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Soil Conservation

Human activities like urbanization and construction can negatively impact soil quality and quantity in the Philippines in several ways: 1) Urban development leads to conversion of agricultural land, reducing the amount of land available for farming. 2) Construction activities can degrade soil quality by reducing nutrients and exposing microorganisms. 3) Improper waste disposal pollutes the soil with hazardous chemicals, altering its natural health.

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53 views

Soil Conservation

Human activities like urbanization and construction can negatively impact soil quality and quantity in the Philippines in several ways: 1) Urban development leads to conversion of agricultural land, reducing the amount of land available for farming. 2) Construction activities can degrade soil quality by reducing nutrients and exposing microorganisms. 3) Improper waste disposal pollutes the soil with hazardous chemicals, altering its natural health.

Uploaded by

Injection Insec
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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HUMAN ACTIVITIES

T H AT
AFFECT THE
QUALITY AND
QUANTITY OF SOIL
Philippines is an agricultural country with a land area of
30 million hectares, 47% of which is agricultural land
(https://pinas.dlsu.edu.ph/ 2020). However, urban
development activities contribute to conversion of
agricultural land to other purposes in order to support the
rapid growing population of 108.8 M (PSA, 2020).
Urbanization also affects the quality and quantity of
available soil for planting crops.
Soil can be defined as the organic and inorganic materials on the surface of the
earth that provide the medium for plant growth. Soil develops slowly over time
and is composed of many different materials through the process of
weathering.
Soil is a necessary resource because it helps sustain life on Earth including
humans, animals and plants. Aside from life sustaining roles, soil helps purify,
or clean, water as it drains through the ground and into rivers, lakes, and
oceans. In addition, decomposers in soil also help recycle nutrients by breaking
down the remains of plants and animals, releasing nutrients that living plants
use to grow. Soil also provides a home for a variety of living things, from tiny
one-celled organisms to small mammals.
Despite the mentioned importance in sustaining life on earth,
there are serious issues concerning the soil’s good qualities and
availability. In fact, a review of soil degradation in the
Philippines (Asio, V. 2009) revealed that soil degradation, the
physical, chemical and biological decline in soil quality is a
major agricultural and environmental problem in the
Philippines due to erosion. Loss of nutrients and organic
nutrients, salinization, acidification, pollution, compaction and
subsidence are other soil degradation processes cause by erosion.
Positive Effect of Farming
Application of herbicide, a pesticide used to kill unwanted plants used in
farming has a positive benefit on soil health. Lime and mineral fertilizers
added to soil provide stable optimum growing conditions for plants.
Organic manures and other organic fertilizers provide a source of
food/energy for many soil organisms thus making the soil healthy and good
for planting. Even the growing plants help in stabilizing the soil structure.
Another important effect of farming on soil health is the provision of water
through irrigation and drainage. Irrigation/drainage water stabilizes the
soil moisture thus making it healthier and suitable for planting.
Negative Effect of Farming
Tillage in farming is the preparation of soil for planting and the
cultivation of soil after planting. It can cause direct damage to
soil microorganisms and potentially expose those to new
predators. Though pesticides are found beneficial to soil, it was
found to have long term harmful effects on the overall activity
or population of soil organisms. Some applied veterinary
medicines are found to affect the normal degradation rate of
some insects and animals, thus altering the soil’s health.
Construction of Structure
Construction activities, such as grading and filling, reduce soil quality on
construction sites. Land use conversion usually done to support urbanization
activities can cause rapid soil degradation and sedimentation. Soil nutrients
are washed away making it unsuitable for farming.
Waste Disposals
Soil quality is adversely affected by improper waste disposal. Soil pollution
happens when hazardous chemicals from human and industrial sewage are
carelessly disposed of, altering soil’s natural health and quality.

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