aeration

• farming practices that increase soil compaction

  
  

  • soil compaction is increased by the weight of farm machinery or livestock trampling
  • farming methods often reduce soil organic matter content and therefore worm populations
  • natural communities have deep-rooted plants, such as forests, but most crops have shallower roots
  • ploughing can kill soil organisms by moving them to depths at which they cannot survive
• control of aeration

  • ploughing turns over and aerates surface soil layers but not deeper layers
  • adding organic matter provides food for the soil biota that increase aeration
  • low tillage methods prevent the disturbance to soil and the killing or soil organisms during ploughing
  • removing livestock from fields when the soil is very wet reduces the compaction caused by trampling