Describe erosion, its effects on the environment, and prevention methods.

Description should include the

• process of erosion by water, wind, ice, or human activity
• types of water erosion (e.g., rill, sheet, gully)
• effects of erosion on agricultural production
• effects of erosion on water quality
• physical properties of soil that allow for wind erosion
• conditions that are favorable to wind erosion
• effects of wind erosion on soil
• methods to protect soil from eroding (e.g., the use of vegetation, geotextiles, mulch, retaining walls, windbreaks, cover crops, buffer strips, pasture, hay crops).

Process/Skill Questions:

• What effect does erosion have on production capability?
• What are the best management practices for reducing and controlling water and wind erosion?
• What is sedimentation?
• How does water erosion affect the environment? How does wind erosion affect the environment?

Teacher Resources:

• Soil and Water Conservation Links to an external site., Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation 
• Soil Erosion Links to an external site., Piedmont Master Gardeners