This website includes study notes, research papers, essays, articles and other allied information submitted by visitors like YOU. Soil erosion is the most serious precursor of soil degradation that comes with global implications. Salinity directly affects the productivity by making the soil unsuitable for crop growth. Most of the crop production practices result in the topsoil loss and the damage of soil’s natural composition that makes agriculture possible. Silting of drainage, canals, rivers and reservoirs results in increased floods and droughts. Excess use of pesticide reduces microbial activity and biomass. 2. 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. Soil and land degradation are interrelated issues and often come up in the same context. Salinized soils can be restored by salt level correction reclamation projects and salinity control. Disclaimer Copyright, Share Your Knowledge It also contributes to the displacement of populations and the multiplication of conflicts. ii. Soil degradation is a global phenomenon. The estimated annual loss of different crops due to soil degradation rangs from Rs. 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. (And Are They Reusable), Are Light Bulbs Recyclable? The degradation or deterioration of soil may be caused by the following factors: 1. These chemical factors normally bring forth the irreversible loss of soil nutrients and production capacities such as the hardening of iron and aluminum-rich clay soils into hardpans. (And 3 Ways to Dispose of). Overgrazing and cultivation practices that are not adapted to local environments are the principal causes of soil degradation. Natural hazards are excluded as a cause; however human activities can indirectly affect phenomena such as floods and bush fires. The biological factors affect mainly lessens the microbial activity of the soil. Steeper areas … Waterlogging and soil salinization is the important causes of soil degradation in Northwest India, particularly the states of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. Name the types of nitrogenous bases present in the RNA. Water Erosion 2. The adverse effect of alkalinity on availability of nutrients is due to deflocculating effect of sodium ions. loss of fertile top soil due to water or wind erosion. 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. loss of fertile top soil due to water or wind erosion. Before sharing your knowledge on this site, please read the following pages: 1. 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. The saline degradation is due to natural causes and poor irrigation practices which disturb the water cycle in areas. This is otherwise known as conservation tillage, which means tillage mechanisms targeted at making very minimal changes to the soil’s natural condition and at the same time improving the soil’s productivity. 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. However, deforestation can be cut down and this can create an impressive way of reshaping and restoring forests and vegetation cover. Deforestation: Forests play an important role in maintaining fertility of soil by shedding their leaves … The main reasons for unproductiveness or degradation of soils are as follows: Most of the Indian soils are deficient in nutrients and organic matter. These protect the soil while returning nutrients and plant matter too. Our mission is to provide an online platform to help students to share notes in Biology. Waste lands are those which for one or the other reason have poor life sustaining property. Cultivation in Steep Slopes July 22, 2012 Footer text here17 18. The fatal nematodes threaten potato cultivation in the Nilgiris and, if not controlled they may pose threat to potato cultivation in that area. All these physical factors produces different types of soil erosion (mainly water and wind erosion) and soil detachment actions, and t… Chemical considerations such as mineral degradation or the damage induced by acidity or alkalinity (salinization) or waterlogging. Biological factors which affect the micro-flora and reduce the microbial activity of the soil. Soil Nutrient Mining iii. 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. In India alone, about 188 million hectares or almost 57% of total land area is degraded (Sehgel and Abrol, 1994). 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. Examples of marginal lands are steep sloppy lands, shallow or sandy soils and the lands in dry and semi-dry areas. As populations grow, individuals can be sensitized and educated regarding sustainable forest management and reforestation efforts. Chemical factors e.g. In irrigation these salts are dissolved in soil water and rise to the surface through capillary action. In the past 150 years half the topsoil on the planet has been lost. 3. While soil degradation may occur naturally, it has been highly exuberated by anthropogenic activities. Desertification. In addition to these causes, intensive cultivation using high-yielding short-duration and fertilizer-responsive cultivars of crops has further accelerated the loss of plant nutrients which is much greater than what is supplemented through fertilizers. Causes of Land Degradation: In addition to pollution, soil and land face several other problems. Disposal of oil shales, heavy metal contamination of soil and spillage of crude oils adversely affect soil micro flora which ultimately affect soil productivity and cause soil degradation. It is a serious environmental problem. 70% of agricultural land suited for raising livestock or crops is already degraded in Africa (FAO, 2011). 1. #3 Soil erosion gets worse It affects global climate through alterations in water cycle and energy balances and disruptions of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur cycles. The outcomes of soil erosion are reduced agricultural productivity, ecological collapse, soil degradation, and the possibility of desertification. Due to shortage of land, increase of population and economic pressure, the farmers have adopted intensive cropping patterns of commercial crops in place of more balanced cereal-legume rotations. Privacy Policy3. In highly productive areas, canal irrigation is responsible for a rapid rise in water table. 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. Why mitochondria is called as the power house of the cell? Answer Now and help others. The erodible material is almost devoid of organic matter and lacks in mineral plant nutrients. Rainfall, surface runoff, floods, wind erosion, tillage, and mass movements result in the loss of fertile top spoil thereby declining soil quality. 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… Soil erosion is a consequence of unsustainable land use and other disturbances, such as fire, mining, or intensive agricultural uses. 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. Causes of Soil Erosion are conditions cause water logging. Physical factors, e.g. 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. The causes of land degradation can be divided into natural hazards, direct causes, and underlying causes. During last decade the nutrients deficiency has been considered as the main cause of poor productivity and crop failure. (And How to Dispose of). These are very real and at times severe issues. 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. TOS4. 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. Year after year, huge acres of land lost due to soil erosion, contamination, and pollution. Founded Conserve Energy Future with the sole motto of providing helpful information related to our rapidly depleting environment. According to an estimate, about 0.8 million ha soil is degraded due to mining activity. In other words, soil degradation takes away the soil’s natural capability of holding water thus contributing to more and more cases of flooding. Applications of some pesticide chemicals (e.g., amitrole, atrazine, bromacil, picloram, etc.) Deforestation causes fast degradation when the soil is steep sloppy or easily erodible. 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. 4. 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. Expansion of canal irrigation is also directly concerned with widespread water-logging and salinity problems in arid and semiarid areas. 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. The farmers maintain productivity of soil by applying chemical fertilizers but make less use of organic manures. Thus soil becomes deficient in essential minerals and this results in productivity loss. Many people do conceive the idea of soil degradation but a good number lacks the knowledge of its precise definition. Among the major causes of degradation, water erosion is considered to be the most severe one which covers almost 87% of the affected area. inhibit nitrification. These elements contribute to a significant amount of soil quality depreciation annually. With time, the sedimentation process can clog waterways, resulting in water scarcity. One of the topics studied in GCSE Geography is soil erosion and degradation. depletion of nutrients or the toxicity due to acidity or alkalinity (salinization) or water logging. 3. (With Methods)| Industrial Microbiology, How is Cheese Made Step by Step: Principles, Production and Process, Enzyme Production and Purification: Extraction & Separation Methods | Industrial Microbiology, Fermentation of Olives: Process, Control, Problems, Abnormalities and Developments, The best answers are voted up and rise to the top. 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. Organic farmers who add compost and manure to the soil replenish nutrients while reducing flooding risk and capturing carbon. Of the world’s total land area of 13.5 billion hectares, only 3.03 billion hectares (22 per cent) is actually cultivable and about 2 billion hectares is degraded. Human activities such as poor farming practices may also deplete soil nutrients thus diminishing soil fertility. The wasteland can be made useful by increasing productivity of land by using some useful methods as afforestation or by using bio-fertilizers. Soil degradation is the loss of land’s production capacity in terms of loss of soil fertility, soil biodiversity, and degradation. Just as soil erosion is a component of soil degradation, soil degradation is a component of land degradation. 4. The impact of mining on soil depends on the physical, chemical properties of the waste generated. As a result, soil quality and agricultural productivity are greatly affected. Deterioration of the water quality: the increase in the turbidity of water and the contribution of nitrogen and of phosphorus can result in eutrophication. 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. Preventing salinization in the first place is thus an environmentally friendly means of offering a solution to soil degradation. 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. 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 nodulation and growth of some leguminous crops and nitrogen fixation are inhibited by different pesticides. Share Your PPT File. What are antibiotics? According to an estimate of 1992, every year 20.2 million tonnes of NPK is removed by growing crops. Soil is chiefly polluted by industrial and mining activities. (And Should We Stop Camping? Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. It involves the decline of the soil’s physical, biological, and chemical state. Most of the crops in India are affected due to salinity. According to Global Assessment of Soil Degradation (GLASOD), deforestation is the main cause of soil erosion by wind in about 98% of the area. Out of 100 per cent potentially active lands only 44 per cent are available for cultivation and 56 per cent of land are non-available for cultivation. It is estimated that nearly 2 billion ha of soil resources in the world have been degraded, namely approximately 22% of the total cropland, pasture, forest, and woodland. When the water dries up, the salts are left on the upper surface as a crust or layer. 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. 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. Soil degradation is a complex phenomenon derived by interaction between natural and socio economic factors. Share Your PDF File Soil degradation causes include agricultural, industrial, and commercial pollution; loss of arable land due to urban expansion, overgrazing, and unsustainable agricultural practices; and long-term climatic changes. Although the yield can be maintained by using fertilizers that provide deficient minerals yet their use often results in deficiencies of other nutrients. Content Guidelines 2. 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. The latest data revealed that erosion has rendered 200 million hectares or 36% of the total area of the country barren (Table 27.1). 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. Physical factors, e.g. Share Your Word File 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. Again, most of the runoff and sediments from urban areas are extremely polluted with oil, fuel, and other chemicals. Impacts of Soil Degradation The effect of soil degradation is not detected as serious global problem up to 2020. In extreme cases, soil becomes unfit for cultivation. In the broadest sense, it comprises alterations in the soil’s chemical property that determine nutrient availability. The slope of the land. Effects of Wind Erosion 6. The excessive use and the misuse of pesticides and chemical fertilizers kill organisms that assist in binding the soil together. Pesticides as a cause of soil degradation - John Kempf Pesticides as a cause of soil degradation Many agronomists and farmers with three or four decades of experience describe how soil health deteriorated quickly when herbicide and pesticide use became mainstream. What causes this to happen? Resources Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process that affects all landforms. 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. By the end of this topic, you will know how different forms of human activities are responsible for the majority of different types of soil pollution. This poor condition of pasture lands is due to excessive grazing. The degradation or deterioration of soil may be caused by the following factors: 1. Recognizing The Challenges with Preventing Or Solving Land Degradation This is a question and answer forum for students, teachers and general visitors for exchanging articles, answers and notes. Plants act as protective covers as they are helpful at making the soil stronger by stabilizing the land surface. These factors reduce the yield. Effects of Water Erosion 4. What are the characters Mendel selected for his experiments on pea plant? Some of the contributing activities include logging and slash and burn techniques used by individuals who invade forest areas for farming, rendering the soils unproductive and less fertile in the end. Either way, soil erosion can lead to severe environmental degradation since large areas of land can become useless due to the erosion of soil. The following are the impacts of soil degradation: 1. Degraded soils which result in poor or no production are also called problem soils. Land reclamation encompasses activities centered towards restoring the previous organic matter and soil’s vital minerals. The data published by National Bureau of Soil Survey and Land Use Planning (Sehgal and Abrol, 1994) show that about 3.7 million ha land suffers from nutrient loss or depletion of organic matter. A diagrammatic representation of the causes of soil acidity showing the importance of product removal and nitrate leaching in the process . Effects of Tillage Erosion 8. For this reason, the transformed land is unable to soak up water, making flooding more frequent. A true environmentalist by heart ❤️. (And Simple Ways to Reuse Old Mirrors), Can You Compost Coffee Grounds? The reduction of soil nutrients because of alkalinity or acidity or waterlogging are all categorized under the chemical components of soil degradation. 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. Depletion of nutrients and soil organic matter and erosion are the principal forms of soil degradation. 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 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). Destruction of natural vegetation cover is a major factor responsible for erosion of soils by water and wind. Soil fertility is reduced due to prolonged intensive cultivation. The land is commonly altered from its natural landscape when it rids its physical composition from soil degradation. Which organelle is known as “power house” of the cell? The main cause of water erosion is removal of vegetation, over exploitation of vegetation, over grazing and improper agricultural practices. The problem is more severe in the cultivated areas of the subtropical belt. 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. (And 10 Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds), Are Ziploc Bags Recyclable? Degradation leads to reduction in crop yield in the affected lands and a possible decline in cropping intensity. Soil erosion is the major cause of soil degradation. 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? 6. Urbanization has major implications on the soil degradation process. What causes Soil Pollution? Biological factors refer to the human and plant activities that tend to reduce the quality of the soil. According to National Commission on Agriculture (1976), about 6 million ha area is under water-logged condition. Altogether, industrial and mining activities degrade the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. It occurs whenever the natural balances in the landscape are changed by human activity through misuse or overuse of soil. 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 topsoil. Besides, climate change combined with human activities continues to worsen soil degradation. In India pasture land area is decreasing day by day due to expansion of agricultural land. Human activities are the primary cause of soil pollution and land degradation. During last two decades the area under food crops decreased and that under non-food crops increased. An area of about 21.7 million hectares of soil is rendered unproductive due to salinity and water-logging. Soil Degradation Ann Verdoodt Academic Year 2011-2012 Compilation of course notes by Prof. Donald Gabriëls and new materials by Prof. Ann Verdoodt Soil erosion can either be caused by natural forces like wind or water or can be caused by human behavior like deforestation or the building of dams. Forms of Water Erosion 3. Trafficking (by animals as well as by vehicles) and cultivation are the primary causes of this form of soil degradation. Deforestation: Forests play an important role in maintaining fertility of soil by shedding their leaves … Explain its significance. 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. 89 billion to 232 billion which represent a loss of 11 to 26 per cent yield (Table 27.6). Because soil degradation contributes to land degradation, it also means that it creates a significant loss of arable land. Mining disturbs the physical, chemical and biological features of the soil. Are Wood-burning Stoves Bad For The Environment? 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. This is a global problem. 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