Soil physical damage is an increasingly serious problem for agriculture. Ihe result is a dastic revision of previous land degrdation cost estimates in two respects. Trafficking by animals as well as by vehicles and cultivation are the primary causes of this form of soil degradation. Where land has been lost by gullying, or severe sheet erosion has removed the soil clown to a gravelly residue, degradation is clearly irreversible. View soil erosion and land degradation research papers on academia. It should be noted, however, that this applies also to any actual loss of soil material, or reduced profile depth, since the rate of natural soil formation is extremely slow on a human time scale. Soil degradation includes erosion, salinization due to freshwater removal, soil loss following erosion after deforestation or overgrazing, compaction and crusting of soils, which can be caused by cattle trampling, and waterlogging with impaired water movement oldeman et al. Intense rainfall and conventional tillage practices coupled with poor soil structure and steep slopes are the main drivers of soil erosion. First, the authors argue that past estimates have overestmated the impact of soil erosion and that new data and more reasonable assumptions suggest that tlis problem is more mangeable.
Deforestation causes fast degradation when the soil is steep sloppy or easily erodible. It thus covers both salinization in its strict sense, the buildup of free salts. Soil erosion has been considered as the primary cause of soil degradation because soil erosion leads to the loss of topsoil and soil organic matter, which are essential for the growing of plants. Soil degradation due to water erosion is a serious threat to the quality ofthe soil, land, and water resources upon which man depends for his sustenance. The causes of soil erosion can be natural or manmade. Soil degradation a process that results in the partial loss by soil of previously accumulated organic matter, exchangeable alkalineearth cations, and the clayey fraction. Weathering and erosion lead to the simultaneous process of degradation and.
Biochar enhances nitrous oxide reduction in acidic but not in nearneutral ph soil. In these cases, the longtelm biological and environmental potential of the land has been compromised. Causes of soil degradation and methods for soil conservation. The literal translation of arable land is able to be ploughed. Download pdf soil moisture monitoring in the black vermillion watershed and its impact on erosion. Leaving unploughed land strips between ploughed ones, known as strip cropping, also help reduce erosion. According to global assessment of soil degradation glasod, deforestation is the main cause of soil erosion by wind in about 98% of the area.
It encompasses physical soil erosion, chemical salinity and alkalinity, pollution and biological. This term previously designated the podzolization of chernozems under the influence of forest vegetation. Land degradation is the temporary or permanent lowering of the productive capacity. Thus the term podzolized chernozems is now used in soil classifications. Download pdf soil moisture monitoring in the black vermillion watershed and its impact on erosion authors. The huge population of livestock needs to be fed and the grazing lands or pasture areas are not adequate. Towards a degradation free future monitoring the indicators of land degradation neutrality to.
The economics of land degradation and desertification unccd second scientific conference. The soil integrates a variety of important processes involving vegetation growth, overland flow of water, infiltration, land use and land management. Free fulltext soil erosion and land degradation html. Pdf status of soil erosion or land degradation in india. The decline in quantity and quality of soil it includes erosion by wind and water biological degradation loss of humus physical degradation loss of structure, permeability, compaction chemical degradation reduced fertility, salinisation, changing ph, toxicity if degradation is so severe that land becomes unusable it is termed desertification. The approach to considering soil or land degradation has recently incorporated land function as opposed to earlier approaches that considered primarily soil properties such as soil organic matter or carbon content, structural condition, degree of salinization, compaction or bulk density, or degree of erosion. Soil erosion in nature may be a slow process geological erosion or a fast process promoted by human activities like overgrazing, deforestation. Quantification of soil loss is a significant issue for soil and water conservation practitioners and policy makers. Land degradation has both onsite and offsite effects. About 40% of the worlds agricultural land is lost on the account of soil quality depreciation caused by agrochemicals and soil erosion. Sustainable land use can help to reduce the impacts of agriculture and livestock, preventing soil degradation and erosion and the loss of valuable land to. Asabe technical library publications included soil erosion.
The consequences of deforestation in terms of soil erosion, land degradation, nutrient loss, and the disruption of the delicate equilibrium among soil, plants and atmosphere can be seen in the vast tracts of barren and unproductive land where lush green forest once grew. Soil degradation article about soil degradation by the. Land degradation issues are a prime policy focus in nepal, including national threeand fiveyear plans. Soil degradation a major threat to humanity summary. Land degradation soil degradation is the decline in soil quality caused by its improper use, usually for agricultural, pastoral, industrial or urban purposes. Either way, soil erosion has a negative impact on agriculture and on the environment. Land degradation as the land use section earlier in this chapter shows, demands on the land for economic development and pressures from a burgeoning population are leading to unprecedented land use change. Farm land erosion 1st edition in temperate plains environments and hills. With a high rate of population growth, subsistencebased rural economy, and increasingly intense rainfall events in the monsoon season, nepal is prone to several forms of land degradation, such as floods, landslides, and soil erosion. Pdf on apr 9, 2014, velibor spalevic and others published land degradation, land use and soil erosion.
Chapter 7 economic consequences of land degradation. Land degradation and desertification, largely due to. The book is subdivided into fourteen chapters, sorted in four sections, grouping different facets of the topic. Land degradation intruduction land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of humaninduced processes acting upon the land. Soil erosion is the displacement of the upper layer of soil, it is one form of soil degradation. Soil erosion definition of soil erosion by the free. This erosion is the dominant form of soil degradation troeh et al.
Estimates of global and regional land area affected are tentative and subjective. To understand the causes, impacts, and possible management options for. The world is losing 10 ha of arable land each minute5 ha to soil erosion, 3 ha from salinity, and 2 ha by. Pdf land degradation, particularly soil erosion, is currently a major challenge for nepal.
The present rate of land degradation is estimated at 5 to 7 million hectares per year, suggesting that 0. Compaction compaction is where soil particles pack together increasing soil density and reducing pore space. Displacement of soil material erosion is also irreversible. Land degradation, soil erosion and loss of useful species. Prevention and remediation of soil erosion and degradation. Soil erosion has been and remains one of the major causes of that degradation. The human dimension of land degradation and forest degradation. The decision to change to a vegan diet is better, not just for animals and the rainforest, but for other environmental disasters linked to livestock production expanding deserts, soil degradation, global warming, nitrogen pollution, antibiotic resistance and superbugs. Abstract soil degradation by accelerated erosion is a serious problem and will remain so during the 21st century, especially in developing.
In turn, unsustainable land use is driving land degradation. Apr 16, 2018 the cover image, by kaijie yang et al. The health of soil is a primary concern to farmers and the global community whose livelihoods depend on well managed agriculture that starts with the dirt beneath our feet. Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, or visit the webmasters page for free fun content. It encompasses physical soil erosion, chemical salinity and alkalinity, pollution and biological deterioration pollution and. Soil erosion by wind and water which removes topsoil with its organic content, as well as acidity, alkalinitysalinity of the soil which makes the soil toxic for agriculture and other uses are the principal causes for land degradation. Soil erosion, land degradation, tea productivity doi. Land and soil degradation control and conservation. Land degradation indicators and management options in the. The older agricultural areas of the northeast have long been particularly affected, but the highest soil erosion rates are currently being observed in the western parts of the high lands.
Land degradation food and agriculture organization of the united. Soil degradation article about soil degradation by the free. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and the. Land degradation, soil erosion and soil conservation pmf ias. Destruction of natural vegetation cover is a major factor responsible for erosion of soils by water and wind. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of humaninduced processes acting upon the land. Soil degradation in india is estimated to be occurring on 147 million hectares mha of land, including 94 mha from water erosion, 16 mha from acidification, 14 mha from flooding, 9.
The book deals with several aspects of soil erosion, focusing on its connection with the agricultural world. In the tranemission of han and animal pathogens, aerial transpor of the organism as a free. Soil degradation is, in itself, an indicator of land degradation. Soil erosion and land degradation research papers academia. India strives to achieve land degradation neutrality by 2030. May 01, 2019 land degradation soil degradation is the decline in soil quality caused by its improper use, usually for agricultural, pastoral, industrial or urban purposes. Erosion rate soil erosion soil loss sediment yield land degradation these keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. Land degradation by soil erosion is still one of the most severe environmental issues of our time. 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. The most effective method to prevent erosion is to increase the vegetation cover on soil, thus preventing wind and water erosion. Land degradation, particularly soil erosion, is currently a major challenge for nepal. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice glaciers, snow, air wind, plants, animals, and humans. The older agricultural areas of the northeast have long been particularly affected, but the highest soil erosion rates are currently being observed in. Photograph of a compacted zone of soil immediately below the plough layer in a cropping soil.
But, in the field, further variables are used as indicators of the occurrence of soil degradation. Because soil degradation contributes to land degradation, it also means that it creates a significant loss of arable land. Soil degradation causes include agricultural, industrial, and commercial pollution. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. Sustainable land use can help to reduce the impacts of agriculture and livestock, preventing soil degradation and erosion and the loss of valuable land to desertification. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves. Assessment of land degradation by erosion soil loss by water, e. Since soil productivity is intimately connected with water availability, lowering of the groundwater table is also noted. Desertification has been defined as land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities11. Since deforestation is being treated in detail in a current fao study, it is here considered primarily as a cause of soil degradation, particularly erosion.
Soil erosion soil erosion is the loosening and displacement of topsoil from the land due to the action of agents like wind and water. Ethiopia is known for its historic agriculture, but also for the associated, widespread, and ongoing land degradation. Soil degradation is the loss of land s production capacity in terms of loss of soil fertility, soil biodiversity, and degradation. Yet, its extent, severity, and economic and environmental impacts are debatable. Soil degradation is a serious global environmental problem and may be exacerbated by climate change. Soil degradation by accelerated erosion is a serious problem and will remain so during the 21st century, especially in developing countries of the tropics and subtropics. This includes soil erosion by water and wind, deterioration in soil physical. This volume, contributed to by scientists from 25 countries, discusses how this risk can be evaluated, and. Livestock wealth plays a crucial role in the rural life of our country. Soil degradation by erosion lal 2001 land degradation. There are some conditions that can accentuate surface water runoff and therefore soil erosion. Quantification of soil loss is a significant issue for soil and. View fulltext this is an open access article distributed under the creative commons attribution license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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