Describe the pattern of soil degradation in the United States

5 of 11

1-Describe the pattern of soil degradation in the United States. How does the severity of soil degradation in the southeast compare with that in the plains states from Texas and the Oklahoma panhandle up through Kansas, eastern Colorado, Nebraska, and Iowa to the Dakotas? What factor could have caused this pattern? ( 500 Words)

2-Use the slider to adjust the transparency of the SOIL DEGRADATION OVERLAY folder so that you can see the photographic imagery of the actual terrain. What is the relationship between the severe soil degradation in northern Texas, western Oklahoma, eastern New Mexico, eastern Colorado, western Kansas, southern Nebraska, and southeastern Wyoming and the amount of vegetation that you can see on the ground? Check the box for the 18.1: SOIL ORDERS folder to view which soil order is most prevalent in this region. What physical and cultural factors might be involved in creating this pattern?

500 words

3-What is the relationship between the severe and extreme soil degradation that extends in an arc from Islamabad, Pakistan to the southeast in Kathmandu, Nepal and the amount of vegetation that you can see on the ground?

Double-click the Pandori Ganga Singh, India placemark. Describe in general terms the amount of agricultural activity and topography in this region. What is the level of soil degradation? Double-click the Sabathu, India placemark, adjusting the transparency of the SOIL DEGRADATION OVERLAY as needed to get a view of the terrain, then check and double-click the Fields 1 placemark. (Note that these fields only appear steeply sloped—they are actually horizontal. The terrain model is sloped, so when the imagery is draped over the terrain model, the fields appear sloped.) Double-click the Kandaghat, India placemark, followed by the Fields 2 and Fields 3 placemarks. Describe in general terms the terrain and amount of agricultural activity around Sabathu and Kandaghat. What is the level of soil degradation in this region?

Why do you think the levels of soil degradation are so different in the Pandori Ganga Singh and Sabathu/Kandaghat regions? What physical and cultural factors might be involved in creating this pattern? How do the foothills of the Himalayas influence the amounts of rainfall and vegetation? Check and double-click the Fields 4 placemark. Describe the location of the fields directly under the placemark. 500 words

4-Identify two different regions in Africa that show no soil degradation on the overlay. What is the dominant soil order in each region? Explain why you think these regions are unaffected by soil degradation. (500 words)