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a) Explain how the following farming practices cause soil erosion;
(i) Burning.
(ii) Continuous application of fertilizer on farm lands.
(iii) Monoculture.
(b) Apart from latosols name any two other types of zonal soils

Answer Text:
i) - Burning destroys micro- organisms which are essential for formation of humus which binds the oil particles together.
- Burning destroys vegetable matter that protects the soil against erosion.
- Burning destroys the nitrogen fixing bacteria making the soil less fertile.
- Burning loosens the soil making it susceptible to erosion/ leaching which drains away soluble mineral nutrients.
ii) - This increases the aridity of the soil/ changes the PH of the soil.
- The acidity destroys the micro- organisms in the soil/ bacteria/ fungi which could have helped in the formation of humus.
iii) - Monoculture leas to exhaustion of certain minerals from the soil making it infertile leading to its erosion.
- Monoculture leads to loosening of soils particulars
there by encouraging soil erosion. i) - Tundra soils, Podzols, Mediterranean soils, Chernozems, Chestnut soils, and Ferallitic soils.