Lnle moderares evzry erosion proeess, every nrer
hasm, every em and M): nan ln shapes and mhipfi
earrh In a nhemsand ways

The hydrauhr szgN ol grean luresns, sueh as were
onee m lhe Americas, would have erreeded any warer
ralehmenn welghl we ean nuW allord no bulld, and
drspersed n om a smite! area. nus greanly moderansr
rhmare. and wrnh u geologral proeesses ln is mime,
m lran, Gm, Nonh Alrrra. USA, Mauro, Pakmm
and Ausnraha no see how, In our short hunery ol lane
dernrurnron, we have broughl nhe hard nsenes ol the
earnh no nhesunaeeoysnnpprng nhe lnle skm horn nn lor
ephemeral uses We ran, rn we pusm, treats a
munn-Iandsnp! ol nhe earnh 5» poor gonheydx
wander where lhe laheanoresns snoed and lhe leresn
denlres were worshrpped. the mlxsiom ol resrgnanlon
and lananrensrn lollow nhase ol me nrnure gods, and
man—hunln nemples replaee hens and nree sprdns

821

THE RESPIRATION OF EARTH

All or nhe skrn and organs ol nhe aanh breanhe. ll xi 1
mgulumpmnlon The "diaphragm" orenrrgy lor nhns
may be proyrded by me moon nndes m waner, earnh, or
arr. lorally, nhe filling up on sonl by rarnwaner nureer an
erhalauun ol arr, nhe drymgwul an rnhalanron Fasl
winds disturb boundary layers, crux: low pressure
and sorl erhalallon. slow wrnds and hlgh pressures
noree xnhalilion Mrllrons ul earnh an'mals open
oreanhrns robes, and arrange nhem Um nhelr own sahel
no terse an exchange benween nhe aonosphsre and nhe

wnners, nhe sods, or seaesrnds in which nhey lire Wlm
nus much ore-med as arr.

Deeper resprrauons wme lrom deeper flows and
hssurss, and radon gas or menhane seeps oun £10m nhe
earnh When nhe earnn llsell expands, grean nows
lnward and ounward rnusn otcur nhrough nha
mulnludlnaus assures nhan open up m ngd sedrnurnns
Thrs eanh resplranlon nranspons and nranslonns nurds
and lhelr rsaaemed loads, winks, snares, and mm:
penennial homunh no annospherenooeean setting up
nhe ponennrals nhan eraare nhundersnurms or humcam,
We are or nhrs same rssprralron The burmws ol
spiders, guphers, and worms are no nhr sorl whan RM
alveoll ol our lung: are no our body. We nan assrsn nhns
essenllal resplranlon by assnst‘ 5 me and nanural

m sons.
ll you lull olrnhe prame day. lhzre wlll be no
one no fly {or raln.
(Navajo wan-lung)

Amused seienlnsns, knowing nhan nhere was no
eonrervalrle relauonshlp benween pralne dogs and r3'
reeommended nne ernerrnnnnnron on all burmw n5
annuals rn some desen areas planned no nngthnds rn
lhe1950’s ~ rn order no proneen nhe roens ol rhe sparse
desern glasses Today lhe area nnel nar lrom
chrleninmno, Armour) has oeeorne x villu-l wnslev
land ~ heme run-on, sonl eompaenaou and laek ol hesh
seedoed have earned lhe grasses away lsarre 1oellren
mlmilm serene 04:5! 7:, Sew/Om

Using prairie dog burrows as waner sinks, and
sausrng wansr run—cl! no flood down nhem, nhus
germmalmg snored underground seed, had lhe
opposlle elleel on he Pngc ranch, now a dryland

 

 

 

FIGURE 1.1:
GENERAL solL EROSION PROCESSES m LANDSCAPES

 

 

 

224