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Earth's Systems / Biological processes / Terrestrial ecosystem functioning / Soil formation / Soil production versus erosion (soil thickness balance)

Soil production versus erosion (soil thickness balance)

New soil forms where bedrock weathers at a rate that declines as soil thickens, while erosion removes soil from the surface. Natural soils sit near a balance, but ploughing can erode far faster than soil forms.

Boundary: where this process starts

Starts with: Bedrock weathers to soil at the weathering front

Boundary: where it ends

Ends after: Erosion strips surface soil (tillage erodes 10 to 100 times faster than soil forms)

PARTICIPANTSRESOURCESParent materialTopographyRainOrganismsSoilSoilWaterRockImpact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.bedrock beneath soilImpact +3 of 5. Click for details and evidence.soil gains thicknessImpact -4 of 5. Click for details and evidence.↻ balances · strong · 0.5 thicker soil slowsImpact -4 of 5. Click for details and evidence.surface exposed to rain and Impact -4 of 5. Click for details and evidence.net soil thicknessBedrock weathers to soil at the weathering front: makes SoilmakesBedrock weathers to soil at the weathering front: uses WaterBedrock weathers to soil at the weathering front: uses up Rockuses upSoil thickens and buffers bedrock from water and roots: uses SoilErosion strips surface soil (tillage erodes 10 to 100 times faster than soil forms): makes SoilmakesErosion strips surface soil (tillage erodes 10 to 100 times faster than soil forms): uses Waterformed at the weatheringfrontSoil: formed at the weathering frontinfiltrates and weathersrockWater: infiltrates and weathers rockweathered at the frontRock: weathered at the frontbuffers bedrock fromrootsSoil: buffers bedrock from rootsstripped by tillageerosionSoil: stripped by tillage erosionrunoff drives erosionWater: runoff drives erosionStart: Soil productionversus erosion (soilthickness balance)STARTStart: Soil production versus erosion (soil thickness balance)End: Soil productionversus erosion (soilthickness balance)ENDEnd: Soil production versus erosion (soil thickness balance)Bedrock weathers tosoil at the weatheringfront📄1Bedrock weathers to soil at the weathering frontSoil thickens andbuffers bedrock fromwater and roots📄1Soil thickens and buffers bedrock from water and rootsErosion strips surfacesoil (tillage erodes 10to 100 times fast…📄1Erosion strips surface soil (tillage erodes 10 to 100 times faster than soil forms)
Line thickness = size of impact (1 to 5)% on a line = chance a fork takes that branch📄 = pieces of evidence on a stepNegative effectLoops backHypothesisResource used up (arrow into the step)Resource used, not used upResource made or released (arrow out of the step)
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Every step, with its evidence

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Bedrock weathers to soil at the weathering front
Parent materialOrganismsRockWaterSoil
Evidence (1) · added by Skeptic
  • Heimsath et al. 1997, doi:10.1038/41056: Rock-to-soil conversion rate measured from cosmogenic nuclides. (confidence 0.85)
Soil thickens and buffers bedrock from water and roots
SoilSoil
Evidence (1) · added by Skeptic
  • Heimsath et al. 1997, doi:10.1038/41056: Production rate falls as soil thickness grows. (confidence 0.85)
Erosion strips surface soil (tillage erodes 10 to 100 times faster than soil forms)
RainTopographyFarmersSoilWater
Evidence (1) · added by Skeptic
  • Montgomery 2007, Soil erosion and agricultural sustainability, PNAS, doi:10.1073/pnas.0611508104: Erosion from conventionally ploughed fields exceeds soil production rates by one to two orders of magnitude; no-till rates approach production. (confidence 0.8)