•Only 11% of world’s soil can be used for growing crops
•Many farmers too dependant on chemicals = harmful for plants
and animals
•Some chemicals help grow and maintain pest levels
Summary
Soil, on earth, is a necessary component to life, as this is where plants and crops grow. The relationship between soil fertility and plants is important because in order for the plants to be healthy the soil must be healthy as well. There are a few things though that are detrimental to the soil, which is erosion and desertification. Erosion is when valuable fertile top soil is washed or blown away. It can also causes land and water pollution. If the soil flows into water bodies, it affects the quality of the water, it can block out the sunlight to the plants underwater, therefore killing them and then the organisms who feed of the plants will no longer have a food source. Desertification can happen because of: animals overgrazing. In the past, animals would move in response to rainfall or people who move them because the food source would become minimal after a length of time. Now, humans have a steady food supply so they do not have to move about. Desertification is also the result of farmers clearing average land, and using it which takes away the richness in the soil. In order for the soil to replenish and be healthy, they have to do a crop rotation. Problems in irrigation can be bad for the soil in poorer countries, because they generally use canal irrigation which causes salt build up. The last thing farmers are doing that is harmful to the soil and to the plants and animals as well, is the overuse of chemicals. These chemicals help grow and maintain pesticide levels but when farmers are too dependent on them is can cause problems.