The severity of soil erosion is also dependent on the soil type and the presence of vegetation cover. Accelerated erosion, induced by human activity, is. Overall soil is being lost from land areas 10 to 40 times faster than the rate of soil renewal imperiling future human food security and environmental quality. Soil erosion is the displacement of the upper layer of soil, it is one form of soil degradation. Soil erosion, especially in agricultural systems, affects everyone throughout the world. Impacts of erosion environment, land and water queensland. While erosion is a naturally occurring process, human activity can accelerate it. Almost every human activity changes the earths surface. Soil erosion removes valuable top soil which is the most productive part of the soil profile for agricultural purposes. In addition to erosion, soil quality is affected by other aspects of agriculture. When the layer of topsoil is removed, ground becomes unproductive and crops decrease. Soil erosion is a process of detachment and transportation of soil by natural agencies of water and wind. From the study the major causes of soil erosion within the study area were narrowed down to human interference, climatic factors rainfall, poor geology, undulating topography and soil nature.
Various agents, like wind, water, deforestation, overgrazing by cattle, etc. It tends to remove silts and clays making the soils sandier. 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. Effects of soil erosion on the environment soil erosion is an ongoing process that affects each site in a slightly different way. Erosion is a process that causes the soil surface to wear out. Man can also cause soil erosion by such practices as tilling a farmers field or the. The rate of erosion may be very slow to very rapid. Causes of soil erosion soil erosion occurs when natural forces, such as wind and water, act on the soil. Sheet erosion soil erosion is characterised by the downslope removal of. Natural erosion has sculptured landforms on the uplands and built landforms on the lowlands. Without the root structure to hole the soil in place it can wash or blow away.
While there are many different factors that can cause soil erosion, most can be broken down into two main categories. Humans affect weathering and erosion by their activities on the planet. Soil erosion is the result of a number of factors, working in isolation or in association with one another. Water, the wind, and gravity move in an out of the soil particles. The wind is able to move rocks or small particles by a process known as deflation and then cause soil erosion. Soil erosion can be a slow process that continues relatively unnoticed or can occur at an alarming rate, causing serious loss of topsoil.
Soil is a complex body and forms the thin outer layer of the earth. Whenever a powerful wind blows soil particles, they are carried to considerable distances. Precipitation is the most forceful factor causing erosion. Sheet erosion soil erosion is characterised by the downslope removal of soil particles within a thin sheet of water. This is particularly worrisome since, according to the uns food and agriculture organization, some 83% of subsaharan african people depend on the land for their livelihood, and food production in africa will have to increase almost 100. When top soil is gone, erosion can cause rills and gullies that make the cultivation of paddocks impossible. How human activities can accelerate soil erosion leaving. The loose topsoil is then transported by wind to nearby streams and waterways and become sediment or runoff, lowering the overall quality of the water.
These impacts include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation, and soil salinity. All soils undergo soil erosion, but some are more vulnerable than others due to human activities and other natural causal factors. In the soil erosion, uppermost fertile layer of soil which contains essential nutrients is lost. The loss of this top soil results in lower yields and higher production costs. It is the fairly uniform removal of soil in thin layers from the land surface, often.
This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice glaciers, snow, air wind, plants, animals, and humans. Mar, 2014 2010 examine the causes of soil erosion and outline methods used to prevent it. Soil erosion is the process where wind, water and human beings detach soil particles and deposit them somewhere else. The process may be natural or accelerated by human activity. Soil erosion is more likely where the ground has been disturbed by agriculture, grazing animals, logging, mining, construction, and recreational activities. Pdf soil is the most fundamental and basic natural resource for all life to survive. Accelerated erosion is largely the consequence of human activity. When strong winds blow, the topsoil along with the organic matter is carried away by the wind. Agriculture causes erosion by overgrazing and plowing remove a lower ground cover. An onsite loss of agricultural potential an offsite effect of downstream movement of sediment, causing flooding and the silting up of reservoirs. Jun 08, 2016 humans can cause erosion by clean cutting trees and brush. Sample paper see above the causes of soil erosion are more important than the solutions going by past exam papers. There are many factors which influence the process of soil erosion. Soil erosion is the permanent change of the main characteristics of soil that could see it lose its fertility, ph, colour, humus content or structure.
Water erosion water erosion causes two sets of problems. Causes of soil degradation and methods for soil conservation. When vegetation is planted in the ground, the topsoil is shifted, which causes erosion. Pesticides and other chemicals can get trapped in soil, polluting streams and rivers as the soil breaks apart. Wind erosion damages the soil by physically removing the most fertile part, lowering waterholding capacity, degrading soil structure, and increasing soil variability across a field, resulting in reduced crop production. Tillage erosion causes the thinning of soils on upper slope areas and can result in.
Water erosion is the detachment and removal of soil material by water. Chemicals used on soils reduce soil fertility so food production drops. With the rapid growth of human population, we need all the food we can get. Soil is a nonrenewable resource that once it is eroded it is not renewed. In arid areas, wind is a powerful agent of soil erosion.
The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion human activities and natural forces which causes soil erosion are. In this study, the diverse factors that cause soil erosion are evaluated. When a current in a body of water is so strong, subaqueous erosions may occur. Major causes and effects of soil erosion on the environment.
Fire that destroys vegetation and triggers erosion has the same. Although soil erosion is a natural occurrence on all land, there are certain factors that call accelerate erosion making it more noticeable and problematic. While soil erosion is a natural process, numerous human activities are increasing the rate at which we are losing soil, which has a detrimental impact on the productivity of agricultural land, nutrient availability in crops, carbon cycling, and even socioeconomic conditions. Degraded soil diminishes food production and leads to soil erosion, which in turn contributes to desertification. Causes and efforts to control soil erosion in africa. Too much of soil erosion causes serious loss of topsoil and also reduces crop production potential, lower surface water quality, and damaged. Humans cause most erosion human activity causes 10 times more soil erosion than all natural processes combined, according to a new study. It is directly or indirectly developed from the mineral constituents of the rocks. Degradation of the soil is caused by natural processes as well as by human activities.
Introduction the loss of soil from land surfaces by erosion is widespread globally and. The agents of soil erosion are the same as of other types of erosion. The total land area subjected to humaninduced so il degradation is. It also causes plant damage from abrasion, blowouts, and deposition. Agriculture is probably the most significant activity that accelerates. Deforestation causes a change in the rain cycle and this is a contributing factor to global warming and loss of ecosystems. Replaces omafra factsheet, soil erosion causes and effects, order no. Soil erosion is a natural process, but some human processes can also cause it. Half of the topsoil on the planet has been lost in the last 150 years. Agriculture is the main way humans cause soil erosion. Soil erosion can also lead to mudslides and floods, negatively affecting the structural integrity of buildings and roadways.
The greatest challenge for sustainable soil management. Soil erosion soil erosion is the detachment and movement of soil material. Geologists estimate that 70 percent of soil erosion is caused by human activities like excessive construction, agriculture, surface mining and forestry. 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. Depending on the local landscape and weather conditions, erosion may be very slow or very rapid.
Humans can cause erosion by clean cutting trees and brush. The most common human activities that increase soil erosion are described below. Soil erosion is the weathering away of topsoil caused by water, wind or tillage. Geological erosion, in which the erosion rate is less than the formation rate, would not reduce soil productivity. Soil quality information sheet rangeland soil quality water. But even though the soil changes occur, but the composition of soil layers remain almost the same in a human lifetime.
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. Erosion is the process by which rock and soil are removed from the surface of the earth as a result of water and wind action and thereafter deposited to other areas on the earths surface. Causes of soil erosion water and wind erosion causes. Apr 07, 2020 while soil erosion is a natural process, numerous human activities are increasing the rate at which we are losing soil, which has a detrimental impact on the productivity of agricultural land, nutrient availability in crops, carbon cycling, and even socioeconomic conditions. Flowing water, rainwater, and the wind are the prime agents which cause a significant amount of soil loss each year.
Soil erosion reduces cropland productivity and contributes to the pollution of adjacent watercourses, wetlands and lakes. The primary causes are tillage, grazing, and cutting of timber. Although soil erosion is a natural process, human activities have greatly accelerated it. Pdf soil erosion by human activities and impacts in water sources. Erosion, being a selective process of topsoil removal, leads to significant amounts of soil organic matter loss. Its effects can be seen directly in the location where erosion takes place, known as onsite effects, and at the site where the eroded soil deposits offsite. Aug 24, 2018 effects of soil erosion on the environment soil erosion is an ongoing process that affects each site in a slightly different way. Examine how human activities can accelerate soil erosion and methods used to prevent this.
Soil quality information sheet rangeland soil quality water erosion usda, natural resources conservation service may 2001 rangeland sheet 9 what is water erosion. Apart from the natural factors such as torrential rainfall, resulting in swift flow of water, strong winds in. A case study in the denku microwatershed oromia region by kassu kebede beyene submitted in accordance with the requirement for the degree of masters in human ecology at the university of south africa supervisor. The second category of soil degradation includes internal soil chemical deterioration salinization and acidification, soil pollution caused by excessive use of pesticides and manure, and soil pollution due to industrial and human waste accumulation and soil physical deterioration. Thus soil becomes deficient in essential minerals and this results in productivity loss. What are some human activities that increase the likelihood that soil will be eroded. Deforestation or destruction of forests accompanied by reduced frequency of rainfall leads to soil erosion and causes damage to agriculture property. Soil degradation is a global environmental problem which started since the innovation of agriculture by human kind.