Which land management factor can influence infiltration?

Which land management factor can influence infiltration?

• A. Soil compaction from heavy machinery reduces infiltration.
• B. Increasing irrigation increases infiltration.
• C. Vegetation removal increases infiltration.
• D. Earthworms reduce infiltration.

Answer: (A)

Infiltration is the process by which water enters the soil, and how quickly it happens depends on soil structure and surface conditions. When heavy machinery compacts soil, the pore spaces are squeezed, bulk density increases, and macropores that serve as fast water pathways are crushed. This makes it harder for water to infiltrate, so the infiltration rate decreases and surface runoff increases, making soil compaction the land management factor most likely to influence infiltration. Context for the other ideas: irrigation adds water but doesn’t inherently change the soil’s capacity to absorb it; the infiltration rate is still limited by soil structure. Vegetation removal tends to reduce infiltration because roots and litter help maintain soil structure and prevent crusting, while earthworms typically enhance infiltration by creating channels rather than reduce it.

Infiltration is the process by which water enters the soil, and how quickly it happens depends on soil structure and surface conditions. When heavy machinery compacts soil, the pore spaces are squeezed, bulk density increases, and macropores that serve as fast water pathways are crushed. This makes it harder for water to infiltrate, so the infiltration rate decreases and surface runoff increases, making soil compaction the land management factor most likely to influence infiltration.

Context for the other ideas: irrigation adds water but doesn’t inherently change the soil’s capacity to absorb it; the infiltration rate is still limited by soil structure. Vegetation removal tends to reduce infiltration because roots and litter help maintain soil structure and prevent crusting, while earthworms typically enhance infiltration by creating channels rather than reduce it.