VI. SOIL EROSION AND COMPACTION      First Section>>

Soil erosion by water and wind is a significant problem all over the world. In addition to degrading the soil, sediment resulting from erosion causes much damage to other areas. Soil compaction also damages many soils.

This section discusses the significance of soil erosion in Indiana, soil erosion processes, and how to predict the amount of soil erosion. The practices that can be used to reduce erosion were discussed previously. This chapter presents the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) and demonstrates how it is used to calculate which tillage and cropping practices will control erosion to tolerable limits on specific soils.