Erosion occurs when chemical or mechanical weathering erodes away rocks, then is carried by gravity, water, ice or wind to another location as sediment.
Ocean waves continually shift pebbles on beaches and erode rocks, while wind carries dust, sand and soil, creating sand dunes. Ice can even erode rock into smaller pieces like Split Apple Rock in New Zealand.
Planting Vegetation
Construction companies looking to prevent erosion should employ alternative approaches such as planting grasses, shrubs and trees in their work sites instead of employing traditional mechanical disturbance methods such as tilling. The roots of these plants help bind together the ground while their foliage protects it from harsh winds or rain that could otherwise erode the soil surface.
Studies have demonstrated that an increase in vegetation greenness can significantly decrease soil erosion export and nutrient loss. The reason is because plant roots help stabilize slopes through various mechanisms, including decreasing sediment detachment and increasing shear strength.
Plant leaves and stems create an effective barrier between water and soil, helping reduce erosion rates and increasing vertical accretion rates. Their fine roots also bind soil particles together more securely than before, reducing tractive stresses from flowing water or wind more readily dislodging soil particles; in addition, leaves or twigs create friction that slows waterflow by acting like slowing agents.
Diversification of Water Runoff
Soil and ecosystems play a critical role in controlling water dynamics, from flood control and prevention of erosion, to protecting streams, rivers, lakes and groundwater supplies. Soil structure and cover, vegetation cover and the implementation of structural measures designed to limit runoff all contribute significantly towards this regulatory function.
Nearly all rainfall on agricultural land is collected via surface runoff, which travels through soil and waterways before joining rivers and oceans, transporting soil, sediment and nutrients long distances – potentially degrading water quality while polluting fisheries and livestock populations.
Soil-building management practices such as contour tilling and planting to retain soil cover is often the first line of defense against erosion, while structural measures may also prove helpful, such as diversion ditches or swales built across slopes to redirect runoff into ponds or waterways and prevent downslope accumulation of runoff that creates gullies.
Drainage Systems
Surface drainage systems are essential in combatting soil erosion and other forms of water-related problems. These include grading techniques, culverts and channels which direct runoff from roads or buildings into storm sewers or larger bodies of water for treatment.
These man-made drainage systems prevent the accumulation of water that can damage property or restrict outdoor activities from building up, as well as promote infiltration to reduce soil erosion and waterlogging.
Home drainage systems are equally essential. They serve to transport wastewater generated from household fixtures and appliances directly into sewer or septic systems for treatment, with most drain systems consisting of main drain pipes, fixture drains and vent pipes as part of its makeup.
Maintaining the integrity of drainage systems requires regularly clearing away debris and repairing damaged structures, as well as being flexible enough to adapt to changes in climate conditions, such as altered layout of channels, weirs, slopes and weirs; additionally retaining walls, check dams and riprap can all provide important erosion-prevention measures.
Check Dams or Terraces
Check dams are engineering structures used to prevent erosion by blocking water flow. They play an integral part of soil and water conservation strategies as well as replenishing groundwater supplies in dry regions.
This study used a hydrologic-response and sediment transport model to simulate the effects of filled check dams on flood and sediment transport processes in a Loess Plateau catchment. The results demonstrated how filled check dams can have an outsized influence on these processes as well as permanently altering local landforms due to creating sedimentary lands under their basins – thus altering these permanently over time.
sedimentary lands created around filled check dams provided protection to channel and slope areas, thus decreasing erosion rates and decreasing sediment eroded into them. Furthermore, their upstream expansion reduced water and sediment yield at catchment outlets – an indicator that effective deployment strategies of check dams may significantly enhance their runoff reduction efficiency.