Effects of land use change on land degradation reflected. Major causes and effects of soil erosion on the environment. Land degradation indicators and management options. The semiarid zones of the south of italy and the islands of sicily and sardinia are particularly prone to erosion by virtue of a combination of climatic factors and high relative relief. 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. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves. Causes of soil degradation and methods for soil conservation. The soil integrates a variety of important processes involving vegetation growth, overland flow of water, infiltration, land use and land management. The results of the research prove that soil erosion is based on natural and anthropogenic factors. Destruction of natural vegetation cover is a major factor responsible for erosion of soils by water and wind.
Soil erosion leads to losses in soil and crop productivity, pollution of land and water resources, and a loss of farm income. 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. Several types of soil degradation exist and are a threat to natural forests and planted crops. Sediment deposition in adjacent water bodies is driven by soil erosion, which is the most widely recognized and most common form of land degradation. 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. This erosion is the dominant form of soil degradation troeh et al. Severe soil erosion and landsliding affect 17% of the land area of italy. Soil degradation occurs through the deterioration of the physical, chemical and biological properties of soil that results in soil compaction, salinisation, acidification, and soil loss from wind and water erosion. Careless agricultural practices, pollution and deforestation cause lots of soil degradation in the world. The literal translation of arable land is able to be ploughed. Soil erosion is the most serious precursor of soil degradation that comes with global implications.
The present rate of land degradation is estimated at 5 to 7 million hectares per year, suggesting that 0. It thus covers the various forms of soil degradation, adverse human impacts on water resources, deforestation, and lowering of the productive capacity of rangelands. Pdf land degradation, particularly soil erosion, is currently a major challenge for nepal. Despite wide variations in the figures, and considerable uncertainty about the degradation parameters, even the most conservative methods lead to large estimates of the cost of soil erosion, comparable at least to the annual investment in research and. Land degradation is the major consequences of direct interference of human activities in the natural phenomenon. 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. 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. Pollution of water resources from the contamination of.
Wind erosion is a major geomorphological force, especially in arid and semiarid regions. With a high rate of population growth, subsistencebased rural economy, and increasingly intense rainfall. In turn, unsustainable land use is driving land degradation. Solutions need to be developed and introduced which address both issues simultaneously. Deforestation causes fast degradation when the soil is steep sloppy or easily erodible. Study of the degree of development of erosion on sloping. This is particularly worrisome since, according to the uns food and agriculture organization, some 83% of subsaharan african people depend on the land for their livelihood, and food production in africa will have to increase almost 100. The severity of the problem of depletion of this vital resource is only now becoming widely appreciated.
Land degradation and rehabilitation in ethiopia society at large is also suffering from uncertain information about the rates of land use change and land degradation. The most effective method to prevent erosion is to increase the vegetation cover on soil, thus preventing wind and water erosion. When land is cleared for farming, the trees and plants are removed and the soil is no longer protected. Furthermore, world population growth, combined with increasing climate change and related natural hazards, is likely to worsen the impact of soil erosion and land degradation. In this report, land degradation is defined as a negative trend 4 in land condition, caused by direct or indirect humaninduced processes. Erosion rate soil erosion soil loss sediment yield land degradation these keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. Soil erosion is the most widely recognised and most common form of land degradation and, therefore, a major cause of falling productivity. Assessment of land degradation by erosion soil loss by water, e. Soil degradation is the loss of lands production capacity in terms of loss of soil fertility, soil biodiversity, and degradation. Land degradation was not addressed in a comprehensive way.
Plant community characteristics and functional traits as. Without soil and plants the land becomes desertlike and unable to support life. Similarly the devastating impacts of these disasters left a wave of soil erosion particularly on steep slopes with limited protection. View fulltext this is an open access article distributed under the creative commons attribution license which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in. Land degradation and desertification, largely due to deforestation and unsustainable land use, are amongst the most pressing problems facing the world today. The term land degradation involves both soil and vegetation degradation. Mar 02, 2020 land degradation is the blanket term usually used to describe a number of land and soil degradation issues such as soil contamination, soil erosion, desertification, and more. Ethiopia is known for its historic agriculture, but also for the associated, widespread, and ongoing land degradation. The main objectives of the study were to determine the amount and level of development of worn and erosion prone. 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. For example, planting crops at a location with heavy rainfall and steep slopes would create scientific and environmental concern regarding the risk of soil erosion by water, yet farmers could view. 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 erosion and land degradation in southern italy. The paper suggests some rules of thumb for identifying the priority areas for government and donor intervention, including the need for targeted research on the productivity. Soil degradation needs to be recognised, alongside climate change, as one of the most pressing problems facing humanity. Land degradation, particularly soil erosion, is currently a major challenge for nepal. Soil erosion and sedimentation in surface water sources affects the. Soil degradation is the decline in any or all of the characteristics which make soil suitable for producing food. Soil erosion was discussed as a process by which soil carbon is lost. Indirect drivers of land degradation in grenada the indirect drivers of land degradation in grenada are the driving forces of the direct causes of land degradation.
Degraded soil diminishes food production and leads to soil erosion, which in turn contributes to desertification. Principal processes of land degradation include erosion by water and wind, chemical degradation comprising acidification, salinization, leaching etc. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. Because soil degradation contributes to land degradation, it also means that it creates a significant loss of arable land. It is also a major source of land degradation, evaporation, desertification, harmful airborne dust, and crop damageespecially after being increased far above natural rates by human activities such as deforestation, urbanization, and agriculture wind erosion is of two primary varieties. The human dimension of land degradation and forest degradation. Land degradation is the temporary or permanent lowering of the productive capacity of land unep, 1992b. Soil loss from conventionally tilled land exceeds the rate of soil formation by. Soil erosion is the displacement of the upper layer of soil, it is one form of soil degradation. However, since the effects of soil loss vary depending on the underlying soil type, soil loss, by itself, is not an appropriate proxy measure for productivity decline. Prevention and remediation of soil erosion and degradation.
Overgrazing of rangelands, poor cultivation of croplands, deforestation and urbanization are some of the land use practices that result in increased soil erosion and subse. Land degradation indicators and management options in. Countries all over the world are battling with worrisome sight of deepening gullies crisscrossing the landscape and barren fields. Here, we selected 50 plots on degraded land caused by long. Causes of soil erosion erosion occurs when farming practices are not compatible with the fact that soil can be washed away or blown away. Land degradation by soil erosion is still one of the most severe environmental issues of our time. Soil degradation is a serious global environmental problem and may be exacerbated by climate change.
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. And degraded lands are also often less able to hold onto water, which can worsen flooding. Productivity of cultivated land may decline from severe soil degradation. Soil degradation is, in itself, an indicator of land degradation. Land degradation, soil erosion and soil conservation pmf ias. Overstocking and overgrazing inappropriate farming techniques such as deep ploughing land 2 or 3 times. Nearly 10 million hectares of arable land are lost to erosion and other forms of soil degradation every year 1. Defining land degradation and improvement landincludes not only the soil resource, but also the water, vegetation, landscape, and microclimatic components ofan ecosystem land degradation refers to a temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity ofthe land,2 or its potential for environmental management.
About 40% of the worlds agricultural land is lost on the account of soil quality depreciation. Land degradation has accelerated during the 20th century due to increasing and combined pressures of agricultural and livestock production overcultivation, overgrazing, forest conversion, urbanization, deforestation, and extreme weather events such as droughts and coastal surges which salinate land. It encompasses physical soil erosion, chemical salinity and alkalinity, pollution and biological deterioration pollution and. For example, the land productivity classes include class i, extremely high. Soil erosion has been and remains one of the major causes of that degradation. This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice glaciers, snow, air wind, plants, animals, and humans. These elements contribute to a significant amount of soil quality depreciation annually. Different processes of land degradation also confound the available statistics on soil and or land degradation. Sustainable land use can help to reduce the impacts of agriculture and.
The world is losing 10 ha of arable land each minute5 ha to soil erosion, 3 ha from salinity, and 2 ha by. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and the. Soil loss from conventionally tilled land exceeds the rate of soil formation by 15 2 orders of magnitude medium confidence. Research by the economics of land degradation initiative in. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. A problem with defining land degradation is that what one group of people might view as degradation, others might view as a benefit or opportunity. Land degradation is, usually, the result of complex interrelationships between biophysical and socioeconomic issues which affect many people and their land, specially in the tropics and developing countries. Chapter 2 types of land degradation food and agriculture. Land degradation food and agriculture organization of the united. Effects include land degradation, soil erosion and sterility, and a loss of biodiversity, with huge economic costs for nations where deserts are growing. This study takes the degradation of soil resources as its focus. Land degradation in somalia is negatively affecting land productivity. Reduced soil nutrients reduce crop and forage yields while the expansion of areas affected by invasive species reduces the land available for livestock grazing.
Aug 24, 2018 soil erosion is the most serious precursor of soil degradation that comes with global implications. Leaving unploughed land strips between ploughed ones, known as strip cropping, also help reduce erosion. The effect of deterrents on land degradation only applies in those areas using. Research by the economics of land degradation initiative in 2015 calculated that soil degradation is. Land degradation soil degradation is the decline in soil quality caused by its improper use, usually for agricultural, pastoral, industrial or urban purposes. Roots of trees and plants act as anchors to the soil.
It is an insidious process removing the most productive soil layer. Soil erosion and land degradation have been increasing in ethiopian highlands due to the existence of arable land 90 %, high human population 90% and livestock density 60% which resulted in. Soil degradation causes include agricultural, industrial, and commercial pollution. However, erosion can speed up when land is degraded. Grenada land degradation neutrality national report. Desertification can be characterized by the droughts and arid conditions the landscape endures as a result of human exploitation of fragile ecosystems. About 40% of the worlds agricultural land is lost on the account of soil quality depreciation caused by agrochemicals and soil erosion. In this guide, we look at what land degradation is including the sub land and soil issues it encompasses, along with the causes, the effectsimpacts, and the potential. 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.
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