Thursday, April 27, 2017

The Benefits Derived From Erosion Control Blankets

By Ann Reynolds


These materials used to cover soil aid in preventing or in other words controlling soil loss by offering protective cover like a mat that is manufactured or engineered using straw, plant fibers, wood, jute, plastics, nylon, cotton and paper. This method is mostly used in areas where there are slopes and in channels where erosion hazard generally is quite high and there is hardly any plant growth to provide enough protective cover. In areas such as drought stricken areas, erosion control blankets can come in handy to curb soil loss menace.

This practice or method is mainly used for controlling loss of soil caused by water as a result of heavy rains. Mulching or mats are effective techniques used in minimizing erosive effect of splash erosion. The mats are place on newly planted soil or bare lands. The use of mats usually stabilizes the covered soil and protects the seeds that are planted. The chances of sediments being introduced into your land are minimized and one can have a weed free farm.

There are quite a number of advantages associated with blankets as a means of soil erosion. The first advantage is the method is effective and efficient for controlling and curbing erosion and consequently stabilizing soil during and also after land alteration activities. Land alteration activities include mining activities, farming activities, exploration activities among others.

These blankets are preferred for their nature of spreading storm water runoff consequently preventing or controlling rill erosions that are experienced on slopes. The mats as well prevent sloughing of topsoil basically added to slopes that are steeper. For mats that are made of wood or any other decomposable material, the material will provide manure and other micro-organism to the soil.

When mats are used with seed mix, they offer protection to mix and prevent them from being eroded when it rains heavily. They are known for increasing soil moisture retention hence promoting seed germination. However, the important and most crucial role of blankets is soil erosion prevention. To get it right from the first trial, it is wise that you consult your district landscape architect basically for more guidance.

Apart from providing cover, these mats regulate the temperatures in the soil and increase water retention levels by soil. One of the few limitations of mulching is that is requires proper selection and appropriate installation of blankets for them to be effective. It is known that these mats are not appropriate for slopes that are deemed to be greater than 3:1.

Straw mulch is another material to consider since this material may even be disc-anchored basically into the soil, covered with netting or hydraulically bonded. One should also purpose to preserve more of the existing vegetation since the goal here is to have as much vegetation as possible. This curbs soil loss and enhances the appearance of a property which may later be turned into more cash for the property.

Visual impact to people around the area should also be carefully considered. Do not use materials that are not environmental friendly. Synthetic materials are known to be biodegradable though their rate of decomposing is very slow compared to natural materials.




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