Depending on the local landscape and weather conditions, erosion may be very slow or very rapid. Soil erosion is a natural process in which particles of soil are moved by wind and water, and displaced to another location. An assessment of the global impact of 21st century land use change on soil erosionhuman activity and related land use change are the primary cause of accelerated soil erosion, which has substantial implications for nutrient and carbon cycling, land productivity and in turn, worldwide socioeconomic conditions. Gravity erosion movement of soil occurs on steep slopes under the influence of gravity. Lets have a look at the most common causes of soil erosion. Accelerated soil erosion is a significant threat to soil quality and impacts agriculture, infrastructure, and the environment. Soil erosion and sediment control a pdh online course. It is also recognised as the most useful single indicator of soil quality soil carbon initiative 2011. Although soil erosion is a natural process, many human activities have increased rates of soil erosion. This process begins when the raindrops break down the soil. Prolonged erosion causes irreversible soil loss over time. When erosion occurs naturally, soil is relocated at about the same rate. Between 1982 and 2003, total soil erosion dropped from an estimate of over 3 billion tons per year to 1. Small grains, such as wheat, offer considerable obstructiontosurfacewash.
Other effects of soil erosion on the chesapeake bay and associated waterways are. Vegetation cover is vital to prevent sheet erosion because it protects the soil, impedes waterflow and encourages water to infiltrate into the soil. Soil compaction, low organic matter, loss of soil structure, poor internal drainage, salinisation and soil acidity problems are other serious soil degradation conditions that can accelerate the soil erosion process. Soil erosion can also lead to mudslides and floods, negatively affecting the structural integrity of buildings and roadways. Either way, soil erosion has a negative impact on agriculture and on the environment. Helping north coast landholders reduce soil erosion. In the iowa cooperative soil survey program, erosion classes are defined quantitatively. It is the fairly uniform removal of soil in thin layers from the land surface, often scarcely perceptible, especially when caused by wind.
Rajesh kumar mishra, tropical forest research institute. Information bulletin 7 activities 9 activity questions 10. Determining the cause of accelerated streambank erosion is the first step in solving the problem. The impact from the raindrops loosens topsoil, allowing small fragments to detach. Managing for soil erosion land resources and environmental. 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. Soil erosion depletes soil productivity, but the relationship between erosion and productivity is not well defined 63, 67,80, 83, 99, 100. 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. Construction is one of the major causes of erosion in michigan.
Water and wind erosion are two main agents that degrade. Soil erosion and degradation causes and effects of soil erosion, and how to prevent it soil erosion causes, effects and solutions for online weathering and erosion game. This has been worsening due to human activities such as agriculture and deforestation. Soil productivity is the capacity of a soil, in its normal environ ment, to produce a particular plant or. Practices to control soil erosion and sediment delivery practices to control sheet and rill erosion modify one or more of the factors affecting erosion processes. Precipitation is the most forceful factor causing erosion. Soil erosion results from a complex interaction of soil plant. Soil compaction, low organic matter, loss of soil structure, poor internal drainage, salinisation and soil acidity problems are other serious soil degradation conditions that can accelerate the soil erosion. The primary causes are tillage, grazing, and cutting of timber. Causes of erosion erosion occurs when soil is left exposed to rain or wind energy. In this discussion, erosion control practices are grouped as conservation tillage, which reduces sheet and rill erosion, and other practices which reduce slope length and runoff contouring, contour strip cropping and terraces. Within each of the four communities thirty housesbuildings were randomly selected for the study. Wind erosion is a common cause of land degradation in the arid and semi arid grazing lands of inland queensland.
Without soil and plants the land becomes desertlike and unable to support life. Pesticides and other chemicals can get trapped in soil, polluting streams and rivers as the soil breaks apart. Soil erosion is the displacement of the upper layer of soil, it is one form of soil degradation. The surface water flows that cause sheet erosion rarely flow for more than a few metres before concentrating into rills. The cost of soil erosion building a culture of conservation. Poor decisions can easily result in serious damage to soil. An onsite loss of agricultural potential an offsite effect of downstream movement of sediment, causing flooding and the silting up of reservoirs.
Decreasing natural soil fertility and loss of soil life in cropland 580 organic manures. Flowing water, rainwater, and the wind are the prime agents which cause a significant amount of soil loss each year. It is the process of detachment and transport of soil particles. Rill erosion rills are shallow drainage lines less than 30cm deep. Erosion occurs when soil particles are detached, transported, and deposited elsewhere, water, wind, ice glaciers, and gravity are involved in transporting soil materials, and these are also the active agents in erosion. Assessment and reporting on soil erosion title page and overview. T value tolerable erosion equilibrium between soil gains and losses. The soil material is suspended in runoff water and carried away. This equation provides an estimate of the soil loss rate in tonshectareyear.
The causes and sources of land erosion include runoff from developed lands. Most agriculture activities, especially on sloping landscapes, increase the potential for soil erosion. Running water is one of the main cause of soil erosion. Test your understanding of soil erosion and its causes. When soil erosion is severe, soil erodes faster than it can be renewed. Processes and principles of erosion and sedimentation. One of the main causes of soil erosion is water erosion, which is the loss of topsoil due to water.
In europe, soil erosion is caused mainly by water and, to a. Causes and types of soil erosion the movement of water over the soil surface causes about threefifths of the estimated erosion on u. One third of the worlds agricultural soils, or roughly 2 billion hectares of land, was reported as being affected by soil. The causes and sources of land erosion generally include activities that either eliminate the vegetation that protects soil from erosion, or result in increased runoff volume and velocity. Surface creep in a wind erosion event, large particles ranging from 0. This course is based primarily on chapters 2, 4 and 6 selected sections from the missouri department of natural resources manual, protecting water quality, a guide to erosion, sediment and stormwater best management practices bmp for development sites, 2011 edition, 86 pages, pdf file and the course introduction paragraph. Nkrankwanta in brong ahafo region, agona and mam pong in ashanti region and asankragua in western re gion from august to november, 2010. Soil erosion is the natural process in which the topsoil of a field is carried away by physical sources such as wind and water. Soil organic carbon soc and its importance for soil quality soil organic carbon is the major component approximately 58% of soil organic matter and plays a vital role in agricultural production and in a range of other soil functions. Reduced infiltration provides less opportunity for soil water storage. Coastlines erosion that occurs on coastlines is due to the action of ocean currents, waves, and tides.
Left unprotected, sites will be further degraded by erosion and begin to adversely affect the surrounding environment. Soil degradation is a global environmental problem which started since the innovation of agriculture by human kind. Processes of stream bank erosion the various mechanisms of stream bank erosion. Wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land known as wind erosion. The goal of soil quality management on construction sites is to revegetate for protection against. Soil erosion is also referred to as the creeping death. Environment agency thinksoils factors that influence erosion and runoff soil surface roughness factors that influence erosion and runoff soil surface roughness 3 ploughed land provides surface storage of rainwater soil surface roughness soil surface roughness rough surfaces e. It leaves the affected area exposed to more sporadic erosion making it a sequential occurrence. This erosion is the dominant form of soil degradation. Improve soil fertility in croplands through the use of agroforestry practices and 580 2030 1.
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. Surface sealing and crusting reduce seedling emergence and in filtration. Soil erosion reduces soil productivity, scars the landscape, and causes downstream damage. Removal of vegetation cover has caused widespread erosion in western ghats, uttar pradesh and in himachal pradesh. Soil erosion and conservation general knowledge questions. Most often the watercaused erosion is table 1estlnfiated erosion by type and source, contiguous united states, 1992 land annual erosion type areaand source erosion acreyear. In this paper, the diverse factors that cause soil erosion are assessed. Depending on the duration and intensity of a rainfall, soils can exhibit signs of one of the four forms of the damage, including. Erosion also reduces productivity through nonuniform removal of soil within a field. Effects of erosion control practices on nutrient loss.
The dpsir assessment framework applied to soil erosion. Soil erosion is a natural process that contributes to the formation of fertile soils e. Effects of soil erosion on soil properties as related to. Streams and rivers erosion commonly occurs along the bank of the stream. Ppt soil erosion powerpoint presentation free to view. Various agents, like wind, water, deforestation, overgrazing by cattle, etc. Land use humans play a major role in soil erosion through their use and abuse of. Water erosion water erosion causes two sets of problems. The process may be natural or accelerated by human activity. Until the relationship is ade quately developed, selecting management strategies to maximize longterm crop pro duction will be impossible. Soil erosion sheet, rill and wind erosion detachment and transportation of soil particles caused by rainfall runoffsplash, irrigation runoff, or wind that degrades soil quality. Soil present in a steeper slope more than the soil present at a plane level of the. Rowcropssuchasmaizeandpotatoesoffer little cover during the early growth stages and thereby encourage erosion. Generally, soil erosion is the relocation of the topsoil layer from its original location.
A part of the process is the detachment of soil material by the impact of raindrops. Water erosion water erosion results from the removal of soil material by flowing water. Tillage erosion causes the thinning of soils on upper slope areas and can result in. There are many factors which influence the process of soil erosion. Soil erosion is a process of detachment and transportation of soil by natural agencies of water and wind. Org erosion erosion for effects of soil erosion and ways to prevent it. Economic research service report agriculture soil erosion.
Although soil erosion is a natural occurrence on all land, there are certain factors that call accelerate erosion making it more noticeable and problematic. Causes of soil erosion water and wind erosion causes. Aug 24, 2018 lets have a look at the most common causes of soil erosion. Solutions need to be developed and introduced which address both issues simultaneously. In addition, soil erosion reduces the valuable diversity of plants, animals, and soil microorganisms. Soil erosion also causes increased turbidity and sedimentation in the bay. The impact of raindrops will break up the soil and water buildup will create runoff, taking sediment with it. 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. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice glaciers, snow, air wind, plants, animals, and humans. However, high corn prices have encouraged expansion of row crop production to lands which often are at greater risk for soil erosion. Farmland owners are urged to recognize the threat of soil erosion and employ a suite of bestmanagement practices to protect this precious resource. This happens more often when the land is not covered with grass or plants. Pdf soil is the most fundamental and basic natural resource for all life to survive.
If the texture is loose that is the soil contains more of small grains and of open structure erodes faster. Sheet erosion soil erosion is characterised by the downslope removal of soil particles within a thin sheet of water. Assessing soil erosion although soil erosion has been taking place very slowly in natural ecosystems throughout geologic time, its cumulative impacts on soil quality over billions of years have been significant. Soil erosion soil erosion is the detachment and movement of soil material. Soil erosion over decades can have detrimental effects on. Soil erosion is a major environmental issue because it can lead to water pollution.
Application of radioactive fallout cesium7 for measuring. Too much of soil erosion causes serious loss of topsoil and also reduces crop production potential, lower surface water quality, and damaged. When strong winds blow, the topsoil along with the organic matter is carried away by the wind. The outcomes of soil erosion are reduced agricultural productivity, ecological collapse, soil degradation, and the possibility of desertification.
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. Soil erosion effects on soil productivity southwest watershed. Splash erosion results when the force of raindrops falling on bare or sparsely vegetated soil detaches soil particles. Raindrops hit exposed soil with great energy and easily dislodge the soil particles from the surface. Erosion by water commonly occurs in two different geologic settings. Depending on the duration and intensity of a rainfall, soils can exhibit signs of one of the four forms of the damage. Universal soil erosion equation for questions 17, determine what the rate of soil erosion will be without factoring in sustainability measures for two different sites in jordan. Total soil erosion on all cropland and land in crp declined since 1982 as well. In splash erosion, falling raindrops create small craters in the soil from which soil particles are ejected. But did you know that soil erosion also can seriously impair crop productivity. Soil erosion qfiles the online library of knowledge. Little or no mixing of the subsoil with the plow layer. For most areas of iowa, the loss of 1 inch per acre of. Sheet erosion occurs when these soil particles are.
The causes of soil erosion can be natural or manmade. In practice, this means that soil erosion control practices will also decrease phosphorus movement in the landscape. Soil erosion can be a slow process that continues relatively unnoticed or can occur at an alarming rate, causing serious loss of topsoil. Grass is the best natural soil protector against soil erosion because of its relatively dense cover. Effects of soil erosion on soil properties as related to crop. Erosion by water water is the most efficient and effective agent for erosion. The materials move from higher to lower grounds due to their weight. Erosion can decrease rooting depth, soil fertility, organic matter in the soil and plantavailable water reserves lal, 1987. Water is one of the strongest erosive agents that has a great potential to disturb the soil surface. Solved examples with detailed answer description, explanation are given and it would be easy to understand. The extent of damage associated with soil erosion is analyzed, with emphasis on the impact these causative factors may have on future. Grenada land degradation neutrality national report. Soil erosion results from a complex interaction of soilplant. Accelerated erosion is largely the consequence of human activity.
The causes of soil erosion are directly related to improper landuse, and are, therefore, entirely manmade. Erosion impacts construction activities, such as grading and filling, drastically reduce soil quality on construction sites. Soil erosion around foundations of houses in four communities in ghana 29. Shearing stress caused by wind is this force in wind erosion and its ability to erode is. Explains soil erosion and the processes that cause exacerbate it, including human activities. This can be considerable during highintensity storms. In this process, the soil particles are loosened or washed away in the valleys, oceans, rivers, streams or far away lands. Soil erosion is a worldwide challenge for sustainability of agriculture especially in tropical region. Natural erosion has sculptured landforms on the uplands and built landforms on the lowlands.
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