prepare a list of causes of land degradation
Answers
Answer:
Land degradation results from the combined effects of processes such as loss of biological diversity and vegetative cover, soil loss nutrient imbalance, decline in soil organic matter and decrease of infiltration and water retention capacity. Soil erosion means the removal of top fertile layer of the soil. Soil erosion by wind and water is the most common and extensive
Explanation:
(i) Wind Erosion:
At places where there is no vegetation and soil is sandy, strong winds blow the loose and coarse soil particles and dust to long distances. The depletion of forests lead to loosening of soil particles due to lack of roots and moisture in soil. These loosened particles are more prone to soil erosion by winds.
(ii) Water Erosion:
Deforestation, overgrazing and mining, all are equally responsible for an increase in the rate of erosion by water. Water erosion is caused either by water in motion or by the beating action of rain drops. Water during heavy rains may remove the thin soil cover over large areas more or less uniformly.
It is called sheet erosion. If the erosion continues unchecked, numerous finger-shaped grooves may develop all over the area as a result of the silt-laden run off. This is called rill erosion. Gully erosion is an advanced stage of rill erosion because the unattended rills begin to attain the form of gullies, increasing their width, depth and length.
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