When you think of soil erosion, you probably think of it in negative terms.  But according to scientists at the USDA, soil erosion may actually prove to have an important environmental benefit – that of slowing down the greenhouse effect.  Yes, believe it or not, when soil erodes it carries with it carbon, a noted greenhouse element, and deposits it in nearby wetland areas. When the scientists examined a 25 meter grid in Maryland, for instance, they found the carbon content of the farmland soil to be at 1 percent, but at nearly 20 percent for the nearby wetland.  And this is good, because these wetlands tend to take in carbon and store it for long periods of time.  So now soil erosion fights global warming … why not!