Free «Soil Conservation» Essay Sample

One law that protects the soil in Michigan State was enacted in 1936 referred to as the soil conservation and domestic allotment Act. The law was meant to reduce soil erosion and maintain the seafaring of rivers. The farmers would be provided for with financial assistance only if they proved to have put in place soil reinstatement procedures that prevent soil erosion. This law was amended in 1937 extending the programs further (Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act).

Conservation and preservation ethic is all about the intelligent utilization of natural resources in order to maximize on the number of beneficiaries at the same time, not misusing them. Ethics involved revolve around the realization of the human being as part of a community which is interdependent. Thus the competition of resources is unavoidable but should be well coordinated (Lewis, 2000). The above low tries to coordinate the utilization of the available resources by offering financial assistance to the cooperative members of the society.

The population of Michigan has been increasing slightly over the last one hundred years. There is some duration whereby we can notice a slight decrease in the population with the highest number of people being 10 million. The population decrease is witnessed internationally. The state has a wealth of natural resources. The state has 35000 inland lakes and ponds, 49000 miles of river and 3000 miles of coastline on the lakes. The state is renowned for its soil fertility. The early years saw the natural resources of Michigan damaged and exhausted by irresponsible exploitation. This has seen a reverse since the 1960s whereby laws have been put in place that are in support of management of resources, quality protection of the environment and the control of pollution. The temperature of the state is an added advantage to the farming community due to the availability of many lakes.

Agricultural land is Michigan’s most important natural resource ranking number 2 in the states industries. Regardless of this fact, farmland is declining at a steady rate in this state. This is due to the conversion of land to other uses. For instance, in 1982-1992 the state had 854000 acres of farmland transformed to mainly residential development. Conversion of land to residential plots looses its future food productivity. The overall population continues to increase rapidly thus generating a demand for housing in the state. This has led to residential homes and businesses being put up in farmland.

The following is a chart showing land conservation and management theory in Michigan State in some specific areas.

The above chart represent on a scale of 1-10 the management and land conservation theory with 1 representing the lowest score and 10 representing the highest score.

The crest of the earth layer is usually defined as soil. It is a non-renewable resource which functions as a stage for human activities. Toxicity is all about the degree of harmfulness. The things we grow in soil possess a degree of harmfulness to both the soil and the environment. Some chemicals are not completely soluble in the soil thus leave behind some harmful elements. The increase or concentration of these harmful elements in the soil or environment to the first organism in the food chain is referred to as bioaccumulation. The enhancement of toxins from one link in the food chain to another is referred to as biomagnifications. Persistence is the slowness of degradation of organic components in the soil that is as a result of the organisms grown in the soil (Nyholm, 2009).

Risk is the likelihood of a loss or injury. Environmental risk is the real or possible threat that has unpleasant consequences to the living organisms and environment. This could be by sewage, resource depletion, and waste production amongst others. Living and working in my local area exposes me to several environmental risks such as health risks due to the inhalation of gases from the factories. Financial risks due to the cost of treatment incase I fall sick. Some risks are accepted in one country and rejected in another mainly because of ignorance and lack of information on the threats exposed. Greed by a few individual who bribe authorities is also another reason why (Stern & Sletto, 2007).