Explore Soil Erosion and See What a Plant Can Do.
![]() IntroductionYou pick up litter, you reduce, reuse and recycle but did you ever consider conserving the soil? It might seem farfetched, but it turns out that soil erosion—or the wearing away of soil by water, wind and other natural forces—is a problem. Productive farmlands can disappear as nutrient-rich topsoil in fields washes away when heavy rains hit them. Waterways can get polluted as pesticides and fertilizers wash into them. Even human life and property are jeopardized, as soil erosion causes mudslides and landslides. The economic cost of soil erosion is estimated to be several billion dollars every year for the United States of America alone. This is a serious problem; can you help solve it? Do this activity and learn how to save the soil with nothing more than a few plants!
This activity is not appropriate for use as a science fair project. Good science fair projects have a stronger focus on controlling variables, taking accurate measurements, and analyzing data. To find a science fair project that is just right for you, browse our library of over 1,200 Science Fair Project Ideas or use the Topic Selection Wizard to get a personalized project recommendation.
BackgroundSoil erosion is partially caused by runoff washing away the soil after a heavy downpour. Runoff refers to the water that flows over the surface of the soil. It occurs when the soil is saturated or unable to absorb any more water. One way to help combat soil erosion is through the use of plants. Plants have extensive root systems that can help to “grab on” to soil and keep the soil clumped together. You might have seen this when you pulled a plant out of the soil and a clump of soil was stuck around its roots. Plants also help absorb some of the water in the soil. These effects make it harder for water to wash away the soil. Note that plants also help reduce soil erosion in other ways, like breaking the wind. Now that you know what soil erosion is, let’s observe how rain contributes to water erosion. Materials
PreparationSafety Tip: Have an adult assist while using the scissors or sharp knife.
Procedure
Extra: Try the experiment with different types of soil. Would some types of soil be more susceptible to erosion than others? Extra: Grow radish sprouts or other fast growing plants in a bread pan. Redo the test, now comparing bare soil with soil covered with sprouts. Be sure to use a bread pan for this, as a cardboard shoebox will soften when filled with moist soil for a longer time. Would plant sprouts used in this test be a good substitute for full-size plants or trees in real situations? Which one do you expect to hold soil best, forks, sprouts or full grown plants? Extra: Look up more details about the different types of water erosion. Sheet, rill, gully and splash are some examples. What type of erosion do you observe during your experiment? Observations and ResultsDid you find more soil was washed away from the bread pan or shoebox filled with bare soil? Initially, you might have seen that the impact of heavy raindrops falling on the soil caused pieces to break away from the soil, leaving little dips in the soil. Maybe you observed soil splatting away as a result. At the start, the soil could probably absorb most of the rain. It acted like a sponge, holding the water. With a very hard downpour, the soil is not always able to absorb the water fast enough, and you instantly observed excess water flowing on top of the soil. Sooner or later, you should have observed excess water flowing down, as eventually, the soil gets saturated and cannot absorb any more water. The water flowing on top of the soil is called runoff. As it flows, it carries loose soil with it. The amount of soil transported depends on the speed and volume of the flowing water, as well as the type of soil. Although forks cannot hold on to soil as well as plants do, they do help hold the soil together and ward off layers of soil sliding down. As a result, you probably collected more eroded soil from rain falling on the bare soil. More to Explore
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Not all dirt is created equal. In fact, different types of soil can make a big difference in some very important areas of our society. A building constructed on sandy soil might collapse during an earthquake, and crops planted in soil that doesn't drain properly might become waterlogged and rot after a rainstorm. It is the job of a soil scientist to evaluate soil conditions and help farmers, builders, and environmentalists decide how best to take advantage of local soils.
CreditsSabine De Brabandere, PhD, Science Buddies
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Key Concepts
Soil erosion, ecology, geology
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