The Effect of Various Barriers on Soil Erodiblity
School Name
Spring Valley High School
Grade Level
10th Grade
Presentation Topic
Environmental Science
Presentation Type
Non-Mentored
Abstract
Soil erosion is a natural occurrence that, while commonplace, causes structural damage, soil loss, and incurs significant costs in prevention. The widespread nature of erosion has lead to a variety of methods for controlling erosion using different materials. Erosion barriers have unique properties that make some more useful than others depending upon how one wants to tackle the erosion. Barriers like textiles focus on catching everything including the water. This is inefficient however as the water build up often leads to ponding or overtopping. Prevention barriers also require strong materials, are less biodegradable, often too tall for animals like amphibians to get over, and generally cost more to protect a given area. Other barriers like hay bales or synthetic barriers are porous, allowing water to travel through but not soil, preventing ponding. Porous Barriers can also be too porous allowing soil erosion as the water moves. These barriers, while highly biodegradable, can also have adverse effects on ecosystems around them. Hay bales introduce and foster the growth of non native plant species. The ideal barrier would use a biodegradable container, filled with organic material that does not foster growth of non-native plant life, while still preventing erosion as good as the prevention barriers. Pine-straw, a naturally acidic leaf that retards growth on itself, does not contain germinating materials that introduce new plant life, is biodegradable, compressible, readily available, and is a viable alternative. To test this a nylon contained pine-straw barrier was made and tested in comparison to other barriers.
Recommended Citation
Hale, William, "The Effect of Various Barriers on Soil Erodiblity" (2019). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science. 249.
https://scholarexchange.furman.edu/scjas/2019/all/249
Location
Founders Hall 213 A
Start Date
3-30-2019 9:15 AM
Presentation Format
Oral and Written
Group Project
No
The Effect of Various Barriers on Soil Erodiblity
Founders Hall 213 A
Soil erosion is a natural occurrence that, while commonplace, causes structural damage, soil loss, and incurs significant costs in prevention. The widespread nature of erosion has lead to a variety of methods for controlling erosion using different materials. Erosion barriers have unique properties that make some more useful than others depending upon how one wants to tackle the erosion. Barriers like textiles focus on catching everything including the water. This is inefficient however as the water build up often leads to ponding or overtopping. Prevention barriers also require strong materials, are less biodegradable, often too tall for animals like amphibians to get over, and generally cost more to protect a given area. Other barriers like hay bales or synthetic barriers are porous, allowing water to travel through but not soil, preventing ponding. Porous Barriers can also be too porous allowing soil erosion as the water moves. These barriers, while highly biodegradable, can also have adverse effects on ecosystems around them. Hay bales introduce and foster the growth of non native plant species. The ideal barrier would use a biodegradable container, filled with organic material that does not foster growth of non-native plant life, while still preventing erosion as good as the prevention barriers. Pine-straw, a naturally acidic leaf that retards growth on itself, does not contain germinating materials that introduce new plant life, is biodegradable, compressible, readily available, and is a viable alternative. To test this a nylon contained pine-straw barrier was made and tested in comparison to other barriers.
