Question

Part II: For the following questions, provide your response in short-answer format (3–5 sentences each). Use this Phase’s activities and resources to assist you in answering.

1.           How does the vegetation surface type affect the amount of runoff? Speculate why this happens.

2.           How does the smooth mountain rock surface type affect the amount of runoff? Speculate why this happens.

3.           How does the bare soil surface type affect the amount of runoff? Speculate why this happens.

4.           How does vegetation slow and prevent sediment loss?

5.           How does vegetation allow greater infiltration?

6.           How does pavement or smooth rock runoff affect waterways?

7.           How do heavy sediment deposits affect waterways?

8.           How does sediment loss affect land and soil quality?

Answer 1

1. How does the vegetation surface type affect the amount of runoff? Speculate whythis happens

The areas with dense vegetation appear to have the least amount of runoff. Hilly, mountainous regions appear to give the most runoff while bare soil fell in-between the two. Dense vegetation keeps layers over the soil, which prevents it from moving. Gravity seems to play apart in the mountainous region which would make sense. Water needs a certain amount of time to sit on top of the soil before it is absorbed. The more rain that falls, the more time is needed for all of it to be absorbed. On a slope, water will be presumably moving the instant that it hits the ground, which creates a negligible amount of time on the surface. Bare soil has less runoff because it is more flat, but runoff still happens because unlike the woods or forest, the soil receives all of the rainfall.

2. How does the smooth mountain rock surface type affect the amount of runoff? Speculate why this happen

The smooth mountain rock surface causes a higher runoff rate compared to vegetation surface. Unlike soil, mountain rocks have small factures in the surface that absorb a little water, but not much.

3. How does the bare soil surface type affect the amount of runoff? Speculate why this happens.

Their is no type of vegetation or protection from rain for bare soil and it also has little to no nutrients. When rain hit bare soil it is washed away and has a high run off rate.

4. How does vegetation slow and prevent sediment loss?

Vegetation is able to slow down and prevent sediment loss because it creates a shielding

effect, increasing the rate if infiltration thus decreasing the rate of runoff.

5. How does vegetation allow greater infiltration?

Vegetation allows greater infiltration due to the roots in plants, absorbing all of the extra

water decreasing runoff.

6. How does pavement or smooth rock runoff affect waterways?

Pavement or smooth rock runoff causes water to flow at a faster rate and since the water cannot be absorbed, it runs off into drainage systems. This leads to flooding in a lot of areas and because of the location most times cannot run off into groundwater.

7. How do heavy sediment deposits affect waterways?

The heavy sediment deposits affect water ways by causing the blockage or buildup and by depositing toxins into areas such as rivers and lakes.

8. How does sediment loss affect land and soil quality?

The sediment loss can affect land and soil quality because it causes flooding, buildup in

dams, cause the loss of valuable nutrients from soil and reduce water clarity. It can

also carry toxins to waterways affecting the drinking water and contaminant the

ecosystem.