NRES 201 Lecture 1 Outline of Current Lecture II. DefinitionsIII. Soil Exploitationa. Dust Bowlb. Black BlizzardIV. Erosion in IllinoisCurrent Lecture"The wealth of Illinois is in her soil and her strength lies in its intelligent development" A.S. Draper, President of the University of Illinois (1899)I. Definitions:a. Soil - The surface layer of earth, supporting plant lifeb. Dirt - soil that is out of placeII. Soil originates from rock by a natural process, which is very slow. It takes 500 to thousands of years to form 1 inch of topsoil. III. Importance of soil management:a. To control soil erosion and maintain productivity by:i. Conservation practicesii. Crop rotationsiii. Avoiding organic matter depletion iv. Proper nutrient and water managementb. The price of soil exploitation: i. The Dust Bowl1. The 1930s:a. A time of economic depressionb. And drought (first in Eastern and Midwestern states and then in the Southern plains)2. The push for production a. Caused by greedb. World War I triggered higher wheat prices and a shift toward mechanized farming with the disk plow and the combined harvester - thresher. c. Dry farming widely practiced: Surface soil pulverized after rainfall for moisture conservation3. The black blizzardsThese notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor’s lecture. GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes, not as a substitute.a. First appeared in 1935 from early March to April 14th "Black Sunday"b. Severe through 19384. The consequences a. Serious loss of valuable topsoil to the East Coast and Atlantic Ocean b. Drastic decline in wheat and cattle outputc. Health hazardd. Abandoned farms and refugees i. Okies and exodusters headed westii. Shift in thinking from thinking that soils are indestructible.iii. Erosion has been less obvious in Illinois1. The damage has been done by water, not wind.2. Years of intensive tillage for row cropping converted soils to
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