The stream gradient becomes nearly flat, and lateral deposition of sediments becomes important as the stream meanders across the valley floor. Mainguet M. & Dumay F., 2011. the mid-western USA), rainfall intensity is the primary determinant of erosivity, with higher intensity rainfall generally resulting in more soil erosion by water. Soil erosion caused by water shows up in several types of erosion. The results is an extensive global data collection effort produced the Global Rainfall Erosivity Database (GloREDa) which includes rainfall erosivity for 3,625 stations and covers 63 countries. [55] Much of the sediment carried in runoff from urban areas (especially roads) is highly contaminated with fuel, oil, and other chemicals. Areas that are conventionally plowed experience upwards of 10 times more erosion than normal. John Wiley & Sons. Some of these remain USLE-based, e.g. Shifting cultivation is a farming system which sometimes incorporates the slash and burn method in some regions of the world. [54], Urbanization has major effects on erosion processes—first by denuding the land of vegetative cover, altering drainage patterns, and compacting the soil during construction; and next by covering the land in an impermeable layer of asphalt or concrete that increases the amount of surface runoff and increases surface wind speeds. It also reduces their food supply, and causes major respiratory issues for them as sediment enters their gills. The second group deals with soil deterioration in-situ. Wind. If the soil is saturated, or if the rainfall rate is greater than the rate at which water can infiltrate into the soil, surface runoff occurs. [9], Rill erosion refers to the development of small, ephemeral concentrated flow paths which function as both sediment source and sediment delivery systems for erosion on hillslopes. Les dossiers thématiques du CSFD. The slope of the land. This transported material is called sediment. Soil erosion in India is widespread and a serious threat to survival and well-being. Dust events have been linked to a decline in the health of coral reefs across the Caribbean and Florida, primarily since the 1970s. For an overview of other human activities that have increased coastal erosion rates, see: For an interesting archaeological/historical survey of terracing systems, see, Spalding M, McIvor A, Tonneijck FH, Tol S and van Eijk P (2014) Mangroves for coastal defence. [34] Soil containing high levels of organic materials are often more resistant to erosion, because the organic materials coagulate soil colloids and create a stronger, more stable soil structure. The term is often used in agriculture to refer to topsoil that is moved by natural forces or through agricultural activities such as tillage. On-site impacts include decreases in agricultural productivity and (on natural landscapes) ecological collapse, both because of loss of the nutrient-rich upper soil layers. Global studies continue to be based on the USLE[103], The most effective known method for erosion prevention is to increase vegetative cover on the land, which helps prevent both wind and water erosion. The sediments themselves act as pollutants, as well as being carriers for other pollutants, such as attached pesticide molecules or heavy metals. The model operates using agricultural databases and user inputs to run a series of submodels, including hydrology, land management, soil type, plant growth, decomposition, and erosion. WEPS has several uses: assisting land managers in reducing wind erosion, establishing soil loss tolerance in conservation plans, and determining erosion susceptibility of soils. [16] It can occur both along rivers and at the coast. In accordance with these agents, erosion is sometimes divided into water erosion, glacial erosion, snow erosion, wind (aeolean) erosion, zoogenic erosion and anthropogenic erosion. The amount and intensity of precipitation is the main climatic factor governing soil erosion by water. It is this layer of soil that is endangered by wind and water erosion. Various agents, like wind, water, deforestation, overgrazing by cattle, etc., cause soil erosion. The effects of soil erosion can be felt on-site, meaning at the site of soil disruption, because soil quality is reduced. However, the term can also describe the rolling of dislodged soil particles 0.5 to 1.0 mm (0.02 to 0.04 in) in diameter by wind along the soil surface.[31]. Most soil erosion is caused by natural sources like wind and rain. Soil erosion is the washing or blowing away (by water or wind) of the top layer of soil (dirt). Water and wind erosion are the two primary causes of land degradation; combined, they are responsible for about 84% of the global extent of degraded land, making excessive erosion one of the most significant environmental problems worldwide.[2][3]. [2], Each year, about 75 billion tons of soil is eroded from the land—a rate that is about 13–40 times as fast as the natural rate of erosion. Erosion is the loss of soil. The accumulation of soil and crop debris at the. Most soil erosion is caused by natural sources like wind and rain. 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. 1. uncountable noun Erosion is the gradual destruction and removal of rock or soil in a particular area by rivers, the sea, or the weather. Off-site effects include sedimentation of waterways and eutrophication of water bodies, as well as sediment-related damage to roads and houses. ‘Soil compaction causes farmers a lot of problems by preventing moisture from seeping down to plant roots and by increasing water runoff and wind erosion.’ ‘Such factors affect both water and wind erosion (particularly important in northwestern Ohio).’ [75], The effect of increased sediments loads on aquatic ecosystems can be catastrophic. Removal of rock or soil as clastic sediment is referred to as physical or mechanical erosion; this contrasts with chemical erosion, where soil or rock material is removed from an area by dissolution. [83], Monitoring and modeling of erosion processes can help people better understand the causes of soil erosion, make predictions of erosion under a range of possible conditions, and plan the implementation of preventative and restorative strategies for erosion. One of the visible topographical manifestations of a very slow form of such activity is a scree slope. [1] [26][27], Mass movement is an important part of the erosional process, and is often the first stage in the breakdown and transport of weathered materials in mountainous areas. 250 × 250 m cell size). May 2011. [61], Studies by Pruski and Nearing indicated that, other factors such as land use unconsidered, it is reasonable to expect approximately a 1.7% change in soil erosion for each 1% change in total precipitation under climate change. The gradual wearing away of land surface materials, especially rocks, sediments, and soils, by the action of water, wind, or a glacier. Soil conservation definition is - the prevention or reduction of soil erosion and soil depletion by protective measures against water and wind damage. ‘Vigorously growing crops hold the soil and nutrients in place while protecting the soil from wind and water erosion.’ ‘If the soil is subject to wind and water erosion, it will be important to provide cover to protect the soil.’ Rainfall, and the surface runoff which may result from rainfall, produces four main types of soil erosion: splash erosion, sheet erosion, rill erosion, and gully erosion. Human activities have increased by 10–50 times the rate at which erosion is occurring globally. Unfortunately, due to improper cultivation practices coupled with windstorms and excessive rainfall, erosion may accelerate. 44 pp. western Europe), runoff and erosion result from relatively low intensities of stratiform rainfall falling onto previously saturated soil. 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