Erosion in a Rural Setting

Causes of Erosion and Possible Solutions in Rural Areas

The biggest cause of erosion is started by land clearing.  By removing vegetation, there are no roots to hold or stabilise the soil and so it can be removed by wind or water.  In the case of wind, the fine topsoil layer is lifted and carried away.  

In the case of water, the lack of vegetation means the soil cannot hold as much water and it begins to flow over the surface.  There are 3 main types of surface erosion:

1. Sheet erosion.  As the name implies water moves over the surface in a large area.  It removes the most productive layers of the soil (the A and O layers) and can remove seed from freshly planted fields.

2.  Rill erosion.  Once again, the upper layers of the soil are removed but now channels are starting to form. Rill erosion can lead to gully erosion.

3.  Gully erosion.  This is where channels over 0.5 m deep are dug out by the water.  The channels are too deep to allow vehicles or animals to safely cross and so they effectively reduce the amount of usable land.

4.  Streambank erosion.  This is where rising water can wash out the sides of creeks and rivers.  In our local area, the wash from boats can also contribute to this.



Erosion on rural land can be mitigated by:

1. Contour ploughing.  This is where the land is ploughed at right angles to the slopes of hills. This means that water flow is greatly slowed by the furrows in the land and so it reduces the potential damage it can cause.  Contour ploughing can only work on slight slopes and beyond that terracing may be required.

2. Seed drilling.  Rather than pulling out the old crop or reploughing the land seed drilling involves slashing the old plants and leaving the roots still in the ground and a mulch cover on top.  The mulch prevents drying and wind erosion while the roots stop water from carrying soil away.  The new seed is planted by drilling it into the soil next to the slashed plant.  As the new seed grows the old plant rots away adding organic material to the soil, and the growing plants roots begin to stabilise the soil  This type of farming is called no-till farming and is increasing in popularity in Australia and around the world.