The Study of the Affects of Long Term Agruculture on the Soils of Europ

The Study of the Effects of Long Term Agruculture on the Soils of Europe 1. Introduction Soil, like iron, is a natural resource. Just as iron is mined from the earth, soil is mined for its nutrients by farmers across the globe. What most people don't realize is that like iron, soil is a non-renewable resource. Soils form naturally at rates of 0.5-0.02 mm/yr, whereas the average human-induced erosion rate is 2.0 mm/yr in the U.S.(Yassoglou, 1987). These numbers reflect the dire predicament of soils around the world, and demand answers to questions such as: What causes the degradation of soils? What role have humans played in the deterioration of soils? How much more abuse can the soil withstand? Due to the lengthy history of agriculture in Europe and the Mediterranean, these areas might provide insight into the answers of these questions. 2. Is there a problem of soil degradation in Europe? 2.1 Factors that degrade soils Soil degradation as it pertains to agriculture, refers to a deterioration in at least one of the five soil qualities: volume, structure, organic matter and/or biological activity, chemical composition, and fertility. Of the many processes that lead to the deterioration of these qualities, erosion is the most prevalent and pernicious. Erosion contributes directly to the degradation of all five qualities, and is indirectly involved in other processes of soil deterioration (Yassoglou, 1987) . Due to its importance as a factor of degradation, and the limited scope of this paper, erosion will be the focus of this inquiry. 2.2 Variables that affect soil sensitivity to erosion Soil sensitivity is dependent upon the initial state of the soil following pedogenesis, influxes of material, and the... ...(Morgan,1987). Further study could be pursued in the effect of degrading influxes on single soil properties. A complete study of soil degradation within the European Community as a whole should be done, as well as adopting a set of universal standards for measuring soil loss (Yassoglou, 1987). An interesting question to pose at this point is " If soil degradation is such a problem, why hasn't productivity been adversely affected?" The irony is that the same technological advances that increase soil degradation , increase actual productivity of the farm. Fertilizers, pesticides, and machinery all increase yields per a given area, and it is these factors that have prevented an agricultural crisis in Europe. In essence, we are running our own experiment on the soil, to see if our technology can outrace its destruction of the very foundation upon which it is built.