Why is the loss of black soil in Northeast China serious? How our country is solving this problem
In the northeastern part of our motherland, there is a piece called"Giant pandas in cultivated land"of the precious resource - black soil.
This rare and organic-rich black soil, which is one of nature's golden bowls, is now facing unprecedented losses.
Why has the area of black soil in Northeast China shrunk dramatically? What are the environmental warnings and existential challenges behind this? How should we intervene?
Northeast black soil refers to the fertile soil rich in organic matter in the vast farmland of Northeast China. This land has fertile soil and suitable climatic conditions, which are suitable for the abundant growth of crops, hence the name"China's breadbasket"。
The formation of pre-laterite stems from ancient glacial activity and tectonic uplift. During geological evolution, large amounts of glacier and water erosion accumulate, leaving the soil rich in organic matter and minerals.
Black soil is mainly distributed in Northeast China, mainly including Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces.
Northeast Black Soil is one of the most important grain bases in China, with a total area of about 1.09 million square kilometers. In this fertile land, the area of cultivated land of the typical black soil reached 1853330,000 hectares.
The Black Soil is one of China's major grain producing regions, and grows a high proportion of the country's corn, rice and soybeans each year.
The importance of the black soil in Northeast China is not only reflected in food production, but also in China's food security"Tension adjuster"with"Ballast stone"role.
According to statistics, black soil accounts for one-third of the country's grain transfer and is an important guarantee for national food security.
The fertile soil and favorable climatic conditions of Terra Preta create a favorable environment for crop growth, making the Northeast an important food production base.
At the same time, over time, black soil can also accumulate organic matter, providing abundant nutrients and good conditions for crop growth.
In recent years, the black soil in Northeast China is facing serious soil erosion problems.
Data shows that in recent decades, the area of black soil in Northeast China has decreased by about 30%. Among them, the area of black soil in Liaoning Province decreased by about 183%, Jilin Province decreased by about 248%, Heilongjiang Province decreased by about 305%。
This loss rate has an important impact on agricultural production and food security in the Northeast.
What is the cause of the massive loss of black soil?
1.Population growth leads to an increase in the demand for food.
First of all, with the growth of the population and the increase in the demand for food, the land in the Northeast has been reclaimed on a large scale, and high-yield crops are constantly grown, which is like leaving hard-working farmers without rest, and over time, the soil is exhausted, the organic matter content is decreasing year by year, and the vitality of nourishing crops is lost.
In order to meet the growing national and global demand for food, the area of cultivated farmland in the Northeast has gradually increased, and the farmland has changed from vast forests and grasslands to rolling wheat and rice fields.
However, soil resources are not inexhaustible, and over-cultivation and intensive use of the black soil originally required for recuperation and recuperation have made it difficult to cope with the pressure of continuous agriculture.
It is important to recognise that the formation process of organic-rich black soils is unusually slow, often requiring hundreds of years of natural cycles to form deep fertile soil layers.
When this natural cycle is interrupted by sustained large-scale farming, the organic matter in the soil is not replenished, but is lost year by year through crop uptake and natural decomposition.
In addition, in order to pursue high yields, the large application of chemical fertilizers in agricultural production has increased crop yields in the short term, but in the long run it has exacerbated the destruction of soil structure and the loss of organic matter.
Farmers may not realize that every harvest of golden wheat they harvest inadvertently cuts the black lifeline that feeds everything beneath their feet.
2.Damage to land caused by agricultural activities.
Secondly, traditional farming methods also exacerbate the loss of laterite. The black soil of the Northeast is like a large nutritious cake, and each layer represents the organic matter and vitality of life in the soil.
Traditional farming is like cutting and flipping this big cake every year.
In the past, people would dig deep into the soil from the bottom up with a plough to turn the soil in order to make the crops grow better. Although this temporarily increases the space for crops to grow, problems also arise:
The original layer of the earth's surface""(Organic-rich topsoil) is buried underneath, and the nutrients contained in it quickly decompose and disappear due to lack of oxygen, just like a cake grows mold in a damp place.
What's more, frequent and excessively deep ploughing of the soil, like tearing a cake hard, can destroy the original compact structure and make it loose.
Therefore, if it rains heavily or there is a strong wind, it is like rinsing with water or blowing a broken cake with the wind, fertile black"Cake crumbs"– in other words, our black soil – will be ruthlessly washed away or blown away.
In addition, the large agricultural machinery currently in use acts like a heavy-duty roller, repeatedly crushing the soil during field operations, making it difficult for the soil to breathe and absorb water, like compacted chips, further weakening the soil's ability to repair itself.
In recent years, the agricultural production mode in Northeast China has undergone great changes, with the cultivation industry developing towards intensive and large-scale, and the large-scale consolidation and expansion of farmland has led to the destruction of black soil.
3.Destruction of the ecological environment.
The native forests and vast fields of the Northeast once covered this fertile land like a green carpet, providing natural and effective protection for the black soil.
The root system of trees is like a huge net that penetrates deep into the soil, which not only stabilizes the surface structure and prevents soil erosion, but also replenishes the organic matter in the soil through the natural cycle of fallen leaves and dead branches.
At the same time, dense trees can slow down the rate of rainfall runoff and reduce the direct impact on the soil surface.
However, in the course of historical development, excessive deforestation has led to a sharp decline in forest cover in some parts of Northeast China, and the originally lush forests have become scarce, which undoubtedly weakens the protective role of forests in black soil.
With no forest barriers, rainwater runoff washes directly onto bare farmland, washing away nutrient-rich black topsoil.
Similarly, rangeland degradation is a problem that cannot be ignored.
In the past, the savannah of the Northeast was like a giant natural sponge, not only absorbing and storing water, but also providing organic matter to the soil through the growth cycle of herbaceous plants.
However, as grazing pressure increases, overgrazing leads to severe destruction of herbaceous vegetation and the disappearance of ground vegetation, increasing the likelihood of wind and water erosion, thereby accelerating the loss of black soils.
Deforestation and grassland degradation are like a double-edged sword, severing the close connection between the black soil and the ecosystem, making this rich land in northeastern China"Golden Rice Bowl"There is an unprecedented threat.
4.Rapid urbanization.
In the Tohoku region, with the acceleration of urbanization, the black soil originally used for cultivation was expropriated in large quantities for the construction of cities, factories, roads and other infrastructure.
As a direct result, the area of high-quality arable land is reduced, the black soil layer is no longer used for growing crops, and its valuable resources cannot be used sustainably.
At the same time, construction activities and industrial production in the process of urbanization will also indirectly exacerbate the loss of black soil.
For example, temporary stacking and excavation on a construction site can destroy the original soil structure; Wastewater sludge discharged from the plant can contaminate the nearby soil, rendering it barren.
In addition, with the expansion of the population and the continuous growth of food demand in the process of urbanization, agricultural land may be over-exploited and intensively used to meet the needs**, and irrational farming practices will accelerate the depletion and loss of natural fertility in black soil.
In the face of the severe challenge of black soil erosion in Northeast China, the state has formulated and implemented a series of strategies and measures to solve the problem from three aspects: source control, scientific restoration and institutional guarantee.
First of all, source management is fundamental. We promote and promote conservation agriculture models such as no-tillage, cover crop planting and crop rotation systems to reduce direct soil disturbance and increase the accumulation of organic matter.
At the same time, it is necessary to strictly control the excessive reclamation of land, especially the illegal occupation of high-quality cultivated land, so as to ensure that the black soil resources are effectively protected.
Second, scientific ecological restoration is crucial. By planting trees on a large scale, restoring pastures, and building forest networks to protect farmland, healthy ecosystems can be rebuilt and soil retention capacity can be improved.
In addition, the application of modern agricultural technology makes it possible to improve soil structure, apply fertilizer reasonably, improve soil fertility and help black soil self-healing.
Finally, institutional safeguards and regulatory constraints are indispensable. The state has introduced a series of laws and regulations to severely punish illegal reclamation and destruction of farmland, and to provide policy guidance to encourage farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural development models.
At the same time, supervision and management should be strengthened to ensure the effective implementation of black soil protection measures.
Every loss of a handful of black soil is a deep sigh of Mother Earth, and it is also a hidden concern for the food security of future generations.
Let us work together to protect this treasure given by nature, use wisdom and action to reverse the loss of black soil, and contribute to the food security of Northeast China and even the whole country.
Paying attention to the protection of black soil is our own dining table and the foundation of the sustainable development of the Chinese nation. We look forward to your participation, so that more forces can gather together to build a green Great Wall for the rebirth of the black soil!