing, native grasses were removed and soil structure was altered (Withgott & Laposata, 2014). This contributed to the erosion of topsoil. When the drought in the area worsened, strong winds pushed massive dust storms up to 1250 miles, with blackening rain and snow all the way to the East coast. Numerous farmers lost their land as topsoil eroded 4 inches in a few years which affected the growth of vegetation and crops.
The Dust Bowl incident brought about Soil Conservation Services (SCS), now known as Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in order to help farmers maintain healthy …show more content…
The soil is eroding, weeds are destroying native grasses, and brush is becoming overgrown. Overgrazing causes soil exposure and eventually soil erosion which diminishes vegetation regrowth which then leads to more erosion. This then allows non-native plants, which livestock do not like to eat, to overrun the native plants. Also, trampling of the ground by livestock compacts soil and alters their structure (Withgott & Laposata, 2014). Ultimately, this all leads to the land not being able to sustain any useful vegetation, making whether or not ranchers are allowed to use the land for grazing a moot
One such incident caused from over farming of the land is the Dust Bowl which occurred in the 1930’s in the southern Great Plains of the United States. Through an overabundance of farming and livestock grazing, native grasses were removed and soil structure was altered (Withgott & Laposata, 2014). This contributed to the erosion of topsoil. When the drought in the area worsened, strong winds pushed massive dust storms up to 1250 miles, with blackening rain and snow all the way to the East coast. Numerous farmers lost their land as topsoil eroded 4 inches in a few years which affected the growth of vegetation and crops.
The Dust Bowl incident brought about Soil Conservation Services (SCS), now known as Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), in order to help farmers maintain healthy …show more content…
The soil is eroding, weeds are destroying native grasses, and brush is becoming overgrown. Overgrazing causes soil exposure and eventually soil erosion which diminishes vegetation regrowth which then leads to more erosion. This then allows non-native plants, which livestock do not like to eat, to overrun the native plants. Also, trampling of the ground by livestock compacts soil and alters their structure (Withgott & Laposata, 2014). Ultimately, this all leads to the land not being able to sustain any useful vegetation, making whether or not ranchers are allowed to use the land for grazing a moot