This causes a cycle as floods can degrade soil, and soil degradation can cause floods. 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. Water Erosion 2. 1. As populations grow, individuals can be sensitized and educated regarding sustainable forest management and reforestation efforts. (And How to Dispose of). It affects global climate through alterations in water cycle and energy balances and disruptions of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur cycles. Once soil erosion occurs, it is more likely to happen again. Soils become water-logged when the water balance of an area is disturbed because of excess recharge. Avoiding soil degradation is crucial to our well-being. In the same context, soil degradation may also bring about loss of biodiversity. 70% of agricultural land suited for raising livestock or crops is already degraded in Africa (FAO, 2011). loss of fertile top soil due to water or wind erosion. What are the characters Mendel selected for his experiments on pea plant? The fatal nematodes threaten potato cultivation in the Nilgiris and, if not controlled they may pose threat to potato cultivation in that area. Summary 10. The soil profile is changed; the top soil is turned deep inside the dumps. Explain its significance. Foremost of all, it denudates the soil’s vegetation cover, compacts soil during construction, and alters the drainage pattern. Natural hazards are excluded as a cause; however human activities can indirectly affect phenomena such as floods and bush fires. With time, the sedimentation process can clog waterways, resulting in water scarcity. Compost Pile vs Bin – Which One is Right For You? The nation that destroys its soil, destroys itself. (And 10 Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds), Are Ziploc Bags Recyclable? The factors below can trigger degradation or deterioration of the soil; For example, physical causes involve the depletion of fertile topsoil due to water or wind erosion. 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. When trees are removed by logging, infiltration rates become elevated and the soil remains bare and exposed to erosion and the buildup of toxicities. The reduction of soil nutrients because of alkalinity or acidity or waterlogging are all categorized under the chemical components of soil degradation. 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. Tillage Erosion 7. Cultivation in Steep Slopes July 22, 2012 Footer text here17 18. 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. Share Your PDF File 15 Exceptional Reasons Why Wildlife Conservation is Important Today, World’s 10 Most Threatened Biodiversity Hotspots, Causes, Effects and Solutions to Overgrazing, Causes, Effects and Solutions to Combat Desertification, Are Condoms Biodegradable? Preventing salinization in the first place is thus an environmentally friendly means of offering a solution to soil degradation. #3 Soil erosion gets worse The annual loss of land is expected to go up to 10 million hectares by 2000 A.D.(Yadava 1996). Applications of some pesticide chemicals (e.g., amitrole, atrazine, bromacil, picloram, etc.) The outcomes of soil erosion are reduced agricultural productivity, ecological collapse, soil degradation, and the possibility of desertification. Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. Desertification. 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. Soil Degradation Ann Verdoodt Academic Year 2011-2012 Compilation of course notes by Prof. Donald Gabriëls and new materials by Prof. Ann Verdoodt ), Are Mirrors Recyclable? 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. The estimated annual loss of different crops due to soil degradation rangs from Rs. Natural events such as wildfires, hurricanes, landslides, tsunamis and earthquakes can totally lower the survival grade of local animal communities and plant life in a region. In India alone, about 188 million hectares or almost 57% of total land area is degraded (Sehgel and Abrol, 1994). Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land. 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. 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. These are very real and at times severe issues. Most of the crop production practices result in the topsoil loss and the damage of soil’s natural composition that makes agriculture possible. Physical factors, e.g. In extreme cases, soil becomes unfit for cultivation. It is a serious environmental problem. 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. Extension of cultivation to marginal land: Due to tremendous population increase the use of land is increasing day by day. Soil erosion decreases soil fertility, which can negatively affect crop yields. 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. Among the major causes of degradation, water erosion is considered to be the most severe one which covers almost 87% of the affected area. 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. During last two decades the area under food crops decreased and that under non-food crops increased. 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. 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. It refers to the advancement of the desert into the adjoining regions, thereby affecting the fertility of nearby lands. Welcome to BiologyDiscussion! In the past 150 years half the topsoil on the planet has been lost. 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. 12 billion to 27 billion annually. This is a question and answer forum for students, teachers and general visitors for exchanging articles, answers and notes. 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 t… The following are the impacts of soil degradation: 1. Soil degradation is a global phenomenon. Drought and aridity are problems highly influenced and amplified by soil degradation. Most of the canal areas in arid and semiarid regions are rich in soluble salts. Organic matter is rapidly decomposed and leached or eroded by heavy rains. Overgrazing and cultivation practices that are not adapted to local environments are the principal causes of soil degradation. According to Global Assessment of Soil Degradation (GLASOD), deforestation is the main cause of soil erosion by wind in about 98% of the area. Recognizing The Challenges with Preventing Or Solving Land Degradation 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. Yeast: Origin, Reproduction, Life Cycle and Growth Requirements | Industrial Microbiology, How is Bread Made Step by Step? 6. It occurs whenever the natural balances in the landscape are changed by human activity through misuse or overuse of soil. These factors reduce the yield. Indirectly it lowers productivity through its adverse effects on the availability of nutrients. For this reason, the transformed land is unable to soak up water, making flooding more frequent. Content Guidelines 2. Also, preserving the integrity of guarded areas can significantly reduce demonstration. TOS4. The degradation of our soils, due to human activities, today, can harm our well-being. 89 billion to 232 billion which represent a loss of 11 to 26 per cent yield (Table 27.6). 2. The topography of the land may also be a cause of soil erosion. Organic farmers who add compost and manure to the soil replenish nutrients while reducing flooding risk and capturing carbon. A diagrammatic representation of the causes of soil acidity showing the importance of product removal and nitrate leaching in the process . Governments, international organizations, and other environmental stakeholders need to ensure there are appropriate measures for making zero net deforestation a reality so as to inhibit soil 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 biological factors affect mainly lessens the microbial activity of the soil. Michael McNeill shares his observations. It involves the decline of the soil’s physical, biological, and chemical state. Why mitochondria is called as the power house of the cell? Privacy Policy3. Are Wood-burning Stoves Bad For The Environment? The main reasons for unproductiveness or degradation of soils are as follows: Most of the Indian soils are deficient in nutrients and organic matter. During last decade the nutrients deficiency has been considered as the main cause of poor productivity and crop failure. Biological factors refer to the human and plant activities that tend to reduce the quality of the soil. As a result, soil quality and agricultural productivity are greatly affected. The slope of the land. (And 3 Ways to Dispose of). Soil fertility is reduced due to prolonged intensive cultivation. Marginal lands though sustainable for farming are less fertile and more prone to degradation. 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. The unchecked and indiscriminate grazing on forest land also leads to degradation of forest soils. Replace goodness. This quiz looks not only at the causes of soil erosion, but also the effects - such as how it damages ecosystems. Waste lands are those which for one or the other reason have poor life sustaining property. loss of fertile top soil due to water or wind erosion. According to a Pereira and Muñoz-Rojas (2017) synthesis, soil erosion is one of the major causes, evidence of, and key variables used to assess and understand land degradation. Share Your PPT File. The rate of siltation in many water reservoirs are significantly high. (And Should We Stop Camping? With the objective of understanding the distinct nature of soil quality decline, here are the various causes, effects, and solutions of soil degradation. As stated earlier, about 40% of the world’s agricultural land is lost on the account of soil quality depreciation caused by agrochemicals and soil erosion. Besides, climate change combined with human activities continues to worsen soil degradation. In the long-term, the physical forces and weathering processes lead to the decline in soil fertility and adverse changes in the soil’s composition/structure. depletion of nutrients or the toxicity due to acidity or alkalinity (salinization) or water logging. The nodulation and growth of some leguminous crops and nitrogen fixation are inhibited by different pesticides. 4. Founded Conserve Energy Future with the sole motto of providing helpful information related to our rapidly depleting environment. To restore the lost soil mineral matter and organic content, it would require what is known as land reclamation. Destruction of natural vegetation cover is a major factor responsible for erosion of soils by water and wind. All these physical factors produces different types of soil erosion (mainly water and wind erosion) and soil detachment actions, and t… 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. Causes of Land Degradation: In addition to pollution, soil and land face several other problems. 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