Report On Soils And Their Management

With the increasing Australia’s population the demand for reliable energy to support our power needs now and into the future is escalating, with majority of the Australia’s energy depending solely on coal power with concerns arising on whether this is the best option for Australia’s future or focus more on harnessing green renewable energy. This essay will argue that green energy is the best option over coal power, for the world and Australia’s future, such as solar and wind. The biggest challenge though will be finding a way in being able to harness the resources nature provides to support the growing demand.

Besides being technology to become more accessible “Origin Energy itself is being highly accredited for using and introducing Green Power for environment friendly purposes through solar and wind energy. This company has been accredited as Australia’s

Practice of soil science includes, but is not limited to investigating and evaluating the interactions between water, soil minerals, plants and other living organisms that are used to prepare soil scientists’ reports for; subsurface ground absorption systems, including infiltration galleries; land application of residuals such as sludge, septage, and other wastes; spray irrigation of wastewater; soil remediation at conventional rates; land application of agricultural products; processing residues, bioremediation, and volatilization; soil erodibility and sedimentation; and identification of hydric soil and redoximorphic features.

The purpose of this report is to determine the suitability of the clients soil, indicated with in the marked area in fig 1. (google,2016), where they propose to transplant two semi mature trees, which would otherwise be felled due to a major rail development near by. This survey aims to provide the client with information on existing soil profiles, obtain site specific soil samples, which will be analysed recommendations for suitability and future soil management will then be made in a conclusion based on site information and lab results.

Over cultivation, over grazing, and deforestation are all the leading causes of soil erosion, or wearing down of the earth’s soil (Wright & Boorse, 2011). Why are farmers over cultivating? Why is over grazing such a problem? Why is deforestation becoming a problem in the world? The answers are very simple. The solutions are even simpler.

Soil is often made up of many different ratios of clay and sand. Tampering with the ratios was proven effective by scientists when they concluded that the clay to sand ratio of 3 to 1 was most useful in aiding the plants growth [5]. Clay is a useful ingredient in the soil make up because it allows nematode reproduction, an organic compound [5], which once again shows how adding organic matter into the soil formula can make it much more nutritious for plants.

A review of soil carbon sequestration potential for Australian agriculture by Sanderman et al. (2010) concluded that: In general, grazing at appropriate stocking levels will maintain or enhance soil C [carbon] stocks (Conant et al. 2001) due to positive effects on vegetative growth (LeCain et al. 2000; McNaughton et al. 1996; Sims et al. 1978) and turnover of both above-ground shoots and below-ground roots (Nyborg et al. 1999; Schuman et al. 1999; Sims et al. 1978). However, many of the details are not well understood (Ingram et al. 2008; Parton et al. 2001) and mixed results are common (Derner et al. 2006; Pineiro et al. 2009).

Some say that chemical fertilizers are necessary for the growth of crops and that the chemical fertilizers are necessary in order to keep up with the everyday increasing demands of the human consumption rate, but are chemical fertilizers truly necessary? It is true that chemical fertilizers do help produce an efficient yield, but what natural process is undergoing replacement in order to speed things up? Some say that chemical fertilizers are irreplaceable since they produce the necessary nutrients for a plant to grow (N-P-K), but are chemical fertilizers truly irreplaceable in the eyes of society? Could not the bones, soil rotations, and the ancient methods our past generations discovered provide the nutrients a plant need? Some say that chemical fertilizers are overall beneficial to the human race thanks to everything they provide us: food, money, jobs, and lower malnutrition rates throughout the States, but are they really overall beneficial? This paper will talk about the negative impacts that chemical fertilizers have on soils in the long and short term and how the health of the people consuming chemically fertilized foods is undergoing alteration, to do so it is essential to look at the origin and history of chemical fertilizers.

The soil organic carbon acts as a source and sink for nutrients like nitrogen and Sulphur, the carbon serves as a substrate for energy for soil organisms, soil organic carbon acts as a soil of strength of soil aggregation. Soil organic carbon regulates the charge density for cation exchange and it also moderates soil temperature. It buffers the emissions of greenhouse gases from the soil into the atmosphere (lal,2004). Due to the recent climate, the concentration of atmospheric CO2 has increased from 280ppm/ year in 1750 to about 400ppm/year in 2010 and continues to increase at a rate of 1.5ppm/year (powlson et al, 2011). We depend on

In the Soil Introduction Power Point we learned about the pedosphere. We discovered that soil houses both organic (materials containing carbon compounds) and inorganic matter (materials like minerals: phosphates and nitrates). Also, we found the components that make up the ideal soil. (Diagram A below). It must have pore space for the exchange of gases and water movement to keep it healthy. Then we talked about the five factors that make soil, or how it forms. A

With the constant overuse of the soil negative effects started to appear regarding the soil and the soil’s fertility. As farmers introduce the chemical fertilizers to their crops they seldom know that they are decreasing the soil’s fertility level and in return increasing the acidic levels, this is due to the fact that chemical fertilizers cause the soil to turn acidic (Missouri Botanical Garden). Plants grow best in neutral soils so when the soil turns acidic due to the implementation of chemical fertilizers farmers add more chemical fertilizers to help the next yield of crops grow thinking that the soil needs more nutrients and N-P-K when in reality all it needs is a little time off to try to recuperate itself naturally. Sadly, sometimes in the end the soil is no longer able to grow anything. The great amounts of fertilizers that are being used result in the soil turning into a desert; literally, this process is desertification. Desertification is just that, the process in which a healthy fertile soil turns into a dry infertile desert and once the soil reaches this state it is very difficult to restore it back to the healthy soil it used to be but it is not impossible. A great role model that helped proved this statement was the great Aldo Leopold. Leopold was a scientist that after experiencing a sudden change of thoughts; after looking inside a wolf’s eye, wrote about the importance of being one

The decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM), or plant litter, by soil organisms, influences soil chemistry and its physical properties. The breakdown rate of SOM affects plant nutrient availability, the moisture holding capacity of soils, soil structure and the biological activity of soil organisms.01 According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), these microorganisms carry out processes that are essential for soil health and biodiversity, performing vital functions in the soil, such as soil fertility, plant growth, maintaining soil structure, soil resilience and carbon storage. 01 There are three biogeochemical cycles that are essential to life – carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)—and have been the focus of many studies, which have found organic C, N, P and sulfur (S) to be strongly related. Having a better understanding of this soil ecosystem, including processes and the C-N-P-S stoichiometry of SOM , is important to shedding light on the nature of nutrient limitation in terrestrial ecosystems. Furthermore, it has applications to the “capture of the benefits of soil biological activity for sustainable and productive agriculture” and to the reduction of negative impacts from human intervention (FAO). 01

From the brief detailed discussion on the importance of soil to the low and higher life forms as well as to the environment, it is important to understand its formation and the factors involved in this process. Soil formation is an intricate process that allows for the development of soil based on several factors, which influence it ( Nadimi & Farpoor, 2011). The paper delves deeper into understanding the process of soil formation and the role each factor plays in determining the overall soil development process and composition. Comprehension of these factors and soil formation process allows the global community to appreciate the environment and equips the society with information

However, New Zealand has been named as one of the least energy efficient countries in the world and therefore, I propose implementing strategies in order to make New Zealand more energy efficient and this will mean that less energy is wasted which will benefit New Zealand’s energy supply. I propose more power stations in North Island as that would reduced line loss as most customers are in North Island so less energy is lost in transmission. Although, 75% of all energy production is already renewable, I propose for at least 90% of New Zealand’s energy to be renewable in the future and this will minimise the effects of fossil fuel generation such as global warming and air pollution. Because of this, I think that the amount of wind power should be increased; we should not build nuclear power plants because uranium waste is a hazard to the environment and fossil fuel electricity use should decrease because it will run out.

Over the course of this essay I will be considering the various classifications of soils as well as overcoming management problems they may entail.