Solutions to Soil Erosion & Compaction

Trees

• Trees are a natural and very effective defense against erosion. Their canopies shade the soil from direct sun, and their roots help to stabilize the soil, particularly on inclines. When trees are removed, the result is often flooding and landslides in the short term and severe erosion in the long term. Trees and soil have evolved together over millions of years, so it isn't surprising that, when left alone, they create a synergistic and mutually beneficial system that is stable and sustainable.

Horses

• Many of the problems with erosion and soil compaction in agriculture and logging are caused by large machines. The weight of the machines on the soil damages it, compresses it and kills the plants that are holding it in place. Logging and plowing with horses greatly reduces this damage, because a horse weighs far less than a truck or tractor, and only makes an impact on the soil where it puts its feet, rather than in a line as a vehicle tire does. Horses have far less environmental impact than machines, helping to maintain a generally healthy environment that is friendly to healthy soils.

Contour Plowing

• Erosion can begin when plowing is done down the slope of a hill. The furrows left by the plow then attract streams of water, which begin to eat away the soil and cause it to run down the hill. Contour plowing is the simple act of plowing across the profile of a hill, leaving furrows that run horizontally across the incline and discourage water from running down the hill. When a field is plowed in this way, water is held by the furrows until it soaks into the ground, thus increasing soil moisture as well as decreasing erosion.

Sacrifice Tracks

• Compaction of soil that is used for growing crops can be reduced by always driving tractors and machines with their wheels in the same location. This creates wheelways that are badly compacted, but leaves all the soil in between these tracks largely uncompacted. This technique is most effective if an operation has a collection of standardized machinery with a consistent width between the wheels.