GEOG 106 Lecture Notes - Lecture 27: Soil Fertility, Soil Crust, Soil Structure
Document Summary
The identification and use of environmental indicators = major components in research related to human impact on the environment. Require clear definitions of biophysical and human processes. Identify attributes that can be measured over space and time in order to identify change. Indicators are crucial components in the environmental impact. Indicators: a species or property which, when present, is indicative ofa particular environmental condition or set of conditions. Alteration of key species distribution and frequency. Traditional methods exposes soil to erosion via weed control, before planted crop appears & after harvest. Plowing methods may destroy soil structure & compact soil. Fertilizers often lack organic matter to support organisms. Reduce vegetation cover (upper roots), select species (edible) Removal of vegetative layer (trees, shrubs, groundcover) reduces protection of soil & promotes erosion. Industrial logging (14%: fuel wood gathering (5%, road construction, urbanization, mining, oil and gas extraction and pipelines, reservoir construction (damns, plantations.
