A Land Reawakened
Cuenca is committed to nurturing the soil in this arid landscape. Building soil health starts with rest and recovery, strategic placement of erosion control structures, and planting and seeding native species.
Rebuilding the Soil
Goal: To stop erosion and rebuild soil stability and fertility
Healthy soils are the building blocks of all terrestrial ecosystems. Good soils store carbon and nitrogen, and they are home to innumerable microorganisms. They hold water and nutrients and provide a substrate for plants, which in turn stabilize, shade, and fertilize the soil. Yet, on degraded lands, the soil has often been reduced to mere dirt. Compacted and lifeless, it is vulnerable to erosion, and it makes a poor foundation for the life that depends on it.
At Cuenca, our work on soil involves stopping and reversing erosion through the use of simple rock structures, such as trincheras and gabions. We have removed many of the stressors on the land, such as traditionally managed cattle, to allow the soil to rest and recover. We have also aerated and reseeded soils, and planted trees, to further stabilize the topsoil. In addition to these measures, we have adopted regenerative ranching practices that contribute to our restoration efforts. Together, these efforts have resulted in dramatically improved soil health. New research on Cuenca lands also indicates that, compared to degraded areas, a significant amount of carbon is sequestered in restored waterways and grasslands, indicating that erosion control is an additional tool that can be used in the fight against climate change.
