The long-term sustainability of soil usage is very important because people and animals live on it, if the soil is fertile, it can produce marvelous things. Healthy soil provides important ecosystem services, provide clean air and water, forests, and bountiful crops. Contrary, degraded soil makes the soil vulnerable (Decaëns et al. 2006). Unfortunately, human activities have a serious impact on soil quality currently. If people do not protect the Brisbane soil, it will be placing their native plants and animal life at risk.
The natural soils of the Brisbane area are podzolic, between red podzolic and yellow podzolic (Beckmann, Hubble & Thompson 1987). In eucalypt forests and heathlands. Podzolic soil generally comes from sedimentary debris from magmatic rocks or sandstones, also, as long as there is high precipitation (Chesworth 2008).
Layers of soil are formed by parent material and various soil forming processes. There are three main horizons that are present in all soil. A horizon is also called topsoil. Is near the surface. Plant roots grow in this layer. It is a soft porous layer, that is rich in humus and nutrients. It is a shelter for living organisms like worms and rodents (Isbell & the national committee on soil and terrain 2016). B horizon also known as subsoil, is a hard and compact layer. Roots of bigger plants extend to this layer. C horizon is the parent material, and the geological features are often evident in the C horizon (Isbell & NCST 2016).
Soil quality is a measure of the condition of soil relative to the requirements of any human need or purpose, and the requirements of one or more biotic species (Johnson et al. 1997). People have different ideas about what soil quality is. For example, for people who are producing agriculture in Brisbane, soil quality is mean highly productive land, sustaining or enhancing productivity, maximizing profits, or maintaining the soil resource for future generations. For consumers, soil quality means bountiful, healthful, and economical food for present and future generations (Posudin 2014).
Soil quality is very important because it relates to soil functions. There have five main functions. Healthy soil regulates water, sustains plant and animal life, filters potential pollutants, cycles nutrients, and supports structures (Posudin 2014). For example, in Brisbane, healthy soil can help control where rain and irrigation water goes. Also, healthy soil can provide a safe place for Brisbane citizens. The most important thing is the diversity and productivity of living things depend on soil.
Healthy soil is so important to humans and animals. However, human development has impacted their natural vegetation cover, and environmental changes may affect the soils, and major threats to the soils are human development.
Firstly, human development has impacted their natural vegetation cover. Land use changes destroy some savanna and tracts of forest (Sharpe et al. 1986). In the process of urban development, many natural vegetation covers become residential land. The natural vegetation cover is being cleared. Or, natural vegetation cover becomes agricultural lands. Also, some of the natural vegetation covers are surrounded by high-rise apartment buildings. The natural vegetation cover will degrade because not enough sunshine and the buildings totally block the sunshine.
Secondly, environmental changes will affect the soils. Sea level rise increased, salt content in the soil, and decrease fertility (Joyce & Valerie 2018). As sea levels rise, Brisbane River would potentially swamp suburbs dotted along the banks. Some agricultural lands will increasingly be inundated with saltwater, or more salt to leach into the soil, cause to land salinization (Levinson 2008).
Thirdly, human development will affect the soils. Industrialization, household waste, and agriculture is the major threat to the soils. In industrialization, industrial waste has contained heavy metals, which can pollute urban soil and cropland (Lee et al. 2006). Also, when industrial toxins go into the water in gaseous, liquid, or solid form. The soil and water PH will be affected. The soil will become acidic and not suitable for farming. And the water is not suitable for irrigation use or drinking. For example, Brisbane has a high-temperature incinerator in Willawong, highly toxic waste from incinerators is deposited in the junkyard and it can leach into groundwater.
Household waste also will affect the soils. In Brisbane, everyone generates around 460 kilograms of household waste a year, more than 20 percent of Brisbane’s household waste is food waste (Brisbane city council 2016). The household waste will be delivered to landfills. The waste products will leach into groundwater or generate polluted vapors. Moreover, in the process of transportation, improper waste disposal will cause soil contamination, and waste pollution will contaminate the areas surrounding waste disposal sites. Also, a large quantity of dishwashing liquid will affect soils. Dishwashing liquid has a chemical composition, it will be introduced into the soil via runoff, and will cause land acidification (Cachada, Rocha & Duarte 2018).
Another major threat to the soils in agriculture. People over using fertilizers, soil contamination and irrigation water (Durães, Novo, Candeias & Silva 2018). The intensive use of fertilizers and soil contamination affect the soil because those products have chemicals. These chemicals go into the soil after use, which will be reducing soil fertility. Also, large amounts of irrigation water, increase salt content in soil and decrease fertility (Joyce & Valerie 2018). If soil continued to have a large amount of water, it will cause land salinization.
If people want to have long-term sustainability of soil usage in Brisbane, people need to improve soil quality and soil usage in the Brisbane area. Firstly, facing an amount of household food waste in Brisbane, people can build a compost bin at home (Brisbane city council 2016). To reduce the pressure on landfills. In this way, food waste can become fertilizers without chemicals, the fertilizers have organic matter. This can reduce soil contamination due to improper waste disposal. Also, the fertilizers will improve soil quality instead of decreasing fertility.
Secondly, the government can reduce land pollution through education and legislation. By educating the public, people can know more about soil and know more about how to have long-term sustainability of soil usage. Also, the government can legislation limit industrial waste emissions. Thus, reducing land pollution.
Soil is very important to people, also it can be very easy to get contaminated. If people want to have long-term sustainability of soil usage in Brisbane, it better changes their lifestyle now.
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Healthy Soil Healthy Life: Essay.
(2022, December 27). Edubirdie. Retrieved November 21, 2024, from https://edubirdie.com/examples/healthy-soil-healthy-life-essay/
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Healthy Soil Healthy Life: Essay [Internet]. Edubirdie.
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