Dust Bowl May Still be Impacting the Soil in America

The ravages of the Dust Bowl didn't end after the actual event. A new study may change the way we view the health of our nation's soil.

"We took a novel approach of merging a watershed erosion model with an organic matter cycling model to build a better understanding of how sediment and nutrients are transported differently depending on topography," said Thanos Papanicolaou, one of the researchers, in a news release. "We also addressed a few major challenges such as soil texture, bulk density and the organic carbon in soil."

In this latest study, the researchers collected soil sample data to track changes in soil carbon and soil health on farms since 1930 under different farming practices. They began with the theory that the typical method for measuring soil health-taking periodic soil cores-wasn't as effective as thought because it didn't account for variations in properties like soil type and landscape slope or for changes in land management.

In fact, the researchers found that soils in upslope areas continued to be depleted of rich, organic matter long after the Dust Bowl era, because of enhanced erosion stemming from agricultural practices. This caused downslope areas to have higher levels of soil health due to nutrients washed from higher ground.

With that said, things are turning around. Organic matter in the soil and overall soil health has improved since the late 1980s. organic matter has recovered to about half the level it was in the 1930s.

The findings reveal how much of a long-reaching impact the Dust Bowl had on our nation's farmland. This, in turn, may help with better practices in the future.

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