Science Project on “Preventing Soil Erosion”, Project Topic on Human Beings, Animals Plants for Class 8, 9, 10 and 12 Students.

Preventing Soil Erosion

Materials Required:

1. A large pitcher
2. Four cookie trays, about 1.8 inches (45 cm) wide
3. Soil with grass growing in it
4. Measuring cup 5. Water

A swale is a low area, covered with grass or plants. Water runs through it. The plants prevent soil erosion. Rushing water can cause soil erosion, but the roots of grasses and plants help the soil from being washed away. By performing the following experiment, we will see how the roots of plants help in preventing soil erosion.

Pour three measuring cups of water into a large pitcher. Fill a cookie tray with soil. The soil should be filled up to the brim of the tray. Raise one end of the tray (about 4 inches high) by putting several books under it. Place another tray under the lower end.

Empty three cups of water into a large pitcher. Pour this water over the raised end of the tray. Tilt the pitcher so that water pours out of it very quickly and flows down into the tray that was placed underneath. The soil that is eroded by the water will also be collected in this tray.

Use a garden shovel to remove the soil, with grass growing on it. The removed soil should be about 2 inches deep. Now put this soil into another cookie tray. Put books under one end of the tray and raise it to the same height as the previous tray. Slide another empty cookie tray, under the lower end. Pour three cups of water into the pitcher, over the raised end of the tray. The tray at the bottom will collect this water and the eroded soil.

Now look at both the trays that collected water one out of the two has more? Did the piece the other? Which soil particles than. Does one has more of soil with grass growing in it, retain more soil than the other one? After finishing this experiment, put the piece of soil containing grass, back in the ground.