Question #3: Soil erosion and its impacts Soil erosion degrades agricultural soil globally, with several negative impacts to both the
croplands and to aquatic ecosystems (which we will discuss further in the next section of the
course). Here, we will quantify its effect in three capacities.
3A) A 42 hectares of unprotected soil experiences a severe storm prior to planting corn, causing
the loss of the top 2.7 cm of soil from sheet erosion. If the soil has an average bulk density of
1140 kg m-3, how many kg of soil washed away?
3B) Using the answer for part A, if the soil had an average of 8% organic matter, how many kg
of organic matter is now in the nearest river?
3C) Using the answer for part A, if the soil had an average P concentrations of 150 mg kg-1, how
many kgs of P is now in nearest river?