what are the causes 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). Yeast: Origin, Reproduction, Life Cycle and Growth Requirements | Industrial Microbiology, How is Bread Made Step by Step? Year after year, huge acres of land lost due to soil erosion, contamination, and pollution. Welcome to BiologyDiscussion! 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. Thus soil becomes deficient in essential minerals and this results in productivity loss. 4. Share Your PPT File. 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. 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. Soil erosion is the major cause of soil degradation. In the same context, soil degradation may also bring about loss of biodiversity. These include erosion, deforestation and overgrazing, flooding and water logging, salination, desertification and ill- planned urbanization. Deforestation: Forests play an important role in maintaining fertility of soil by shedding their leaves … The impact of mining on soil depends on the physical, chemical properties of the waste generated. Overgrazing and cultivation practices that are not adapted to local environments are the principal causes of soil degradation. Consequently, actions such as reducing irrigation, planting salt-tolerant crops, and improving irrigation efficiency will have high payoffs because the inputs and the labor-demanding aspects associated with reclamation projects are zero. The nodulation and growth of some leguminous crops and nitrogen fixation are inhibited by different pesticides. Privacy Policy3. These factors reduce the yield. According to an estimate of 1992, every year 20.2 million tonnes of NPK is removed by growing crops. 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). The problem is more severe in the cultivated areas of the subtropical belt. Causes of Soil Degradation Unsustainable Land management Practices i. Deforestation. The tillage on agricultural lands is one of the main factors since it breaks up the soil into finer particles, which increase erosion rates. 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. 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. The outcomes of soil erosion and quality decline are widely irreversible. A major part of soil depletion is due to the lands over-use and the products that we pour on it. The degradation of our soils, due to human activities, today, can harm our well-being. Human activities are the primary cause of soil pollution and land degradation. 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. It involves the decline of the soil’s physical, biological, and chemical state. inhibit nitrification. Name the types of nitrogenous bases present in the RNA. Forms of Water Erosion 3. ii. Mining disturbs the physical, chemical and biological features of the soil. It is estimated that the Thar Desert is advancing at an alarming rate of around 500 m every year. 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. Steeper areas … 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. Additional information about the process of compaction is available on the VRO website. 3. Soil degradation has several adverse impacts on the environment. Most of the canal areas in arid and semiarid regions are rich in soluble salts. About 40% of the world’s agricultural land is severely diminished in quality because of erosion and the use of chemical fertilizers, which prevent the land from regenerating. The farmers maintain productivity of soil by applying chemical fertilizers but make less use of organic manures. Indirectly it lowers productivity through its adverse effects on the availability of nutrients. 4. Chemical considerations such as mineral degradation or the damage induced by acidity or alkalinity (salinization) or waterlogging. Altogether, industrial and mining activities degrade the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. Human activities such as poor farming practices may also deplete soil nutrients thus diminishing soil fertility. 89 billion to 232 billion which represent a loss of 11 to 26 per cent yield (Table 27.6). Soil degradation examples include a decline in soil fertility, adverse changes in alkalinity, acidity or salinity, extreme flooding, use of toxic soil pollutants, erosion, and deterioration of the soil’s structural condition. Drought and aridity are problems highly influenced and amplified by soil degradation. This website includes study notes, research papers, essays, articles and other allied information submitted by visitors like YOU. 1. Natural hazards are excluded as a cause; however human activities can indirectly affect phenomena such as floods and bush fires. Degradation of Natural Resources | Environment, Biosciences, Engineering and Technology (With Diagram). 5. In the soil erosion, uppermost fertile layer of soil which contains essential nutrients is lost. 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 annual loss of land is expected to go up to 10 million hectares by 2000 A.D.(Yadava 1996). Still, soil organic matter and plant nutrients can be replenished. Effects of Water Erosion 4. Deforestation: Forests play an important role in maintaining fertility of soil by shedding their leaves … The erodible material is almost devoid of organic matter and lacks in mineral plant nutrients. Marginal lands though sustainable for farming are less fertile and more prone to degradation. A study of the current trends in agronomic practices has suggested that the nutrients deficiency is further aggravated by continued use of high yielding crop varieties, intensive cropping pattern and relatively poor fertilizers. Data of World Bank Survey (1995) reveal that India loses 1.2 to 6 million tonnes of food grains production every year due to water-logging of soil. The decline in soil quality as a result of agricultural chemical fertilizers also further leads to water and land pollution thereby lowering the land’s worth on earth. 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. The outcomes of soil erosion are reduced agricultural productivity, ecological collapse, soil degradation, and the possibility of desertification. (And How to Dispose of). Recent satellite data show that the area under pasture land is severely degraded. (And Are They Reusable), Are Light Bulbs Recyclable? Most of the crops in India are affected due to salinity. 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. Summary 10. Also, preserving the integrity of guarded areas can significantly reduce demonstration. Before sharing your knowledge on this site, please read the following pages: 1. LAND DEGRADATION : Soil quality decline is one of the main causes of land degradation and it considered to be responsible for 84% of the every diminishing acres (FAO, 2011). Effects of Tillage Erosion 8. (And Ways to Dispose of Used Condoms), Are Campfires Bad for The Environment? Avoiding deforestation completely is an uphill task. Because soil degradation contributes to land degradation, it also means that it creates a significant loss of arable land. Impacts of Soil Degradation The effect of soil degradation is not detected as serious global problem up to 2020. The water-logging and salinity cause a loss of Rs. Soil erosion decreases soil fertility, which can negatively affect crop yields. Physical factors, e.g. Soil is chiefly polluted by industrial and mining activities. With the reduction of deforestation, soil’s ability to naturally regenerate can be restored. These factors reduce the yield. However, deforestation can be cut down and this can create an impressive way of reshaping and restoring forests and vegetation cover. Disclaimer Copyright, Share Your Knowledge (And 10 Ways to Reuse Coffee Grounds), Are Ziploc Bags Recyclable? Michael McNeill shares his observations. Excessive soil degradation thus gives rise to immediate and long-term impacts which translate into serious global environmental headaches. Either way, soil erosion can lead to severe environmental degradation since large areas of land can become useless due to the erosion of soil. During last decade the nutrients deficiency has been considered as the main cause of poor productivity and crop failure. Most agricultural practices involving the use of fertilizers and pesticides often entail misuse or excessive application, thereby contributing to the killing of soil’s beneficial bacteria and other micro-organisms that help in soil formation. Preventing salinization in the first place is thus an environmentally friendly means of offering a solution to soil degradation. A true environmentalist by heart ❤️. 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… As populations grow, individuals can be sensitized and educated regarding sustainable forest management and reforestation efforts. In extreme cases, soil becomes unfit for cultivation. This poor condition of pasture lands is due to excessive grazing. The wasteland can be made useful by increasing productivity of land by using some useful methods as afforestation or by using bio-fertilizers. 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. The degradation or deterioration of soil may be caused by the following factors: 1. Soil fertility is reduced due to prolonged intensive cultivation. 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. TOS4. 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. The estimated annual loss of different crops due to soil degradation rangs from Rs. Tillage Erosion 7. Why mitochondria is called as the power house of the cell? Besides, climate change combined with human activities continues to worsen soil degradation. In the past 150 years half the topsoil on the planet has been lost. What are antibiotics? 12 billion to 27 billion annually. In other words, soil degradation takes away the soil’s natural capability of holding water thus contributing to more and more cases of flooding. Salinized soils can be restored by salt level correction reclamation projects and salinity control. Soil erosion: Among the agents, water is considered as the main cause of soil erosion. These protect the soil while returning nutrients and plant matter too. Land reclamation encompasses activities centered towards restoring the previous organic matter and soil’s vital minerals. Silting of drainage, canals, rivers and reservoirs results in increased floods and droughts. Although the yield can be maintained by using fertilizers that provide deficient minerals yet their use often results in deficiencies of other nutrients. Examples of marginal lands are steep sloppy lands, shallow or sandy soils and the lands in dry and semi-dry areas. (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. Soil quality decline is one of the main causes of land degradation and is considered to be responsible for 84% of the ever-diminishing acreage. Deterioration of the water quality: the increase in the turbidity of water and the contribution of nitrogen and of phosphorus can result in eutrophication. What causes this to happen? Deforestation causes fast degradation when the soil is steep sloppy or easily erodible. According to Global Assessment of Soil Degradation (GLASOD), deforestation is the main cause of soil erosion by wind in about 98% of the area. Soil degradation, defined as lowering and losing of soil functions, is becoming more and more serious worldwide in recent decades, and poses a threat to agricultural production and terrestrial ecosystem. 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. This causes a cycle as floods can degrade soil, and soil degradation can cause floods. These elements contribute to a significant amount of soil quality depreciation annually. 3. Destruction of natural vegetation cover is a major factor responsible for erosion of soils by water and wind. Applications of some pesticide chemicals (e.g., amitrole, atrazine, bromacil, picloram, etc.) 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. 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. 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. It refers to the advancement of the desert into the adjoining regions, thereby affecting the fertility of nearby lands. 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. The fatal nematodes threaten potato cultivation in the Nilgiris and, if not controlled they may pose threat to potato cultivation in that area. The reduction of soil nutrients because of alkalinity or acidity or waterlogging are all categorized under the chemical components of soil degradation. Satellite data show that the area under pasture land area is disturbed because of recharge... Steep sloppy or easily erodible cent yield ( Table 27.6 ) using fertilizers that provide deficient minerals yet use. And other disturbances, such as the main cause of poor productivity and crop.... Of some pesticide chemicals ( e.g., amitrole, atrazine, bromacil, picloram, etc. the. Rich in soluble salts misuse or overuse of soil acidity showing the importance product... 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