GEOG M107 Chapter 15: Soil & Water Conservation Textbook: Chapter 15
Document Summary
Irrigation: method in which a controlled amount of water is supplied to plants at regular intervals for agriculture. What is reclamation? (land) reclamation: process of creating new land from ocean, riverbeds, or lake beds, returning disturbed lands to an improved state. Adding irrigation water can overcome drought limitations and improve quality/quantity of crop production. Reclamation increases land productivity through irrigation, drainage, salt removal, or other amelioration of soils so that more and better crops can be grown on them. Both irrigation and reclamation help supply the food and fiber needs of the world"s growing population. A very dry climate (like desert/semidesert regions) where there is only enough water for widely spaced desert plants. Areas where potential water losses by evaporation and transpiration (pet: potential evapotranspiration) are greater than the amount of water supplied by precipitation. Negative water balance: precipitation is seasonal and erratic (as well as limited) Plants must grow during short periods of favorable moisture or rely on irrigation.
