Erosion & Soil Formation Rates

Soil is a non-renewable resource, which means once it washes away, we cannot get it back quickly. It can take 500 years for nature to make just one inch of new topsoil! When we leave the ground bare or cut down too many trees, the wind and rain can steal that soil in a single afternoon. This is why farmers grow cover crops to keep the dirt tucked in like a blanket. We have to protect the soil we have, because it takes a very, very long time to grow more.

Protect what takes forever to build. An afternoon of carelessness can erase 500 years of patience. The soil is a savings account that took centuries to fill. Do not withdraw what you cannot repay.

Soil is lost 10 to 40 times faster than replenished globally. The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) models loss based on rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, slope length, and land management. Excessive erosion removes the A horizon containing most nutrients and biological activity, effectively sterilizing the land and leading to desertification. 500 years per inch of topsoil. One storm per afternoon of loss.

SOUND: The rushing sound of muddy water running off a bare field.

SMELL: The dusty, dry smell of a windstorm.

TASTE: Grit of dust in the air during a dry season.

TOUCH: Dry, cracked earth: the planet asking for help.

SIGHT: Deep scars or gullies in a hillside after a big storm.

BODY: The instability of loose sand compared to firm, rooted sod: your body knowing what is held and what is lost.

Music: Into the Mystic by Van Morrison

Part of Earth & Soil — NATURE — Education Revelation