Land management Reference Libraries
Seed drilling is a method used by farmers in order to have a more unified, crop-yielding season. The first known use of seed drilling was in 1500 BC by the Sumerian. At this time, they were using a single tube. Later, in the 2nd Century BC, the Chinese developed a multi-tube iron drill. This facilitated in a larger crop planting allowing them to feed their large population. The first...
Clearcutting, otherwise known as clearfelling, is a controversial forestry/logging practice in which the majority or all of the trees in an area are uniformly cut down. Clearcutting, in addition to shelterwood and seed tree harvests, is utilized by foresters to construct certain types of forest ecosystems and to encourage select species that require plentiful sunlight or grow in large, even-age...
Naturescaping is a term that is in reference to a method of landscape design and landscaping that allows people, as well as nature, to exist. By including certain plants, particularly the native ones, into ones yard, one can attract beneficial insects, birds, and other creatures, and aid in keeping our rivers and streams in a healthy state. Widespread urban growth and urban sprawl over the...
Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by one or more combination of human-induced processes acting on the land. It is also the gradual destruction or reduction of the quality and quantity of human activities, animal activities or natural means. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or unwanted....
Erosion is the process by which rock and soil are taken from the surface of the Earth by exogenetic processes like wind or the flow of water, and then transported and deposited in another location. While erosion is a natural process, human activities have increased by 10 to 40 times the rate at which erosion is happening globally. Excessive erosion results in problems such as...
Overgrazing occurs when plants are unprotected to intensive grazing for extended periods of time, or without enough recovery periods. It can be a result of either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, or by overpopulations of native or non-native wild animals. Overgrazing reduces the usefulness, biodiversity, and productivity of the land and is one cause of desertification...
The term plasticulture is in reference to the practice of utilizing plastic materials in agricultural applications. The plastic materials themselves are frequently and broadly referred to as “ag plastics.” Plasticulture ag plastics can include soil fumigation film, nursery pots and silage bags, irrigation drip tape or tubing, but the term is most frequently used to describe all kinds of...
Soil salinity is the salt content within the soil; the process of increasing the content of salt is known as salination. Salt is a natural element of water and soils. Salination can be a result of natural processes such as the gradual withdrawal of an ocean or mineral weathering. It can be caused by artificial processes such as irrigation as well. Soils that are affected by salt are a result...
Dryland farming is farming without the aid of irrigation and only with the amount of rain fall given by Mother Nature. Dryland farming is typical in arid regions such as Southwestern United States, Mexico, the Middle East, and other regions that are known for growing grains. Dryland farming is practiced in all parts of Australia with the exception of the Northern Territory. Process...
Image Caption: Painter of the burial chamber of Sennedjem. A Plowing Farmer. Credit: Yorck Project/Wikipedia Cover crops are crops that are planted to improve the quality of the soil, also known as green manure. Cover crops add fertility to the soil, control weeds and pests as well as control diseases that can be otherwise found in untreated soil. Cover crops increases the organic matter...
