Deforestation causes fast degradation when the soil is steep sloppy or easily erodible. Soil loss is so gradual that the erosion usually goes unnoticed, but the cumulative. Water is a liquid drank by humans, animals, and plants. Without leaves to intercept rainwater, the soil quickly becomes saturated, speeding up erosion. Plant roots are very effective at holding back the soil. The method used to prevent erosion from raindrop splash erosion is stabilization. Jun 01, 2016 major causes of land degradation greentumble soil degradation june 1, 2016 whether it is through building homes and settlements, the cultivation of crops, the harvesting of plants for food, medicine, fiber, or fuel, or by setting fires to the landscape for hunting purposes, humans have always influenced the landscape around them. The rate of erosion may be very slow to very rapid.
Agdex 572751 october 2012 replaces omafra factsheet, soil erosion causes and effects, order no. Soil erosion occurs when soil is removed through the action of wind and water at a greater rate than it is formed soil the soil covering the surface of the earth has taken millions of years to form and we must learn to respect it. There are so many factors and processes are responsible for soil erosion. Soil erosion is a natural process which occur when there is loss of or removal of top layer of soil to due to rain, wind, deforestation or any other human activity. While there are many different factors that can cause soil erosion, most can be broken down into two main categories. Erosion is a process that describes continuous physical and chemical events which causes soil and rock on the earths surface to loosen and move to a new location. Three major causes of soil erosion and how they can be. During construction, soil remains exposed for extended periods of time. Types of erosion environment, land and water queensland. Too much of soil erosion causes serious loss of topsoil and also reduces crop production potential, lower surface water quality, and damaged. Three major causes of soil erosion and how to mitigate. While the accelerated soil erosion is done by human activities, which accelerate the process of soil erosion by deforestation, grazing, mining, defective agricultural practices, etc. Soil degradation a major threat to humanity summary soil degradation needs to be recognised, alongside climate change, as one of the most pressing problems facing humanity. It leaves the affected area exposed to more sporadic erosion making it a sequential occurrence.
Causes, effects, and solutions of soil erosion conserve energy. Sheet erosion sheet erosion is the removal of soil in thin layers by raindrop impact and shallow surface flow. Generally, soil erosion is the relocation of the topsoil layer from its original location. The broadest application of the term erosion embraces the general wearing down and molding of all landforms on earths surface, including the weathering of rock in its original position, the transport of weathered material, and erosion caused by wind action and fluvial, marine, and glacial processes. According to global assessment of soil degradation glasod, deforestation is the main cause of soil erosion by wind in about 98% of the area. Causes of soil erosion erosion occurs when farming practices are not compatible with the fact that soil can be washed away or blown away. In addition to erosion, soil quality is affected by other aspects of agriculture. Major causes and effects of soil erosion on the environment.
Your questions will be sent to a soil science society of america member, in your region. The major objective of studying this lesson is to understand the causative factors of. Water erosion is the detachment and removal of soil material by water. Depending on the type of force, erosion can happen quickly or take thousands of years. Soil erosion reduces cropland productivity and contributes to the pollution of adjacent watercourses, wetlands and lakes. If you have any question on soils, soil science, and careers in soil science, this is the place to get answers. And, if youd like to arrange for a soil scientist to visit your classroom, this is the place to make a request. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice glaciers, snow, air wind, plants, animals, and humans. The main causes of soil erosion are still inappropriate. Major crops that cause soil erosion include coffee, cotton, tea, tobacco, palm oil, soybean and wheat that. Winds are more effective in arid and semiarid regions. Causes of soil erosion the agents of soil erosion are the same as the agents of all types of erosion. While many people associate erosion with negative things like land slides and poor soil conditions, it is an important part of the geologic processes which make the earth what it is.
The three major causes of soil erosion free essays, term papers. The good thing is that each of these causes of erosion can be corrected to create a more sustainable society. Soil erosion happens anytime barren soil is exposed to the elements, especially after a lot of vegetation is removed. Seasonal and cyclic drought, concentrated runoff from steep lands, unstable soils in drainage lines, intense rainfall, elevated runoff caused by factors such as low levels of tree cover and poor soil infiltration. Soil erosion by wind or water is a selective process where the organicrich topsoil is lost lowery et al. Soil quality information sheet rangeland soil quality water. Deforestation and other removal of plants plays a major role in soil erosion.
The process of soil erosion is made up of three parts. The severity of soil erosion is also dependent on the soil type and the presence of vegetation cover. It results in loss of the finest soil particles that contain most of the available nutrients and organic matter in the soil. Introductionfunctions of soils and the threat of soil erosionthe physical and shifting human geography of europe as a basis to understanding major soil erosion processes and controlling factorsis. Solutions need to be developed and introduced which address both issues simultaneously.
The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land. Soil erosion is the detachment and movement of soil material. Causes, effects and types of erosion water, wind, glacier. Erosion is a major problem affecting soils all over the world. Deforestation or destruction of forests accompanied by reduced frequency of rainfall leads to soil erosion and causes damage to agriculture property. Several types of soil degradation exist and are a threat to natural forests and planted crops. Causes of soil degradation and methods for soil conservation. Causes of soil erosion water and wind erosion causes. Aug 24, 2018 soil erosion is an ongoing process that affects each site in a different way.
It is the fairly uniform removal of soil in thin layers from the land surface, often scarcely perceptible, especially when caused by wind. Soil erosion isnt just a problem for farmers to worry about homeowners could lose the value and beauty of property without the right protection. These are each all major problems in creating an unsustainable society. Soil degradation is any type of problem that removes soil in an area or makes highquality soil become poor. Read more about what causes bank erosion pdf, 161kb and what causes stream bed erosion pdf, 645kb. The major causes and effects of soil erosion on people and the environment can. May 15, 2009 precipitation heavy rain saturates the ground causing surface runoff which increases soil erosion. Running water is the leading cause of soil erosion, because water is abundant and has a lot of power.
Erosion preceded by the destruction of the crumb structure due to the impact of falling raindrop on the surface of soil is termed as splash erosion. Whyte 1957 while commenting on the problem of soil erosion of kashmir himalayas, mentioned, control of fluctuating grazing was made the responsibility of forest department in 1939 but this appears to have little effect and the problem is as acute as ever. Destruction of natural vegetation cover is a major factor responsible for erosion of soils by water and wind. Soil quality information sheet rangeland soil quality water erosion usda, natural resources conservation service may 2001 rangeland sheet 9 what is water erosion. All soils undergo soil erosion, but some are more vulnerable than others due to human activities and other natural causal factors.
Soil erosion occurs when soil is removed through the action. Erosion by water water is the main cause of erosion on earth. The three main forces that cause erosion are water, wind, and ice. These impacts include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation, and soil salinity. The process may be natural or accelerated by human activity. Soil erosion is the displacement of the upper layer of soil, it is one form of soil degradation. Leaf litter plays an important role in protecting forest soils from erosion figure 3. Introduction soil erosion is one form of soil degradation along with soil compaction, low organic matter, loss of soil structure, poor internal drainage, salinisation. Soil erosion can be a slow process that continues relatively unnoticed or can occur at an alarming rate, causing serious loss of topsoil. Raindrops hit exposed soil with great energy and easily dislodge the soil particles from the surface. Nov 17, 2011 the three major causes of soil erosion are overcultivation, overgrazing, and deforestation.
A common cause of erosion is road and building construction. There are many different forces in nature that cause erosion. Nearly 10 million hectares of arable land are lost to erosion and other forms of soil degradation every year 1 countries all over the world are battling with worrisome sight of deepening gullies crisscrossing the landscape and barren fields stripped of the fertile topsoil. Soil erosion is the most serious precursor of soil degradation that comes with global implications. Soil erosion is likely the greatest degrader of soil quality by natural forces because when soil is lost by erosion it is generally not replaced by natural weathering processes within a human life time alewell et al. How human activities can accelerate soil erosion leaving. Causes of erosion erosion occurs when soil is left exposed to rain or wind energy. Examine how human activities can accelerate soil erosion and methods used to prevent this soil is a nonrenewable resource that once it is eroded it is not renewed. There are three main processes that cause b ank erosion. Erosion, whether it is by water, wind or tillage, involves three distinct actions soil detachment, movement and.
Mar 22, 2020 erosion is a continual process, and it can be caused naturally or through artificial means. Although soil erosion is a natural occurrence on all land, there are certain factors that call accelerate erosion making it more noticeable and problematic. A sandy soil, therefore, remains sandy and a clayey soil remains clayey. Under the right conditions it can cause major losses of soil and property figure 7. It is the fairly uniform removal of soil in thin layers from the land surface, often. This destroys the soil soil erosion is a major problem.
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