Steemit Engagement Challenge S6 W2 : what steps would I take to save the soil

Hello Steemians.

(Source from Hind whale community)

Greetings from Nigeria. I'm so glad to be participating in this week's challenge. The topic is a very delicate one and I cannot miss to pen down my thoughts on the subject "what steps would I take to save the soil"

What is soil

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Soil is the uppermost layer of the earth. It is the loosed layer that covers the earth. It is porous medium that developed in the Earth's uppermost layer. The soil is an habitat for some parasites and micro bacteria. It contains organic and inorganic components. There are majorly 3 types of soul
•Sandy soil
•Loamy soil
•Clay soil
These types of soil are classified by their texture, air porosity, water retention capacity, fertility, stone content, colour, structure etc

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What are the importance of soil?
Why should soil be important to know?

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The importance of soil are innumerable, the soil is an essential part of man's life that is why it is very important we know about it. All living things need the soil to exist. These are some importance of soil
•Soil is a home and habitat for micro organisms and useful bacteria. These microbes are very important and needed to our lives
•The soil is a natural decomposer of biodegradable waste
•The soil is active in water cycle and filtration. Imagine our world without clean water
•The soil is an anchor for plant's root. The root of every plant is buried in the soil
•Soil is a source of raw materials humans need for building, energy, fashion and construction. Example is coal, diamond, gold etc
•Loamy soil is necessary for plant growth
•The soil is the bedrock for human structures like buildings, roads, highways etc

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Soil Degradation.
Harmful practices done on the soil

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Soil Degradation is the physical, chemical and biological decline and reduction in the soil quality and condition due to improper and mis management of soil, natural hazards and also human factors.

Soil Degradation is majorly in 4 types
•Water Erosion
•Wind Erosion
•Physical deterioration
•Chemical deterioration

Let me talk on one soil Degradation

Water Erosion

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Water erosion is the washing away of the uppermost part of the earth by water. This can be due to heavy rainfall, irrgration, runoff, snowmelt and from flooding. When water washes away the soil, it carries along side the organic and inorganic components of the soil. These eroded soil can either move to a different location entirely to form new soil or are washed into water bodies like rivers, streams and lakes.

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Harmful practices done on the soil that causes water erosion

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Erosion isn't just caused by natural disasters, some human factors collaborate with these natural disasters to cause water erosion.
These are some of the human factors
• Deforestation and Felling of trees: One major importance of having trees on a soil is because it serve as wind/water breaker. This means that it will cause a breakage in the amount of eroded soil. So when these trees are brought down, it soil no longer have a protector
• Overgrazing of our animals on our land can make the land very empty and easier to be eroded
• Bush Burning
• Animal Trampling
• Industrial activities can mining, rigging etc

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Consequences of soil Degradation

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With or without our permission, everything done to the soil has a consequence. Here are some of the consequences of soil degradation
• Loss of Soil fertility. When erosion and other degradation happens, the soil looses it's fertility
• Death of bacteria and micro organisms which lives in the soil
• Soil degradation leads to desert encroachment
• It can result in air, water and land pollution
• Soil degradation can change the natural acidity or alkalinity of the soil
• Can result to loss of raw materials that the soil has

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Steps to Decelerate Soil Degradation

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It is said that "prevention is better than cure", but when this is not done, we should rely on the cure. These are ways to reduce the loss of soil quality

• Education on soil degradation should be taken seriously. It should be taught in schools, to the farmers. People won't know if they are not taught

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• Afforestation:

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Afforestation is the planting of trees. For every 1 tree cut down, 10 trees should be planted
• Overgrazing and bush burning should be limited
•The use of harmful chemicals for growing plants should be abolished. Farmers should use natural biodegradable fertilizers like cow dung
• Tillage and bush fallowing should be appreciated. This is helpful because it gives the soil the time to recover from its loss
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Conclusion

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Soil degradation is a serious factor that shouldn't be taken lightly. Imagine the world without soil, how will our plant grow and our animals feed. We should endeavor to limit human factors causing this harm like deforestation, excessive chemical use, Overgrazing and bush burning

I invite @ngoenyi @goodybest @chant to join this contest