Describe and differentiate between leaching/percolation, salination/acidification, and soil crusting/compaction.

Here's the last one for today, michelle:

10.1) Leaching and percolation

• Leaching is the process where soluble nutrients and minerals are dissolved by water and carried downwards through the soil profile, often beyond the reach of plant roots.
• Percolation is the downward movement of water through the soil pores due to gravity.
• Difference: Percolation is the physical movement of water through the soil, while leaching is the removal of dissolved substances by that moving water.

10.2) Salination and acidification

• Salination (or salinization) is the accumulation of soluble salts in the soil to levels that can inhibit plant growth.
• Acidification is the process by which soil becomes more acidic, meaning its pH decreases.
• Difference: Salination involves an increase in the salt content of the soil, whereas acidification involves a decrease in the soil's pH (making it more acidic).

10.3) Soil crusting and soil compaction

• Soil crusting is the formation of a hard, thin layer on the soil surface, often caused by the impact of raindrops breaking down soil aggregates, followed by drying.
• Soil compaction is the increase in soil bulk density and decrease in porosity due to external pressure, such as from heavy machinery or livestock, which reduces air and water movement.
• Difference: Soil crusting is a surface phenomenon affecting the top layer of soil, while soil compaction affects the deeper layers or the entire soil profile.

10.4) Mono-cropping and monoculture

• Mono-cropping is the practice of growing the same crop species in the same field year after year.
• Monoculture is the cultivation of a single crop species over a large area, often for many years, as a dominant agricultural system.
• Difference: Mono-cropping specifically refers to the temporal repetition of a single crop in a particular field, while monoculture is a broader system where one crop dominates a large agricultural landscape, which can include mono-cropping.

10.5) Crop rotation and intercropping

• Crop rotation is the practice of growing a sequence of different crops on the same land over a period of time, rather than growing the same crop continuously.
• Intercropping is the practice of growing two or more different crops simultaneously in the same field.
• Difference: Crop rotation involves growing different crops sequentially over time in the same field, whereas intercropping involves growing multiple crops at the same time in the same field.