Tag: striving for a better environment

Agrostologic method of soil conservation means in which grasses are grown to check the soil erosion. In dry farming, crop production, animal husbandry and grazing fields are used to prevent soil erosion. It is carried out in low and moderate rainfall areas. 

Pyrolysis is a thermochemical decomposition of organic material at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen. It involves the change of chemical composition as well as physical state. It is an irreversible process. The process is used heavily in the chemical industry to produce charcoal, activated carbon, to convert biomass into biochar, to turn waste into safely disposable substances.

• In agriculture, a terrace is a piece of sloped plane that has been cut into a series of successively receding flat surfaces or platforms, which resemble steps, for the purposes of more effective farming. This type of landscaping is therefore called terracing.
• Terracing reduces both the amount and velocity of water moving across the soil surface in hilly areas, which greatly reduces soil erosion.
  
• Hence Terracing helps in soil conservation in hilly areas.
• So, the correct answer is 'Hilly areas'.

Afforestation refers to the conversion of wasteland into a woodland or forest. It is essentially the transformation of land which has not been forested for a period of more than 40 year to woodland through seeding and planting. Afforestation is the best technique used to minimize the greenhouse effect. Planting of trees in semi-arid areas attracts rainfall. This way, agricultural practices such as irrigation are carried out efficiently. In addition, afforestation acts as a catchment for water and soil conservation. With an increase in demand for forest and timber products, afforestation is very valuable due to the explosion of livestock and human population. Disadvantages of high human population density are global warming, pollution, rapid use of natural resources, more exploitation of other living forms and non living systems like rivers, faster destruction of natural systems, deforestation, habitat destruction, pollution, extinctions etc. Hence population density should be reduced. 

Forests are an important natural resource. They provide a variety of products, are a center of biodiversity, conserve water and soil. Forests are very important for maintenance of water cycle and ecological balance. Forests provide habitat to a large variety of organisms and tribal humans are directly dependent on forests for food and habitat.

Soil conservation is a technique aimed at preserving the soil. There are various methods for soil conservation such as afforestation, manuring and crop rotation, step farming, windbreaks, strip cropping, mulching. Strip cropping is the method of farming in which the field is partitioned into long, narrow strips which are alternated in a crop rotation system. Crop rotation is the method of farming in which different types of crops are grown in the same area in different seasons. Mulching is the process of applying a layer of material on the soil in order to conserve soil moisture, improve fertility.

The importance of soil for plant growth is
1. Anchoring the plant.
2. Source of water and minerals.
3. Availability of oxygen for respiration of root cells.
4. Symbiotic association with microbes.

Open dumping or open landfilling is throwing of waste on uncovered low lying area. The waste is piled as high as the equipment can easily do. The waste is periodically burnt or compressed at intervals to reduce its bulk. In sanitary dumping or sanitary landfilling the waste is pulverised, compacted and covered over by a layer of dirt.

• Soil conservation is the protection of soil from erosion and other types of deterioration, so as to maintain soil fertility and productivity.
• Dryland Farming is the cultivation of crops without irrigation in regions of limited moisture, typically less than 20 inches (50 centimeters) of precipitation annually. It helps in soil conservation.
  
• Hence an agrostologic method of soil conservation is Dry Farming.
  
• So, the correct answer is 'Dairy farming'.

Fumigant kills the insects with poisonous fumes. Examples are calcium cyanide, ethylene dibromide, etc.