TITLE: Fundamentals of Ecology: Third Edition

AUTHOR/YEAR OF PUBLICATION: Eugene P. Odum (1953)

Discussion

LAND USE

When the human population of an area is small, poor land use may affect only the people
who are guilty of bad judgement. As the population increases, however, everyone suffers
when land is improperly used, because everyone eventually pays for rehabilitation or, as is
now too often the case, everyone suffers a permanent loss of resources. Land use is thus
everybody’s business, and the application of ecological principles to land- use planning is
now undoubtedly the most important application environmental science. So far, good
land-use planning has come only after man has first severely damaged a landscape. It is
as Leopold has said: Man does not seem to be able to understand a system he did not
build and, therefore, he seemingly must partially destroy and rebuild before use
limitations are understood.

Out of the human misery created by soil erosion and dust bowls came the soil
conservation movement that is now an outstanding example of a conservation program
because it involves cooperation of local people, their state university, and their state and
Federal governments. Despite past success, the soil conservation profession has tended
to “sit on its laurels” and is failing to move with the times. In other words, the soil
conservation movement in particular, and land management science in general, needs to
go beyond its present rather exclusive farm, range, or forestry orientation to the
consideration of the urban- rural landscape complex where the most pressing problems
now exist.

Land-use planning for the urban areas is now the critical need, it is the deteriorating
quality of the urban and suburban environment rather than the eroding cotton- fields
that threaten the entire social and economic system. Drawing up and implementing good
land-use plans is infinitely more difficult in urban areas than on farms or rural watersheds
because of the tremendous difference in economic value that we now give to different
usages. Successful urban land-use planning (something that has not yet really been
accomplished anywhere) will require much stronger legal, economic, and political basis
than was required for bringing about the reforms of soil conservation.

Without such planning, there could very well be no open space by the year 2000, in which
case we would have the same kind of urban blight, chronic pollution and social disorder
that we now observe in the older, unplanned cities. Thus, planned cities are now as
necessary as planned farms. Society must quickly find a means of applying cybernetic
principles to the urban machine. It is clear that natural area space is a necessary of man's
total environment and land-use planning can be the most effective means of preventing
overpopulation of our own species providing something similar to “territorial” control.

SYNTHESIS:

As the population increases, there are more land use occurs due to human activities. Such land
use threatens the quality of soil therefore, calls an action for soil conservation. However, soil
conservation needs to go beyond its present. Land- use planning is needed in urban and
suburban areas. Land- use planning can be the most effective solution for preventing territorial
control and lessen the continuous poor land use that results in soil erosion created by humans.

TITLE: The Philippine Environment in the Ecozoic Age

AUTHOR/ YEAR OF PUBLICATION: Angelina P. Galang (2009)

Discussion
Threats to Good Soil

Soil acts as a buffer and filter of pollutants. It plays a major role in the biogeochemical
cycles as well as in the maintenance of biodiversity. Thus, erosion of soils has a major
impact not only on the provision of healthy food but also on environmental quality.
Without humus, the topsoil is easily eroded. Without the buffering effect of humus, the
nitrates and phosphates in chemical fertilizers make the soil acidic as they transform into
nitric and phosphoric acid.

Acid rain, precipitation that turns industrial emissions of nitrogen and sulfur oxides into
acids, exacerbates soil infertility. As acid rain drips into the soil, it leaches out the stock of
calcium and magnesium, both essential plant nutrients. Once calcium becomes scarce,
the sol acidity will build up.

The low pH releases aluminum from its mineral matrix. Free aluminum in acid
condition is toxic to plants and animals. It damages fine roots, affecting intake of minerals
as well as water from the soil thus, become susceptible to drought. An acid environment
is hostile to many soil microorganisms, hindering their ability to fertilize the soil through
their decomposing and aerating action.

Deforestation is another threat to good soil. Because of the high rate of

evapotranspiration of trees, a forest to some degree creates its own climate. While some
of the water rises high before falling to earth as rain, most of the water vapor condenses
below the canopy and drips back into the soil.

The agricultural practices of the past half century 23% of land used for crops, grazing
or forestry has been degraded due to erosion, acidity, silt build-up or other causes.
Because of the growing population of the world, more cropland with good soil should be
made available. Unfortunately, the reverse is happening.

SYNTHESIS:
 It says in the book that the soil acts as a filter of pollutants cause soil erosion that has a
major impact in the health of our environment. The quality and health of the soil could
also be affected by toxic minerals and acid rain as it leaches out the essential plant
nutrients and become susceptible to drought. Another threat to a good soil is
deforestation. Deforestation induces droughts even in humid tropics because of the high
rate of evapotranspiration of trees. These threats could be the factors in causing land or
soil pollution because of it’s negative impact in the soil and in the environmental quality.
The degradation of soil due to the effects of agricultural practices can’t be avoided
because of the inevitable need for food of the growing human population.

TITLE: The Philippines Country Environmental Analysis: Land Degradation and Rehabilitation in
the Philippines

AUTHOR/ YEAR OF PUBLICATION: Roehlano M. Briones (2009)

Executive Summary

While the Philippines’ resource endowment can support vast farmlands, the majority of its land
area consist of uplands for which temporary crop cultivation may not be sustainable. Originally
these uplands were forested; with timber extraction, population expansion, and rapid
agricultural growth, came the spread of crop farming by upland settlers. A growth slowdown
came in the 1980s, which was accompanied by stagnant productivity growth, for which
agriculture-related land degradation may have played a role. Despite apparent market
incentives towards diversification, allocation of resources away from existing cropping patterns
has been slow. Protection of the resource base has become more urgent to sustain yield growth
at high levels. Land degradation in the lowlands is a result of intensive cultivation and can be
offset by proper crop management practices. A more serious problem arises from land
degradation in the uplands, which is primarily the result of soil erosion. The cost of erosion is
accounted for mostly by the depletion in the stock of available soil nutrients. While short term
effects of erosion are negligible, the long term cumulative effect is an irreversible decline in land
quality. The costs of land degradation are even more serious when off-site costs are considered
(though the quantification of impact for off-site costs is far less developed than for on-site
costs). Despite variation in the estimates, and considerable uncertainty about the degradation
parameters, a conservative estimate of the cost of land degradation finds a large value,
comparable at least to the annual investment in research and development of the public sector.
The long term benefit of soil conservation technologies, or shifting away from erosive land use,
is the avoidance of this soil loss. Direct interventions, such as promotion of soil conserving farm
technologies, typically involve investments and running costs. Some studies indicate that soil
conservation technologies are worthwhile investments based social benefit-cost analysis.
However when the credit market is segmented, farmers set short planning horizons (say under
insecure tenure), and face liquidity constraints, then profit-maximizing farmers may forego
these investments. Meanwhile indirect interventions alter the incentive structure of technology
adoption and land use, which in turn affect the rate of soil erosion. Tenure reform has an
ambiguous effect, while removal of domestic protection of corn has a positive effect on soil
conservation. As upland farmers, including the large population of subsistence corn growers, are
among the poorest segments of the rural population, the analysis suggests increasing and
widening incentives for adoption of soil conservation and permanent tree crops through
extension and improved tenurial measures, while ensuring that trade adjustment be
accompanied by adequate social protection.

SYNTHESIS:

Land degradation in the lowlands is a result of intensive cultivation and can be offset by proper
crop management practices. In lowland agriculture, intensive cultivation and high yield
accelerates removal of nutrients and alteration of physical and chemical properties of soil.
Sustainability of rice systems have been well-studied: it is possible that continuous cropping,
extensive submergence, and high chemical usage may lead to soil degradation. A more serious
problem arises from land degradation in the uplands, which is primarily the result of soil
erosion. There are upland areas that are originally forested, but due to population expansion
and rapid agricultural growth, many crop farming settlers came. Degradation occurs through
actual removal of the soil, through erosion, changes in the chemical, biological, and physical
endowments of soil, such as nutrient loss, salinization, acidification, and compaction. Erosion is
a natural process from the action of water and wind, but it can be accelerated by human
activity, primarily by land clearing. Other factors equal, steeper land is more erosion prone. It
should be noted that soil “loss” is a location-specific concept; soil eroded from one area is
deposited elsewhere, and depending on the deposition site, may still be useful for agriculture.
To avoid the long- term soil loss, soil conservation is needed.

TITLE: Environmental Impact Assessment on Soil Pollution Issue about Human Health

AUTHOR/ YEAR OF PUBLICATION: Zaware Sandeep Gangadhar (2014)

Abstract

Soils are formed by the decomposition of rock and organic matter over many years. Soil
properties vary from place to place with difference in bedrock composition, climate and other
factors. Certain chemical elements occur naturally in soils as components of minerals, yet may
be toxic at some concentration. Other potentially harmful substance may be end up in soils
through human activities. Soil contamination may be responsible for health effects costing
millions of Euros, but studies to quantify the true cost are in their infancy. Health problems from
cancer (Arsenic, Asbestos, Dioxins), to neurological damage and lower IQ (Lead, Arsenic), kidney
disease (Lead, Mercury. Cadmium). Heavy metals and persistent organic chemical are of
particular concern. Human activity introduces heavy metals (Such as Cd, As, Hg etc) to our soils
through mining, smelting, industry, agriculture and burning fossil fuels.

SYNTHESIS:

Soils are natural occurring on the surface of the earth. On the other hand, soil pollution is
defined as a phenomenon characterized by the loss of structural and biological properties by the
soil layers as a result of numerous human and natural factors, such as wind, deforestation,
chemical use, etc. There are some toxic minerals that naturally occurs from the soil and there
are also soil contamination that is caused by human activities that may cause health problems to
plants, animals and humans. Overall, agricultural practices and industrial processes could cause
environmental pollution and bad effects on human health.