Geography, asked by bhatmilad376, 7 months ago

Noi) What is soll erosion? What are the
causes of soil erosion Describe the
types of
Soll erosion .​

Answers

Answered by DGGKINGS
0

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.

In other words, soil erosion is the removal of the most fertile top layer of soil through water, wind and tillage.

Soil erosion is a complex process that depends on soil properties, ground slope, vegetation, and rainfall amount and intensity. According to Montgomery, modifications in land use are one of the most impactful ways of accelerating soil erosion. These changes then have a cascade effect as the loss of fertile topsoil cover sends millions of tons of sediments into lakes and reservoirs, changing ecosystems and impacting agricultural production and water quality. This has been the case with the Bo River in Vietnam.

According to Al-Kaisi from Iowa State University, there are 5 main types of natural soil erosion:

1) Sheet erosion by water;

2) Wind erosion;

3) Rill erosion – happens with heavy rains and usually creates smalls rills over hillsides;

4) Gully erosion – when water runoff removes soil along drainage lines

5) Ephemeral erosion that occurs in natural depressions.

Despite these types of soil erosion, as we have briefly mentioned above, if it wasn’t for human activities, today’s soils would be less susceptible to erosion and more resilient. What are the human causes behind soil erosion then?

The Main Causes And Impacts Of Soil Erosion

The most effective way of minimizing erosion is to guarantee a permanent surface cover on the soil surface, such as trees, pasture, or meadow. However, compared to original forest soils, soils in pasture fields and croplands have less capacity to hold up and are more susceptible to erosion. These soils also have less capacity to absorb water, which makes flooding (and its economic, social, and environmental impacts) more common.

1. Deforestation for Agriculture Is One of the Top Causes of Soil Erosion

The increasingly high demand of a growing population for commodities such as coffee, soybean, palm oil or wheat is clearing land for agriculture. Unfortunately, clearing autochthonous trees and replacing them with new tree crops that don’t necessarily hold onto the soil increases the risks of soil erosion. With time, as topsoil (the most nutrient-rich part of the soil) is lost, putting agriculture under threat.

2. Soil Erosion is Also Caused by Overgrazing, Which Causes Floods too

Overgrazing is caused by intensive cattle raising. As plants don’t have the recovery period they need, they end up being crushed and compacted by cattle. In this process, topsoil sediments are transported elsewhere. As for the remaining soil, it can lose its infiltration capacity, which means more water getting lost from the ecosystem and a harder time for new plants to grow

3. Agrochemicals Cause Soil Erosion and Degradation

The use of chemicals under the form of pesticides and fertilizers on (often) monocultural crops is a very usual way of helping farmers improve their yields. However, the excessive use of phosphoric chemicals ends up causing an imbalance of microorganisms in the soil moisture, stimulating the growth of harmful bacteria. As the soil gets degraded, the risk of erosion increases and the sediments sweep (via the actions of water and wind) into rivers and nearby regions, possibly contaminating nearby ecosystems.

At the same time, tillage techniques (that turn over crops and forages) commonly used by farmers to prepare seedbeds by incorporating manure and fertilizers, leveling the soil and taking out invasive seeds also have a large impact. Because it fractures the soil’s structure, tillage ends up accelerating surface runoff and soil erosion.

4. Construction and Recreational Activities

Setting up buildings and roads also have their share of responsibility when it comes to soil erosion as they don’t allow for the normal circulation of water. Instead, it runs off to flood nearby lands, speeded up erosion in these areas. Moreover, motor-based activities such as motocross also have the potential to disturb ecosystems and change (even if at a smaller scale compared with other causes) and erode the soil.

Answered by GauriSingh7890
1

The carrying away of the the topsoil bye wind and water and other elements is called soil erosion.

The causes of soil erosion are as follows:

1) Farming

2) Deforestation

3) Construction

4) Ploughing of hill slopes

5) Grazing

Types of soil erosion:

1) Sheet & Rill erosion

2) Scalding

3) Tunnel erosion

4) Gully erosion

5) Stream bank erosion

Here's the answer finishes.

Hope this helps you.

Please please mark my answer as Brainlist.

And follow me.

Similar questions
Math, 1 year ago