The farmers maintain productivity of soil by applying chemical fertilizers but make less use of organic manures. There are several physical factors contributing to soil degradation distinguished by the manners in which they change the natural composition and structure of the soil. Extension of cultivation to marginal land: Due to tremendous population increase the use of land is increasing day by day. It occurs whenever the natural balances in the landscape are changed by human activity through misuse or overuse of soil. Avoiding soil degradation is crucial to our well-being. With time, the sedimentation process can clog waterways, resulting in water scarcity. The soil quality decline is exuberated more and more as a result of the mechanization of agriculture that gives room for deep plowing, reduction of plant cover, and the formation of the hardpan. Silting of drainage, canals, rivers and reservoirs results in increased floods and droughts. As an example, mining destroys crop cover and releases a myriad of toxic chemicals such as mercury into the soil thereby poisoning it and rendering it unproductive for any other purpose. Land reclamation encompasses activities centered towards restoring the previous organic matter and soil’s vital minerals. These factors reduce the yield. Causes of Soil Erosion Soils are a fundamental natural resource, and are the basis for all terrestrial life. Before sharing your knowledge on this site, please read the following pages: 1. The wasteland can be made useful by increasing productivity of land by using some useful methods as afforestation or by using bio-fertilizers. (And Are They Compostable? Soil degradation has several adverse impacts on the environment. Organic matter is rapidly decomposed and leached or eroded by heavy rains. All these physical factors produce different types of soil erosion (mainly water and wind erosion) and soil detachment actions, and their resultant physical forces eventually change the composition and structure of the soil by wearing away the soil’s top layer as well as organic matter. Soil degradation is a global phenomenon. Main agents of soil erosion are (1) Water, (2) Wind, (3) Waves and (4) Glaciers Removal of the top layer of soil by various means, which include both natural events and human activities, is called as soil erosion. The biological factors affect mainly lessens the microbial activity of the soil. The estimated annual loss of different crops due to soil degradation rangs from Rs. TOS4. It results into reduced growth of vegetation, reduced diversity of plant species, excessive growth of unwanted plant species, soil erosion, and degradation of land due to cattle movement. Answer Now and help others. land degradation as the long-term reduction in the capacity of the land to perform ecosystem functions and services (including those of agro-ecosystems and urban systems) that support society and development (LADA, 2005). According to National Commission on Agriculture (1976), about 6 million ha area is under water-logged condition. Soil erosion: Among the agents, water is considered as the main cause of soil erosion. Trafficking (by animals as well as by vehicles) and cultivation are the primary causes of this form of soil degradation. During last two decades the area under food crops decreased and that under non-food crops increased. Soil compaction is the process in which a stress applied to a soil causes densification as air is displaced from the pores between the soil grains. Let us have a detailed look at the causes, effects and prevention of soil erosion. The outcomes of soil erosion and quality decline are widely irreversible. Some bacteria and fungi overgrowth in an area can highly impact the microbial activity of the soil through biochemical reactions, which reduces crop yield and the suitability of soil productivity capacity. ), Can You Recycle Lotion Bottles? Soil erosion is a continuous process that occurs either slowly or at an alarming rate. Mining activities. 12 billion to 27 billion annually. The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself. The topography of the land may also be a cause of soil erosion. It is clear that the impact of land degradation is a drain on economic growth in It involves the decline of the soil’s physical, biological, and chemical state. As much as it’s a concern associated with natural environments in arid and semi-arid areas, the UN recognizes the fact that drought and aridity are anthropogenic induced factors especially as an outcome of soil degradation. Salinity directly affects the productivity by making the soil unsuitable for crop growth. Compaction Compaction is where soil particles pack together increasing soil density and reducing pore space. Soil is chiefly polluted by industrial and mining activities. This is a question and answer forum for students, teachers and general visitors for exchanging articles, answers and notes. Excessive soil degradation thus gives rise to immediate and long-term impacts which translate into serious global environmental headaches. Hence, the contributing factors to soil quality decline such as overgrazing, poor tillage methods, and deforestation are also the leading causes of desertification characterized by droughts and arid conditions. Hence, there is a necessity for individuals all over the world to respect forest cover and reduce some of the human-driven actions that encourage logging. Which part of the male reproductive system store the sperm? Land degradation in t he Sahel is considere d to be caused . 3. Erosion ditches and grass lines, installed with enforced communal labor, covered almost all the hillsides by the early 1990’s. The latest data revealed that erosion has rendered 200 million hectares or 36% of the total area of the country barren (Table 27.1). 10 Soil compaction. The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land. The erodible material is almost devoid of organic matter and lacks in mineral plant nutrients. Increased runoff from urban areas also causes a huge disturbance to adjacent watersheds by changing the rate and volume of water that flows through them and impoverishing them with chemically polluted sediment deposits. loss of fertile top soil due to water or wind erosion. Avoiding deforestation completely is an uphill task. As a result, soil quality and agricultural productivity are greatly affected. In many parts of the world, mining activities or rather improper mining activities … It results in a continuous loss of topsoil, ecological degradation, soil collapse, etc. Soil erosion is the main factor for soil degradation and is due to several mechanisms: water erosion, wind erosion, chemical degradation and physical degradation. A study of the current trends in agronomic practices has suggested that the nutrients deficiency is further aggravated by continued use of high yielding crop varieties, intensive cropping pattern and relatively poor fertilizers. The slope of the land. These are very real and at times severe issues. To fill this knowledge gap, soil degradation simply means the decline in soil quality which comes about due to aspects such as improper land use, agriculture, and pasture, urban or industrial purposes. Because soil degradation contributes to land degradation, it also means that it creates a significant loss of arable land. If the loss of nutrients due to soil erosion is included, the loss of nutrients from top soil is 43 million tonnes. (And 9 Ways to Reuse Old Photos), Are Aluminum Cans Recyclable? There is much less information on the impact on the ground of these actions. Destruction of natural vegetation cover is a major factor responsible for erosion of soils by water and wind. This website includes study notes, research papers, essays, articles and other allied information submitted by visitors like YOU. Chemical factors e.g. The complex forms of the fertilizer’s chemicals are also responsible for denaturing essential soil minerals, giving rise to nutrient losses from the soil. For example, roads which increase impermeable surfaces lead to streaming and ground loss. Soils become water-logged when the water balance of an area is disturbed because of excess recharge. Misuse or excess use of fertilizers. What is the significance of transpiration? Again, most of the runoff and sediments from urban areas are extremely polluted with oil, fuel, and other chemicals. Physical factors, e.g. Soil degradation is a complex phenomenon derived by interaction between natural and socio economic factors. (And 5 Ways to Reuse Old Bottles), Is Denim Eco-Friendly? Once soil erosion occurs, it is more likely to happen again. Examples include leaving the previous year’s crop residue on the surface to shield the soil from erosion and avoiding poor tillage methods such as deep plowing. In India alone, about 188 million hectares or almost 57% of total land area is degraded (Sehgel and Abrol, 1994). Linkages with poverty are well established and current remedial programs can be identified. It also sends soil-laden water downstream, which can create heavy layers of sediment that prevent streams and rivers from flowing smoothly and can eventually lead to flooding. Degradation of Natural Resources | Environment, Biosciences, Engineering and Technology (With Diagram). Indirectly it lowers productivity through its adverse effects on the availability of nutrients. Drought and aridity are problems highly influenced and amplified by soil degradation. 89 billion to 232 billion which represent a loss of 11 to 26 per cent yield (Table 27.6). The major causes of land degradation in Ethiopia are the rapid population increase, severe soil loss, deforestation, low vegetative cover and unbalanced crop and livestock production. In irrigation these salts are dissolved in soil water and rise to the surface through capillary action. According to an estimate of 1992, every year 20.2 million tonnes of NPK is removed by growing crops. Overgrazing, cutting of timber trees, collection of fuel wood, shifting cultivation and encroachment of forest areas are some of the important factors responsible for the loss of vegetation cover on the soil which ultimately causes soil erosion. Other improper cultivation activities such as farming on steep slope and mono-cropping, row-cropping, and surface irrigation wear away the natural composition of the soil and its fertility and prevent soil from regenerating. According to Global Assessment of Soil Degradation (GLASOD), deforestation is the main cause of soil erosion by wind in about 98% of the area. It is well known that mono cropping (growing the same crop on the same land year after year) often leads to increasing attack of pests and diseases. Altogether, industrial and mining activities degrade the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. Deforestation causes fast degradation when the soil is steep sloppy or easily erodible. Some other factors as deforestation, extensive cultivation on marginal land, improper cultivation practices like mono-cropping, poor manuring, misuse of fertilizers or excess use of fertilizers, excessive irrigation, over-grazing, fragility of soil, adverse weather and mining may accelerate the process of soil degradation. When the water dries up, the salts are left on the upper surface as a crust or layer. About 40% of the world’s agricultural land is severely diminished in quality because of erosion and the use of chemical fertilizers, which prevent the land from regenerating. Most of the canal areas in arid and semiarid regions are rich in soluble salts. Soil erosion decreases soil fertility, which can negatively affect crop yields. One of the simplest but most forgotten methods of land reclamation is the planting of vegetation such as trees, crops, and flowers over the affected soils. are conditions cause water logging. Examples of marginal lands are steep sloppy lands, shallow or sandy soils and the lands in dry and semi-dry areas. 20 Environmental Problems That Our World is Facing Today, deforestation are also the leading causes, Can You Recycle Photos? (And 7 Ways to Reuse), Are Egg Shells Recyclable? In some cases farmers use more fertilizer inputs to compensate reduced soil productivity while in other cases, they use excess fertilizers. In extreme cases, soil becomes unfit for cultivation. The problem is more severe in the cultivated areas of the subtropical belt. What is land degradation? The tillage on agricultural lands is one of the main factors since it breaks up the soil into finer particles, which increase erosion rates. According to Central Water Commission (1991), nearly 11 per cent of the total capacity of water reservoirs has been silted. Therefore, the misuse or excessive use of fertilizers increases the rate of soil degradation by destroying the soil’s biological activity and builds up of toxicities through incorrect fertilizer use. With the objective of understanding the distinct nature of soil quality decline, here are the various causes, effects, and solutions of soil degradation. The excessive use and the misuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizers kill organisms that assist in binding the soil together. The causes of land degradation can be divided into natural hazards, direct causes, and underlying causes. Waste lands are those which for one or the other reason have poor life sustaining property. Among the major causes of degradation, water erosion is considered to be the most severe one which covers almost 87% of the affected area. Unless you strongly believe in Elon Musk‘s idea of making Mars as another habitable planet, do remember that there really is no 'Planet B' in this whole universe. It is a global issue with millions of people being affected, even forcing them […] Most of the soil eroded from the land together with the chemical fertilizers and pesticides utilized in agricultural fields are discharged into waterways and streams. Intensive cultivation leads to removal of large quantities of nutrients from the soil which results to in loss of soil fertility. A major part of soil depletion is due to the lands over-use and the products that we pour on it. Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. Productivity loss of some crops is given in Table 27.5. Chemical considerations such as mineral degradation or the damage induced by … 2. All these physical factors produces different types of soil erosion (mainly water and wind erosion) and soil detachment actions, and t… Disturbances in the hydrologic cycle due to inefficient use of surface irrigation water, poor land development, seepage and poor drainage have resulted in higher water tables. (And Can You Sell Them? 2. Marginal lands though sustainable for farming are less fertile and more prone to degradation. There are certain agricultural practices that are environmentally unsustainable and at the same time, they are the single biggest contributor to the worldwide increase in soil quality decline. 5. Rainfall, surface runoff, floods, wind erosion, tillage, and mass movements result in the loss of fertile top spoil thereby declining soil quality. All Rights Reserved . Soil Degradation are broken down to ; One (Physical) Two (Chemical) Three (Biological) subgroups ; 8 Soil degradation 9 what is Soil compaction? Our mission is to provide an online platform to help students to share notes in Biology. Although the yield can be maintained by using fertilizers that provide deficient minerals yet their use often results in deficiencies of other nutrients. Besides, climate change combined with human activities continues to worsen soil degradation. Overgrazing by livestock can lead to land degradation Land degradation is a global problem largely related to agricultural use, deforestation and climate change. Changes in the structure of the soil, such as soil compaction through the intensive use of farm machinery, also tends to inhibit plant growth and costs several billions of dollars per year in terms of lost yield; 2. 4. Deforestation: Forests play an important role in maintaining fertility of soil by shedding their leaves … Soil degradation has been defined as a process that leads to decline in the fertility or future productive capacity of soil as a result of human activity (United Nations Environment Programme, 1993). The agricultural fertilizers and pesticides also damage marine and freshwater ecosystems and limit the domestic uses of the water for the populations that depend on them for survival. Out of 20.2 million tonnes NPK removed by the plants, only 2.66 million tonnes comes from fertilizers and 3 million tonnes from organic sources. Privacy Policy3. 3. The rate of siltation in many water reservoirs are significantly high. While soil degradation may occur naturally, it has been highly exuberated by anthropogenic activities. The degradation of our soils, due to human activities, today, can harm our well-being. What is sewage? Proper tillage mechanisms hold as one of the most sustainable ways of avoiding soil quality decline. The latest data provided by Sehgal and Abrol (1994) show that the total degraded land in India is 187.8 million ha, of which 162.4 million ha is degraded due to soil erosion alone (Table 27.6). The reduction of soil nutrients because of alkalinity or acidity or waterlogging are all categorized under the chemical components of soil degradation. To restore the lost soil mineral matter and organic content, it would require what is known as land reclamation. Degraded soils which result in poor or no production are also called problem soils. Soil fertility is reduced due to prolonged intensive cultivation. Also, preserving the integrity of guarded areas can significantly reduce demonstration. The decline in soil quality as a result of agricultural chemical fertilizers also further leads to water and land pollution thereby lowering the land’s worth on earth. Table 27.6 presents the area under different types of soil degradation in different years: The factors which affect soil micro flora and fauna also reduce the biological or microbial activity of soil adversely. Vegetation cover primarily promotes the binding of the soil together and soil formation, hence when it is removed it considerably affects the capabilities of the soil such as aeration, water holding capacity, and biological activity. This is a global problem. 6. Land degradation is a negative change in the quality of land, usually induced by a mixture of natural and man-made causes. Natural hazards are the conditions of the physical environment which lead to the existence of a high degradation hazard, for example steep slopes as a hazard for water erosion. Erosion is strongly related to human activity. The main reasons for unproductiveness or degradation of soils are as follows: Most of the Indian soils are deficient in nutrients and organic matter. Erosion probably was, however, still an important cause of soil degradation. In India pasture land area is decreasing day by day due to expansion of agricultural land. The following are the impacts of soil degradation: 1. Natural basins without outlet for water, low permeability of subsurface horizons, internal drainage, low intake rate of surface soils and obstructions to natural flow of rain water etc. It causes the extinction of species and accentuates climate change. Thus, soil erosion is a continuous process and may occur either at a relatively unnoticed rate or an alarming rate contributing to copious loss of the topsoil. Land degradation is a great threat for the future and it requires great effort and resources to ameliorate. This may include activities such as the addition of plant residues to degraded soils and improving range management. 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