Dear EarthTalk: Is there any way to counter the epidemic of topsoil erosion that is plaguing farmers here in the U.S. and around the world?
-- Mary. R., Sarasota, FL
kAm%@AD@:= 9@=5D 2 32=2?46 @7 @C82?:4 >2EE6C[ 2:C[ H2E6C 2?5 >:?6C2=D 2?5 2D DF49 :D E96 =2J6C E92E 724:=:E2E6D =:76 :? E96 D@:=] #6D62C496CD E9:?< H6 92G6 2=C625J =@DE FAH2C5D @7 2 E9:C5 @7 E96 E@AD@:= E92E @?46 3=2?<6E65 E96 76CE:=6 p>6C:42? |:5H6DE[ 2?5 E92E H6 2C6 =@D:?8 6IA@?6?E:2==J >@C6 @7 :E 2== E96 E:>6]k^Am
kAmtC@D:@? :D E96 G69:4=6 7@C E@AD@:= =@DD] %96 :?E6?D:G6 AC24E:46D @7 E:==:?8[ @G6C8C2K:?8[ 567@C6DE2E:@?[ =62G:?8 =2?5 32CC6? 5FC:?8 E96 @77 D62D@? 2?5 >@?@4F=EFC2= 4C@A 56G6=@A>6?E 2== H62<6? E96 D@:=[ >2<:?8 :E >@C6 GF=?6C23=6 E@ 6C@D:@?]k^Am
kAm%96 D65:>6?E 7C@> E96 D@:= =@DE 7=@HD 5@H?D=@A6 :?E@ H2E6CH2JD 2?5 2D DF49 :D 2? 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 2?5 AF3=:4 962=E9 ?F:D2?46] u2C>6CD >FDE E96? FD6 :?4C62D:?8 2>@F?ED @7 DJ?E96E:4 255:E:G6D E@ >2<6 FA 7@C E96 =@H6C ?FEC:6?E 4@?E6?E @7 E96:C 568C2565 D@:=D] (:E9@FE E96 E@AD@:= =2J6C[ >@C6 H2E6C 2?5 >@C6 :?AFED 2C6 ?66565 E@ 8C@H 4C@AD]k^Am
kAm%96 D@=FE:@?D E@ 3:?5:?8 E@AD@:= 2?5 C6A=6?:D9:?8 H92E 92D 366? =@DE 2C6 DEC2:89E7@CH2C5 3FE E:>6 :?E6?D:G6[ 2D 3F:=5:?8 2 D>2== 2>@F?E @7 D@:= 42? E2<6 564256D] w@H6G6C[ >@C6 42C3@? :D DE@C65 :? E96 D@:= E92? 2== t2CE9 A=2?ED 2?5 2E>@DA96C6 4@>3:?65j :E’D ;FDE 2 >2EE6C @7 =6EE:?8 C6D:=:6?E 64@DJDE6>D C64@G6C]k^Am
kAmr@G6C 4C@AD[ DF49 2D 3:6??:2= 2?5 A6C6??:2= =68F>6D[ 46C62=D 2?5 7@C286[ 2C6 :?6IA6?D:G6[ DFAA=J D@:= H:E9 >F49 ?66565 ?:EC@86? 2?5 3:?5 E96 D@:= 5FC:?8 E96 @77D62D@?] v:G:?8 AC@5F4E:G6 =2?5 2 C6DE A6C:@5 42? 96=A H:E9 E@AD@:= =@DD] #@E2E:@?2= 8C2K:?8 AC@G:56D E:>6 7@C E96 A2DEFC6 E@ C686?6C2E6] p55:?8 @C82?:4 >2EE6C 367@C6 2?5 5FC:?8 E96 8C@H:?8 D62D@? 8:G6D E96 >:4C@@C82?:D>D :? E96 D@:= 7F6= 2?5 ?FEC:6?ED] !=2?E:?8 ?2E:G6 AC2:C:6[ H9:49 2C6 A6C6??:2= A=2?ED[ 3F:=5D 566A C6249:?8[ D@:= 3F:=5:?8 C@@ED]k^Am
kAmx7 2 72C> :D EC2?D:E:@?:?8 :ED AC24E:46D E@ 3F:=5 D@:=[ :E E2<6D E:>6[ H9:49 42? 36 5:77:4F=E :? 2? :?5FDECJ 56A6?56?E @? AC@5F4E:@?] r2C3@? 3F:=5:?8 :?46?E:G6D 2C6 8C@H:?8[ :? 3@E9 E96 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 AC:G2E6 D64E@CD] $@>6 72C>D 2C6 36:?8 4C62E:G6 H:E9 E96:C C6D@FC46D[ DF49 2D A=2??:?8 C:A2C:2? 3F776C K@?6D ?62C H2E6CH2JD E@ 9@=5 D@:= 2?5 7:=E6C A@==FE2?ED 367@C6 E96J 7=@H :?E@ E96 H2E6C] u2C>6CD E92E 2C6 4@?46C?65 23@FE H2E6C FD286 :? 5C:6C 4=:>2E6D >2J 7:?5 E96 D=@H H@C< @7 D@:= 3F:=5:?8 C6H2C5:?8 :? E96 <?@H=6586 E92E 6G6CJ @?6 A6C46?E :?4C62D6 :? 42C3@? >62?D c_[___ 82==@?D @7 H2E6C C6E2:?65 @? 2? 24C6 @7 =2?5] w62=E9:6C D@:= >62?D =6DD H2E6C 2?5 =6DD 76CE:=:K6C ?66565]k^Am
kAm%96 ?665 7@C EC2?D:E:@? 7C@> >@?@4F=EFC6 E@ >@C6 A6C6??:2= 4C@AD :D 6DD6?E:2= 7@C E96 7FEFC6 @7 7@@5] p??F2= 4C@AD AC@5F46 @?6 92CG6DE[ H9:=6 A6C6??:2=D AC@G:56 2 92CG6DE J62C 27E6C J62C] |F49 =:<6 D@:= 3F:=5:?8[ 2 A6C6??:2= 92CG6DE 42? E2<6 E:>6] qFE E96 =@?8 C@@E DJDE6>D 3F:=5 D@:=[ C6BF:C6 =6DD :?AFE 2?5 H2E6C 2?5 2C6 >@C6 C6D:=:6?E @?46 E96J C6249 >2EFC:EJ] x?5665[ 28C:4F=EFC2= C6D62C496CD 2C6 92C5 2E H@C< 9J3C:5:K:?8 46CE2:? A6C6??:2= 4C@AD E@ 8:G6 72C>6CD 2=E6C?2E:G6D E@ A=2?E:?8 H962E[ 4@C? 2?5 @E96C >@?@4F=EFC2= 2??F2=D E92E 568C256 :?DE625 @7 3F:=5:?8 324< @FC AC64:@FD 2?5 72DE\725:?8 C6D6CG6 @7 E@AD@:=]k^Am
