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Soil Conservation — Reading Comprehension

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MS-ESS3-4

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This passage for grades 6-8 explains soil conservation, aligning with NGSS standard MS-ESS3-4. Students will learn about the mechanisms and importance of protecting soil, including the dangers of erosion, loss of topsoil, and decreasing soil fertility. The text covers causes such as deforestation, overgrazing, and poor farming practices, with a focus on scientific solutions like contour plowing, terracing, windbreaks, and crop rotation. Students explore systems thinking, cause and effect, and real-world applications, such as food security and ecosystem health. The passage is supported by a glossary, quiz, writing activities, graphic organizers, and full Spanish translations, and is audio integrated to support diverse learners. This resource helps develop scientific literacy and environmental responsibility.

CONTENT PREVIEW

Contour-Plowing-1 — Illustration showing contour plowing on a hillside

Soil is the thin layer of material covering Earth's land surface, and it is vital for growing food, supporting plants, and maintaining healthy ecosystems. Each year, millions of tons of soil are lost due to erosion, where wind or water removes topsoil faster than it can be replaced. The loss of topsoil threatens food production and causes damage to rivers and lakes. Understanding the causes and solutions to soil degradation is essential for protecting our environment and ensuring food security for future generations.

Mechanisms of Soil Degradation

Soil forms slowly, taking hundreds to thousands of years to develop just a few centimeters of fertile topsoil. However, soil can be lost in a single storm if it is not protected. Major causes of soil degradation include deforestation, overgrazing by livestock, poor agricultural practices, construction activities, and the effects of climate change. When trees and plants are removed, soil becomes exposed to rain and wind, increasing erosion rates. For example, after forests are cleared, erosion can remove up to 50 tons of soil per hectare per year, compared to less than 1 ton in healthy forests. Eroded soil often ends up in waterways, where it causes sedimentation that harms aquatic life and reduces water quality.

Conservation Practices and Their Impact

Scientists and farmers have developed soil conservation practices to reduce erosion and maintain soil fertility. Contour plowing involves plowing fields along lines of equal elevation to slow water runoff. Terracing changes steep hillsides into a series of level steps, which greatly reduces soil loss. Strip cropping alternates rows of different crops to break up wind and water flow. Windbreaks, such as rows of trees, protect fields from wind erosion. Planting cover crops between main crops helps hold soil in place and adds nutrients. No-till farming reduces soil disturbance, while crop rotation keeps soil healthy by varying plant types. In the U.S., using these methods together has reduced soil erosion rates by over 40% in the last 40 years.

Why Soil Conservation Matters

Soil conservation is critical not just for farmers, but for everyone. Healthy soil provides more than food—it filters water, stores carbon, and supports biodiversity. When soil degrades, ecosystems lose their balance, and food production becomes less reliable. By understanding and applying soil conservation techniques, we help protect Earth's resources and ensure future generations have enough food and clean water. These practices demonstrate how scientific knowledge, when combined with responsible action, can solve real-world environmental problems.

Interesting Fact:
It can take nature more than 500 years to form just one inch of topsoil, but that inch can be eroded away in only a single heavy rainstorm if the soil is not protected.

What is the main reason soil conservation is important?

To protect soil for food production and ecosystem healthTo make soil look cleanerTo build more housesTo increase the amount of rain

Which process removes soil faster than it can be replaced?

PhotosynthesisErosionCondensationTranspiration

What does contour plowing do?

Plows along the land's elevation lines to slow water runoffPlows in straight up-and-down linesPlants trees in rowsRemoves all crops from a field

What is one effect of deforestation mentioned in the passage?

Increases soil erosion ratesCreates more topsoil quicklyMakes rivers cleanerImproves air quality

What does the word 'topsoil' mean as used in the passage?

The lowest layer of the groundThe uppermost, fertile layer of soilA type of rockThe water found in soil

In the passage, what does 'windbreaks' refer to?

Rows of trees that protect soil from windBarriers to stop rainMachines for plowingTypes of crops

Why does soil erosion threaten food production?

Because it removes the fertile layer needed for cropsBecause it adds more nutrients to riversBecause it makes soil wetterBecause it grows new plants automatically

How have conservation practices affected soil erosion rates in the U.S.?

Reduced erosion by over 40% in 40 yearsIncreased erosion by 50%Had no effectStopped all erosion completely

True or False: Soil can be lost in a single storm if not protected.

TrueFalse

True or False: Planting cover crops helps prevent soil erosion.

TrueFalse