Assignment Topic:

Soil Erosion and Soil Eradication

Submitted by: Ifra Urooj

Soil Erosion

Soil Erosion – Causes and Effects

1. Resources
Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process that affects all landforms. In agriculture,
soil erosion refers to the wearing a way of a field's topsoil by the natural physical forces
of water (Figure 1) and wind (Figure 2) or through forces associated with farming
activities such as tillage.

Erosion, whether it is by water, wind or tillage, involves three distinct actions – soil
detachment, movement and deposition. Topsoil, which is high in organic matter,
fertility and soil life, is relocated elsewhere "on-site" where it builds up over time or is
carried "off-site" where it fills in drainage channels. Soil erosion reduces cropland
productivity and contributes to the pollution of adjacent watercourses, wetlands and
lakes.

Figure 1. The erosive force of water from concentrated surface water runoff.

Soil Degradation
What is Soil Degradation?

Many people do conceive the idea of soil degradation but a good number lacks the knowledge of
its precise definition. 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. It involves the decline of the soil’s physical, biological and
chemical state.

Soil degradation examples include decline in soil fertility, adverse changes in alkalinity, acidity
or salinity, extreme flooding, use of toxic soil pollutants, erosion, and deterioration of the soil’s
structural condition. These elements contribute to a significant amount of soil quality
depreciation annually. Excessive soil degradation thus gives rise to immediate and long-term
impacts which translate into serious global environmental headaches,

While soil degradation may occur naturally, it has been highly exuberated by anthropogenic
activities. Besides, climate change combined with human activities continues to worsen soil
degradation. With the objective of understanding the distinct nature of soil quality decline, here
are the causes, effects, and solutions of soil degradation.

Causes of Soil Degradation

1. Physical Factors
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. Rainfall, surface runoff,
floods, wind erosion, tillage, and mass movements result in the loss of fertile top spoil thereby
declining soil quality.

All these physical factors produces different types of soil erosion (mainly water and wind
erosion) and soil detachment actions, and their resultant physical forces eventually changes the
composition and structure of the soil by wearing away the soil’s top layer as well as organic
matter.

Biological Factors

Biological factors refer to the human and plant activities that tend to reduce the quality of soil.
Some bacteria and fungi overgrowth in an area can highly impact the microbial activity of the
soil through bio-chemical reactions, which reduces crop yield and the suitability of soil
productivity capacity.

Chemical Factors

The reduction of soil nutrients because of alkalinity or acidity or water logging are all
categorized under the chemical components of soil degradation. In the broadest sense, it
comprises alterations in the soil’s chemical property that determine nutrient availability. It is
mainly caused by salt buildup and leaching of nutrients which corrupt the quality of soil by
creating undesirable changes in the essential soil chemical ingredients.

Deforestation

Deforestation causes soil degradation on the account of exposing soil minerals by removing trees
and crop cover, which support the availability of humus and litter layers on the surface of the
soil. Vegetation cover primarily promotes thee 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.

5. Misuse or excess use of fertilizers

The excessive use and the misuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizers kill organisms that assist
in binding the soil together. Most agricultural practices involving the use of fertilizers and
pesticides often entail misuse or excessive application, thereby contributing to the killing of
soil’s beneficial bacteria and other micro-organisms that help in soil formation.

6. Industrial and Mining activities

Soil is chiefly polluted by industrial and mining activities. 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. Industrial activities, on the other hand,
release toxic effluents and material wastes into the atmosphere, land, rivers, and ground water
that eventually pollute the soil and as such, it impacts on soil quality..

7. Improper cultivation practices

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. The
tillage on agricultural lands is one of the main factors since it breaks up soil into finer particles,
which increase erosion rates. 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.

8. Urbanization
Urbanization has major implications on the soil degradation process. Foremost of all, it
denudates the soil’s vegetation cover, compacts soil during construction, and alters the drainage
pattern. Secondly, it covers the soil in an impermeable layer of concrete that amplifies the
amount of surface runoff which results in more erosion of the top soil.

Overgrazing

The rates of soil erosion and the loss of soil nutrients as well as the top soil are highly
contributed by overgrazing. Overgrazing destroys surface crop cover and breaks down soil
particles, increasing the rates of soil erosion. As a result, soil quality and agricultural
productivity is greatly affected.

Effects of Soil Degradation

1. Land degradation

Soil quality decline is one of the main causes of land degradation and is considered to be

responsible for 84% of the ever diminishing acreage. Year after year, huge acres of land lost due
to soil erosion, contamination and pollution. About 40% of the world’s agricultural land is
severely diminished in quality because of erosion and the use of chemical fertilizers, which
prevent land from regenerating. 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.

2. Drought and aridity

Drought and aridity are problems highly influenced and amplified by soil degradation. 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. 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. On the same context, soil degradation may also
bring about loss of biodiversity.

3. Loss of arable land

Because soil degradation contributes to land degradation, it also means that it creates a
significant loss of arable land. As stated earlier, about 40% of the world’s agricultural land is lost
on the account of soil quality depreciation caused by agro-chemicals and soil erosion. Most of
the crop production practices result in the topsoil loss and the damage of soil’s natural
composition that make agriculture possible.

4. Pollution and clogging of waterways

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. With time, the
sedimentation process can clog waterways, resulting in water scarcity. The agricultural fertilizers
and pesticides also damage marine and freshwater ecosystems and the limits the domestic uses of
the water for the populations that depend on them for survival.
Solutions of Soil Degradation

1. Reducing deforestation

Avoiding deforestation completely is an uphill task. However, deforestation can be cut down and
this can create an impressive way of reshaping and restoring forests and vegetation cover. As
populations grow, individuals can be sensitized and educated regarding sustainable forest
management and reforestation efforts. Also, preserving the integrity of guarded areas can
significantly reduce demonstration.

2. Land reclamation

The outcomes of soil erosion and quality decline are widely irreversible. Still, soil organic matter
and plant nutrients can be replenished. To restore the lost soil mineral matter and organic
content, it would require what is known as land reclamation. Land reclamation encompasses
activities centered towards restoring the previous organic matter and soil’s vital minerals. This
may include activities such as the addition of plant residues to degraded soils and improving
range management.

3. Preventing salinization

Just like the old adage states that “prevention is better than cure,” so does the same concept apply
in solving the worldwide problem of soil degradation through salinization. The costs of
preventing salinization are incredibly cheaper than the reclamation projects in salinized areas.
Consequently, actions such as reducing irrigation, planting salt tolerant crops, and improving
irrigation efficiency will have high pay offs because the inputs and the labor-demanding aspects
associated with reclamation projects are zero. Preventing salanization in the first place is thus
an environmentally friendly means of offering solution to soil degradation.