soil forming

Soil is made of minerals, decaying matter, water and air. Living things die and start decaying. As they break apart into bits, wind, water and other natural processes mix this up with minerals already in the ground adding air and water. This process takes a great amount of time to occur. That is how soil is made. As this material becomes exposed to the surface they begin to erode and become altered chemically. The type of soil that forms is a result of the available rock, and which minerals are contained within. Sandstone will form coarse sandy soil. Soft shale will turn into heavy clay soils and granite bedrock produces a sandy loam.

(http://www.blogdivvy.com/growing-vegetables/how-is-soil-formed.htm)

Humans have a huge impact on the removal of soil but not as much of an effect on the production of soil. The difference between those two things are great. Humans destroy soil in many different ways a couple examples of this is agriculture, deforestation, over-grazing, construction, and mining. These things can lead to the erosion of soil.

Hatian situation

A) The erosion is from the the deforestation from the trees being cut down for charcol production. Once the trees are cut down the water from the ground and the rain take the soil and the nutrients from the soil  tumbing down the mountain side, (losing all chance for reforestation due to the nutrients being washed away) not having anything there to stop the soil but the houses below.

B)The damaged caused by these massive shifts of land are terrible. First if there is a town or village below the mountain then the people of that place have no where to go as the soil comes down destroying and flatening everything in its path. Also the runoff gets into to rivers and lakes causing the aquatic animals of that area to die due to the flooding of nutrients and all of the soil being thrown into the water that fast.

C)Protecting the quality of our soils is as important as protecting the air we breathe and the water we drink. Protecting soil is critical to protecting our ecosystems and our ability to raise crops or maintain a backyard garden. Soil quality can be a measure of soil productivity. Soil quality can also be linked to water quality. If we protect the water we drink and the air we breathe then why don't we protect the soil which can have a direct effect on both water and the air depending on what materials get into the soil.

Zach + Stefan