What are the impacts of soil erosion?
Soil erosion is a problem that started approximately 4,000 years ago. It's not the biggest problem, but a powerful one. Soil abrasion is a common problem in the Amazon rainforest, first occurring in the 1960s. Fortunately it can be prevented, and this essay will help.
What is soil erosion?
The removal of fertile topsoil land by wind or water is called soil erosion. Soil erosion occurs easily in those areas of land which are not covered by vegetation (trees and other plants) or have very little vegetation. The cover of vegetation softens (or reduces) the effect of heavy rains on the soil.
What is the cause of soil erosion?
Causes of soil attrition is:
Deforestation
Without plant cover, erosion can occur and sweep the land into rivers. The agricultural plants that often replace the trees cannot hold onto the soil and many of these plants, such as coffee, cotton, palm oil, soybean and wheat, can actually worsen soil erosion. And as land loses its fertile soil, agricultural producers move on, clear more forest and continue the cycle of soil loss.
Overgrazing
The conversion of natural ecosystems to pasture land doesn’t damage the land initially as much as crop production, but this change in usage can lead to high rates of erosion and loss of topsoil and nutrients. Overgrazing can reduce ground cover, enabling erosion and compaction of the land by wind and rain.. This reduces the ability for plants to grow and water to penetrate, which harms soil microbes and results in serious erosion of the land.
Use of agrochemicals
Pesticides and other chemicals used on crop plants have helped farmers to increase yields. Scientists have found that overuse of some of these chemicals changes soil composition and disrupts the balance of microorganisms in the soil. This stimulates the growth of harmful bacteria at the expense of beneficial kinds.
What are the impacts of soil erosion?
Impacts of soil attrition is:
Loss of arable land
Arable land is any land that can be used to grow crops. Many of the practices used in growing those crops can lead to the loss of topsoil and destruction of soil characteristics that make agriculture possible.
Clogged and polluted waterways
Soil eroded from the land, along with pesticides and fertilizers applied to fields, washes into streams and waterways. This sedimentation and pollution can damage freshwater and marine habitats and the local communities that depend on them.
Increased flooding
Land is often transformed from a forest or other natural landscape, such as floodplains and wetlands, into a crop field or pasture. The converted land is less able to soak up water, making flooding more common. There are methods to improve soil water holding capacity as well as restoration and maintenance of wetlands.
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