 Soil is one of Earth´s most valuable natural resources because everything that lives on land, including humans, depends directly or indirectly on soil. Humans and animals depend on plants or on other animals that depend on plants for food. The Value of Soil

 Soil Conservation is the management of soil to prevent its destruction. Soil can be conserved through contour plowing, and crop rotation. In contour plowing, farmers plow their fields along the curves of a slop. This helps slow the runoff of excess rainfall and prevents it from washing the soil away. In conservation plowing, farmers disturb the soil and its plant cover as little as possible. In crop rotation, a farmer plants different crops in a field each year. Soil Conservation

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 The value of soil is reduced when soil loses its fertility and when topsoil is lost due to erosion. Soil that has lost its fertility is said to be exhausted. Soil Damage & Loss

1.- Plant grass and ground cover in huge expansive gardens and on sports fields. These are areas frequently damaged by strong winds and heavy rainfall. The intact roots of lawn grass or ground cover will help retain the soil when these areas are exposed to strong winds and rains.

2. -Never leave embankments or sloped gardens bare and exposed. These can be covered with cobblestones or rocks to create a natural looking stone or rocky effect. Alternatively the sandy area can be chopped in layers to accommodate flowers or shrubs to cover topsoil completely. The nature or types of shrubs should be able to have a strong root system in order to keep the soil intact.

3.- Ensure that homes and other buildings have adequate draining and water collection systems. This will refer to gutters or pipes that can drain water effectively into manhole drainage systems. During heavy rainstorms, gushing water washes away all the topsoil, leaving the roads and driveways ridden with sand. These are eventually swept or thrown away, leading to a waste of precious soil. Adequate drainage will also prevent the flow of gushing water in and around your property.

4.- Adopt a small piece of land outside your property as your own. Land or Town board/Government owned properties are often most neglected and highly prone to soil erosion. These include the areas immediately outside boundary walls or fences. Plant flowers or trees as they will also add beauty to your immediate environment. At the same time the loose soil will be protected from harsh weather conditions.

5.- Create an awareness among children and younger adults. This can be done by involving schools, libraries, shopping malls or any other place that younger people frequent, to engage in talks, distribute fliers etc. These events should be fun orientated to get younger people interested and more involved.

7.-Build a retaining wall or fence around your property. These can serve as effective windbreakers, reducing the possibility of sand storms in your area. 6.-Create a dislike for bare and open spaces around your home, schools, universities etc. Get directly involved by suggesting to authorities by giving them ideas or suggestions on how to cover up these open spaces. Donate your services in terms of time, labor, planting etc. in order to make your own personal contribution.

 Whenever soil is exposed, water and wind can quickly erode it. Plant cover can protect soil from erosion. Plants break the force of falling rain, and plant roots hold the soil together. Wind is another cause of soil loss. Wind erosion is most likely in areas where farming methods are not suited to dry conditions. The Earth is losing topsoil at a rate of 75 to 100 GT. per year. If soil loss continues at a present rates, it is estimated that there is only another 48 year of topsoil left. Loss of Topsoil