Landscape Designing

LANDSCAPE DESIGNING FRMT 325 Cr. Hr. 3(1+2)

Lesson 13:Landscape Resources: Soil

Soil conservation techniques

• Soil conversation techniques are applied for the maintenance of soil nutrients, soil structure, soil microbes and organic matter and check soil erosion.
• One method of checking erosion is not to allow any land to remain without crop but to grow some cover crops which will prevent soil erosion.
• This consists of growing alternate rows of cultivated crops and non-cultivated crops on the contour
• The non-cultivated crop is usually a legume or a grass, which plays the role of holding the soil and at the same time, improves the soil nutrient especially if it is a legume.
• These provide organic matter, materials for mulching, and fodder also.
• Cultivation of cover crops like small grains, legumes and annual grasses reduce soil water erosion and hardens the woody plants.

Terrace cultivation

• Terracing is one of the effective methods of soil and moisture conservation practices on steep slopes.
• In this method, terraces are constructed on the contour and water is held until it penetrates terrace cultivation wherever land is sloppy.
• The terraces are made along the contour of the land.
• The purpose of terracing is to check the flow of water, as the force of the running water washes away the top soil.