How soil may get affected by overuse
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Despite being a fundamental resource that supports all life on Earth, soil often falls well below the radar as an important environmental issue. We hear about water or air pollution, but rarely about soil pollution. Yet, soil affects our everyday lives, from the food we eat and where we live to the natural functions and ecological services that it provides. The largest threat to soil—and therefore to us—is the loss of or damage to the productive topsoil, often caused by erosion and/or poor land use practices.
Erosion and Land Use
Erosion is a natural process caused by wind, water and ice that wears away the material on the land surface very slowly. The rate of erosion is dependent on a variety of factors, including the soil texture, the type of ground cover, and the intensity of the wind and/or precipitation. However, it can be greatly exacerbated by a wide variety of human activities, including poor farming or grazing methods, deforestation and urbanization.
In the 1930s, massive erosion caused by persistent winds, drought, and overuse resulted in huge dust storms that destroyed farmland in the South-central United States. It is estimated that 35 million acres of agricultural land were destroyed and another 125 million seriously damaged. This disaster, partly natural and partly man-made, became known as the Dust Bowl.
Today, intensive agricultural practices and the over-application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides lead to the leaching of essential nutrients and excessive amounts of salts or heavy metals in the soil, which can reduce or even prevent plant growth. In addition to poor farming practices, soils can also become compacted by agricultural machinery or the grazing of livestock. Not only do these methods affect the amount of ground cover that is available, compacted soils cannot retain water as well. It is estimated that topsoil erosion currently reduces productivity on 29 percent of U.S. cropland and negatively affects 39 percent of rangeland.
In many developing countries, farming often involves slash and burn—where vegetation is stripped and cut, then eventually burned—in order to create agricultural fields and/or pastures. While this can release additional nutrients in the short term, soil fertility can decrease rather quickly. It is also at this time when soils are most vulnerable to erosion. Madagascar, with its barren high central plateau comprising nearly 10 percent of the country’s land, is often looked to as an extreme example of where slash and burn has left an area completely unproductive.
As population growth continues to fuel development, urban erosion becomes an equally significant factor. Logging, road and building projects gouge the soil, strip away vegetation, and can significantly alter drainage patterns. In addition to the loss of soil, an increase in both nutrient and sediment runoff can cause deterioration in overall water quality.
Answer:
soil may defected by overuse
BCOZ
when soil will overused it's fertility and the important minirals will reduce that is not good at all
this is the reason behind leaving some patches for years inspite of farming