What are some human activities that increase the likelihood that soil will be eroded? What causes erosion? This reduces soil quality and agricultural productivity. Water and wind moving across the surface of the soil always carry away some of the soil.If the erosion processes remove top-soil only as rapidly as top-soils formed from the parent material beneath, no harm results. Urban areas and parking lots result in less water entering the ground. The severity of soil erosion is also dependent on the soil type and the presence of vegetation cover. The water quality of various streams, rivers, and coastal areas has also been deteriorated as a result of soil erosion, eventually affecting the health of the local communities. In some locations, native landscapes, such as forest and grassland, are cleared, exposing the surface to erosion (in some locations the land that will be built on is farmland). In the absence of trees, it can lead to heavy erosion of topsoil. Soil erosion is a gradual process of movement and transport of the upper layer of soil (topsoil) by different agents – particularly water, wind, and mass movement – causing its deterioration in the long term. Soil erosion is a natural process which has increasingly been exacerbated by human activities such as agriculture and deforestation. Soil erosion is a continuous process that occurs either slowly or at an alarming rate. Man has cut too many jungles, has grazed the grasses excessively, and ploughed the land too often. Rainstorm produces four major types of soil erosion including rill erosion, gully erosion, sheet erosion, and splash erosion. It results in the progressive down-slope movement of soil, causing severe soil loss on upper-slope positions and accumulation in lower-slope positions. 1. Without plant cover, erosion can occur and sweep the land into rivers. Starting with the minor soil disruption caused by the impact of falling raindrops, splash erosion moves around small particles in the upper soil layer. What is a Habitat and Reasons For Habitat Loss and Destruction? Soil erosion from surface water runoff often causes serious damage to roads and tracks, especially if stabilizing techniques are not used. These occur more often when the land is not covered with grass or plants. Soils eroded from logged forests clog rivers and lakes, fill estuaries, and bury coral reefs. Uneven distribution of rainfall. Soil erosion eats away the top soil which is the fertile layer of the land and also the component that supports the soil’s essential microorganisms and organic matter. In some locations soil erosion may occur about 10 times faster than its natural rate. Common Causes of Soil Erosion #1. 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. Due to Soil Texture. Constructing buildings and roads churns up the ground and exposes soil to erosion. Causes of Soil Erosion. Off-road vehicles disturb the landscape and the area eventually develops bare spots where no plants can grow. Let us have a detailed look at the causes, effects and prevention of soil erosion. Water ways may also be blocked, and it may affect water quality. All soils undergo soil erosion, but some are more vulnerable than others due to human activities and other natural causal factors. Figure 6. In this view, soil erosion has severely threatened the productivity of fertile cropping areas as they are continually degraded. Figure 1. Soil erosion is as natural as any other type of erosion, but human activities have greatly accelerated soil erosion. Trees and vegetation cover help to hold the soil particles together thereby reduces the erosive effects of erosion caused by rainfall and flooding. It is severe during the times of drought in the ASAL regions. Much of the world’s original forests have been logged. Also Read: What is Soil? If soils get saturated with water after prolonged periods of intensive rain, their capacity to absorb water decreases. All Rights Reserved . Grazers expose soil by removing the plant cover for an area. She loves writing on topics related to space, environment, chemistry, biology, geology and geography. Apart from polluting the water systems, high soil sedimentation can be catastrophic to the survival of aquatic life forms. Many of the tropical forests that remain are currently the site of logging because North America and Europe have already harvested many of their trees (Figure 4). The outward and downward movements of sediments and rocks on slanting or slope surfaces due to gravitational pull qualify as an important aspect of the erosion process. Weathered rock will be removed from its original site and transported away by a … Rain and Rainwater Runoff Once you know why your soil is eroding, you can take the steps to resolve the issue and pacify your neighbor. (And Process of Formation), Causes and Effects of Marine Habitat Loss, 35+ Outstanding Facts About the Planet Earth, Advantages and Importance of Reforestation, Five Different Atmospheric Layers of the Earth, Causes and Effects of Ozone Layer Depletion, Extraordinary Ways to Protect Coral Reefs, Causes and Effects to Environmental Pollution, Causes and Effects of Ocean Acidification. When the rivers and streams are full of soil deposits due to sedimentation and the valley levels up with the surface, the water ways begin to wash away the soils at the banks. While there are many different factors that can cause soil erosion, most can be broken down into two main categories: How Does Photosynthesis Take Place in Desert Plants? Of course, winter is also the stormy season in many locations, so wind and rain are available to wash soil away. Depending on the type of force, erosion can happen quickly or take thousands of years. … Agricultural practices such as burning and clearing of vegetation also reduce the overall vegetation cover. The accumulation of soil sediments in dams/drainages and along embankments can reduce their operational lifetime and efficiency. We’d love your input. Running water is the leading cause of soil erosion, because water is abundant and has a lot of power. This leads to water pollution and damage to marine and freshwater habitats. The causes of soil erosion are directly related to improper landuse, and are, therefore, entirely man-made. This form of erosion is a major delivery mechanism for water erosion. Soil erosion is more likely where the ground has been disturbed by agriculture, grazing animals, logging, mining, construction, and recreational activities. (a) ATVs churn up the soil, accelerating erosion. Here are few of the major causes of soil erosion. Fine soil is blown away by wind. Causes of 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. These types of erosions are caused by the impacts of raindrops on the soil surface that break down and disperse the soil particles, which are then washed away by the stormwater runoff. The wind picks up the loose soil particles with its natural force and carries them away to far lands, leaving the soil sculptured and denudated. Rainstorm produces four major types of soil erosion including rill erosion, gully erosion, sheet erosion, and splash erosion. What Is Soil Erosion? Tillage erosion is the redistribution of soil through the action of tillage and gravity (Figure 8). This erosive activity is evident in most rivers or streams especially during heavy rainfall and rapid river channel movement. Geologists estimate that 70 percent of soil erosion is caused by human activities like excessive construction, agriculture, surface mining and forestry. The removal of topsoil by wind and water is called soil erosion. Some of the dust particles may contain harmful and toxic particles such as petroleum and pesticides that can pose a severe health hazard when inhaled or ingested. Rapidly moving stormwater, flashfloods, and flooding may also occur because of excess surface water runoff, thus, causing extreme local erosion by plucking bed rocks, forming rock cut-basins, creating potholes, and washing away the loosened soil particles. (And Which Foods to Avoid), Can Squirrels Eat Raisins? Soil erosion decreases soil fertility, which can negatively affect crop yields. Running water is one of the main cause of soil erosion. It is this layer of soil that is endangered by wind and water erosion. Put simply, the causes of soil erosion are somewhat inevitable. The loose topsoil is then transported by wind to nearby streams and waterways and become sediment or runoff, lowering the overall quality of the water. Although soil erosion is a natural process, human activities have greatly accelerated it. High winds can contribute to soil erosion, particularly in dry weather periods or in the arid and semi-arid (ASAL) regions. In other words, soil erosion is the removal of the most fertile top layer of soil through water, wind and tillage. The various factors of soil erosion are: 1. Deforestationis a major cause of soil erosion, perhaps the main cause. Figure 3. Rill and gully erosion happen when impromptu streams form for water to carry away topsoil. How do Rainbows Form? Wind causes erosion of rock particles driven by soil and sand particles that are not tightly glued together and not insulated by vegetation. The root structure of trees hold the soil in one place. What causes soil erosion? Activities that remove vegetation, disturb the ground, or allow the ground to dry are activities that increase erosion. Luxury Landscape Supply explains the four common causes of soil erosion below. Causes of Soil Erosion: Soil erosion is also referred to as the creeping death. Water Runoff. Causes of Soil Erosion Various agents, like wind, water, deforestation, overgrazing by cattle, etc., cause soil erosion. Her passion for science education drove her to start EarthEclipse with the sole objective of finding and sharing fun and interesting science facts. lower end of this field is an indicator of sheet erosion. (And Which Foods Do They Actually Like), How Do Birds Mate? (And Almond Butter), Oceanography vs Marine Biology (Are They Same or Different), 20+ Solid Reasons to Stop Deforestation That You Need to Know Today, Why is Biodiversity Important and Reasons For Loss of Biodiversity, Can Squirrels Eat Bread? Accumulated sediments can also cause clogging of water ways and raises the water level leading to flooding. Because of soil erosion, most of the soil characteristics that support agriculture have been lost, causing ecological collapse and mass starvation. Grazing animals (Figure 2) wander over large areas of pasture or natural grasslands eating grasses and shrubs. Factors like heavy rainfall, flooding, high winds, and even mass movements are part and parcel of the cyclical nature of soil. Near construction sites, dirt, picked up by the wind, is often in the air. Earth Eclipse. It gradually transforms a habitable land and the ASAL regions into deserts. 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