Experiment Disclaimer

Simple Erosion Model

Instructions

This is as easy as it sounds!

1. Build mounds of dirt forming as many valleys, creeks and spurs as you can. More on landforms

2. Place the sticks upright in the soil where you want your 'trees' to be.

3. Pile leaves and twigs where you would expect them to be on your 'hillside'.

4. Gently pour water over the entire site. Which areas lost more soil... why?

5. What could you do to fix the problems on the site? What if the soil was a different texture?

Back to earth science projects

You will need:

- 1 pile of sand, soil or clay

- Sticks, leaves and twigs

- 1 Watering can

The top layer of soil contains a large amount of available nutrients for plants to use.
These nutrients include inorganic minerals to those nutrients provided by rotting vegetation (humus). This layer of soil can be heavily eroded by the wind, rain and human impacts.
If this layer is lost, so is the available nutrients for plants to grow.

In some parts of the world, top soil erosion has become a major concern.
Find out more about what you can do to help stop erosion at Landcare Australia's website.

Refer this site to a colleague