Trees & PlantsLandscape

- SOIL EROSION
Architecture
A Report by:
GOBOY, Elmer Joseph
Gomez, Jared Josef dL.
HAMTIG, Julius Amiel
JOSEF, Jezabelle Anne L.
JUALO, May Ann C.
Soil erosion is the dislodgement of soil particles which is caused by heavy rainfall,
wind and snow fall. Soil erosion can be a minor process which becomes unnoticed and
causes alarming and serious affects to top soil once discovered.

Many factors which contribute to soil erosion include:

1. Soil Compaction
2. Low Organic Matter
3. No Soil Structure
4. Poor Irrigation and Drainage
5. Soil Acid Problems

Each factor heavily contributes to soil becoming eroded and they can assist to
accelerate the soil erosion process with the contribution of rain, wind and snow.
However soil erosion is a natural process which in some cases is necessary for
landscaping and land vitality.
Soil Erosion Consequences
Soil erosion can be devastating for farm and residential property owners. If soil
erosion is not controlled then the following consequences will occur;

• Plants, trees and flowers will be deprived of nutrients from soil because the soil
will not be able to contain moisture due to erosion.
• The loss of soil material will cause reduced depth for plant and vegetation roots
which will lead to plant and vegetation death.
• Plants will not grow to the full capacity because of no organic cycling caused from
soil erosion.
Soil Erosion Control
Protecting your land investment, residential property or farm or rural property
controlling soil erosion will help you easily manage and rid of soil erosion problems.
By controlling soil erosion on your property you will benefit because:

•Crop yields will sustain and improve in growth

•Drainage costs will be low
•Nutrients and chemicals will be retained when applied
•Hazards will not occur if soil erosion is not present
•Water quality will improve dramatically
•Soil structure will be maintained and healthy

It is important to have a soil erosion plan in action if your property is affected.

Soil erodibility
Soil erodibility is an estimate of the soils ability to be resistant to soil erosion based on
many characteristics of the actual soil itself. Soils with high infiltration levels, high
levels of organic matter and great soil structure are highly likely to be resistant to soil
erosion. Finer grains of soil contain a high content of sand are more likely to become
eroded. So if your land is more likely to erode then consider using a soil which can be
soil erosion resistant to further prevent erosion.

Soil erosion prevention

Soil erosion prevention should begin with soil erosion controlling methods.
Prevention methods should be determined by the depth and severity of soil erosion
which has occurred on your property. Soil erosion prevention methods will help keep
your soil healthy and willing to offer a place for plants and trees to grow and thrive.
Soil Erosion Prevention Methods
There are many ways to prevention soil erosion from occurring on your land. There are
also many products to assist you with this process. Before home or land owners
choose a soil erosion prevention method they should accurately asses the soil erosion
carefully before deciding on using a prevention product or methods.

Planting Vegetation
One of the most common ways to prevent soil erosion on residential landscaped
gardens and vegetation and crop properties is to plant flowers, trees and crops
over the affect soil. Plants act as protective shields to the soil lessening the impact
of rainfall, wind, excessive watering and ice melt. The plants will also help stabilize
the soil and prevent it from becoming prone to soil erosion. Some popular soil
erosion prevention plants are: wild flowers, crop veggies, small trees and herbs.
Plants which crawl up and spread instead of growing upwards are also great soil
erosion prevention plants.
Matting
Soil erosion prevention products are available in many
styles. One of the most common products which are
most commonly used on residential properties,
vegetation crops and vacant land is matting. Matting is
available in wood fibres which make it environmentally
friendly and biodegradable. The matting will be placed
on the soils surface and prevent erosion from
occurring. The matting will allow plants, crops and
trees to grow through it and the soil will be healthy
and stabilized. Matting can be cut to size to suit your
property.

Mulch/Fertilizer
Another soil erosion prevention method which is
beneficial to the soil and plants which live in it, is
applying a layer of mulch and fertilizer over the soil.
The mulch and fertilizer layer will assist the soil to soak
in water slowly and it will also lessen the impact of
rainfall as it penetrates through to the soil. The mulch
and fertilizer layer will also stabilize the affect soil by
regaining its PH levels to be healthy and neutralized.
Any type of mulch or fertilizer can be used to prevent
soil erosion.
Retaining Walls/Edging
Wet patches or mud puddles on your driveway, or any hardscaped area are a sign
of soil erosion runoff. This is generally caused by water erosion. Water erosion is
affecting the soil and making it expand and travel to different areas of the yard
such as the driveway. You can prevent this from occurring by building a small
retaining wall around your garden beds.

The retaining wall will act as a shield for the soil and prevent soil erosion from
occurring. The wall will also keep water retained in the garden bed so that the soil
will slowly soak it in. If used in conjunction with other soil erosion prevention
methods this method can be very rewarding to your property.
Vegetation and Mulch Help Prevent
Soil Erosion
There are many common forms of soil erosion control methods but one which is
highly recommended and natural is using vegetation and mulch. If rainfall, wind and
ice which are the most common destructive elements which cause erosion have no
direct access to soil then t he impact of the rainfall will not be as harsh on the soil
because the soil will be protected by the vegetation and mulch in which you have
covered your soil with.

Vegetation can be large or small plants and trees and mulch is great for the garden
and also provides a protective top coating for the soil. Mulch will soak in the rainfall
and eventually let it pass through to the soil. Vegetation will also soak in the water
whilst some water will also flow off into the soil, but not at full impact.
Mulches
Definition
In gardening and farming terms mulches are used to provide a protective cover over
soil and gardens. They primarily help modify the harsh effects of climate, wind, rainfall
and snow. There are a wide variety of mulches consisting of both natural and synthetic
materials. Mulches help soil retain water as well as providing plants, flowers and trees
with healthy nutrients.

What is Mulch Made of?

Most natural mulches consists of all types of natural materials which are; dead leaves,
branches, plant debris, bacteria, fungi, living organisms and twigs. The bacteria and
fungi help the other natural materials to decay and become raw. Once all components
of mulches are blended and decayed this is Mother Nature's way of returning nutrients
which have been used by millions of generations of plant life.
Organic mulches are used to conserve moisture in the soil, feed plants and insects vital
for the garden. Organic mulch is generally made of decaying mulch with all the
components of natural mulch included but the difference is it is not completely
decayed yet. It can give off a foul smell but it is highly nutritional for the garden, soil,
turf and insects throughout the yard.
Benefits
Mulches will not perform exciting miracles to your garden but one benefit of
mulches is that it helps provide better plant growth and development. Another
benefit of mulches is that it makes landscaping maintenance tasks a lot simpler.
By applying mulches to gardens and grass it will help plants grow efficiently
during warm, cold and wet climates.

Mulches also are beneficial in the garden because they help prevent erosion. They
provide the soil with a shield which protects it from the harsh impact of rainfall,
ice melt and strong winds. Mulches will also help soil conserve and retain moisture
which it so needs to stay stable and nutritional.
Suitable plants for erosion control
Local plant species growing vigorously in the locality should be used. Other species which are
suitable for planting in specific sites and have the desired characteristics to control erosion could be
used.

In general, practically all plants can be used as vegetative cover. When used for erosion control
purposes, these plants should meet one of the following requirements:

1. They can grow on degraded and eroded sites;

2. Their roots can grow rapidly, while their vegetative parts can form dense and spreading
canopy/crown to provide immediate protection to the area;
3. They possess deep and wide root system for good anchorage of the subsoil. However, a plant
species having a dense shallow root system can also be used because of the "matting effect;"
4. They can be easily established by cuttings, stumps, or bare root seedlings;
5. They can produce a large volume of litter to help improve the soil;
6. They can withstand the physical stress of falling stones and landslides; and
7. They can withstand or survive brush fires.
Trees
Trees are the most common and widely distributed plants on earth. They are
primarily recommended for gully areas. They produce heavy, deep and broad
spreading root systems that bind soil particles together. Litter from trees when
decayed into humus absorb large quantities of rainfall and will later on be stored
and drained through the sponge-like cover without unnecessarily eroding the
ground surface soil. Trees also permit the growth of other vegetation underneath
such as weeds, grass, shrubs, vines or brushes. These are also effective soil
stabilizer and can hold water and gradually release it into streams or other
drainage outlets. Lastly, trees can be established more easily at cheaper cost, and
are more effective protection cover on gully areas than other vegetation.
Consider the following tree species for
vegetative cover in erodible areas:
1. Alder or Alnus (Alnus maritime)
2. Madre de cacao or kakawate (Gliricidia sepium)
3. Paper mulberry (Broussonetia luzoniensis)
4. Tibig (Ficus nota)
5. Benguet Pine (Pinus kesiya)
6. Kamachile (Pithecolobium dulce)
7. Mangium (Acacia mangium)
8. Guava (Psidium guajava)
9. Murray red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis)
10. Calliandra (Calliandra callothyrsus)
11. Anchoan dilaw (Cassia spectabilis)
12. Akleng parang (Albizzia procera)
13. Rain tree (Samanea saman)
14. Giant ipil-ipil (Leucaena leococphala)
15. Acacia (Acacia auriculiformis)
 Madre de Cacao

Alder Tree Paper Mulberry Tree

Kamachile or Pithecolobium dulce

Pinus Kesiya or Benguet

Ficus Nota or Tibig Tree Pine
16. Villosa (Acacial villosa)
17. Red Calliandra (Calliandra calothyrsus)
18. Fireball (Calliandra haematocephala)
19. Thailand Shower or Kassod Tree (Cassia Siamea)
20. Antsoan dilao (Cassia Spectabilis)
20. Fire Tree (Delonix regia)
21. Kakawate (Gliricidia sepium)
22. Ipil-Ipil (Leucaena leucocephala)
23. Kupang (Parkia roxbughii)
24. Alibangbang (Pilostigma malabaricum)
25. Pinya (Ananas comosus)
27. Setaria (Setaria spp.)
Grasses can supplement tree planting for erosion control on gully areas. They can be
established by sowing the seeds or planting of cutting, stolons, stubbles, etc. In sowing
seeds of greases, slope surface should not be smoothened to minimize soil erosion
and to keep the seeds from being washed away. Pits/holes should be spaced about
600 mm apart along the contour and staggered, after which seeds shall be sown and
covered.

If stolons or cuttings are used, they should be firmed very well into the soil. Bermuda
grass is one of the most effective grasses to plant in gullies to control soil erosion. It
rapidly develops a strong root system.
The recommended grasses to be planted are:

1. Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon)

2. Kikuyo (Pennisetum clandestinum)
3. Kawayan tinik (Bambusa spinosa)
4. Japanese bamboo or fishing rod bamboo
5. Paspalum conjugatum
6. Napier (Penicum maximum)
7. Vetiver Grass (Vetiveria zizanoides)
Shrubs can be used to control soil erosion. They can also be used as supplement to more
valuable plants that are scarce in the area. Shrubs can be underplanted with trees.
The following shrub species can be used to control soil erosion:

Baho-baho (Lantana camara)

Dumanay (Homonoia riparia) (Malvaviscus grandiflora)

Binatang Hambog

Forsythia
Maguey (Agave cantala)
Vines are used chiefly in gullies within pasture areas and in other places where protection
alone is desired. The same preparation of the ground for tree planting is necessary for
setting vines.
Some of these are the following:
1. Kudzu (Pueraria thumbergiana)
2. Centrosema (Centrosema pubescens)
3. Punkinggan
4. Lespedeza cuneata
5. Stylosanthes spp.

Centrosema or Centrosema
pubescens Kudzu or Pueraria thumbergiana
Lespedeza Cuneata Stylosanthes
References
ERDS-CAR-DENR, 1994. Soil and water conservation
through vegetative measures, Technology Transfer Tips, Vol.1.
Baguio City.

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