Question

Three reason of Land Degradation.

Answer 1

the reasons of land degradation are-
-overgrazing
-overcultivation
-deforestration

Answer 2

The causes of land degradation can be divided into natural hazards, direct causes, and underlying causes. Natural hazards are the conditions of the physical environment which lead to the existence of a high degradation hazard, for example steep slopes as a hazard for water erosion. Direct causes are unsuitable land use and inappropriate land management practices, for example the cultivation of steep slopes without measures for soil conservation. Underlying causes are the reasons why these inappropriate types of land use and management are practised; for example, the slopes may be cultivated because the landless poor need food, and conservation measures not adopted because these farmers lack security of tenure.

There is a distinction, although with overlap, between unsuitable land use and inappropriate land management practices.

Unsuitable land use is the use of land for purposes for which it is environmentally unsuited for sustainable use. An example is forest clearance and arable use of steeply sloping upper watershed areas which would have more value to the community as water sources, managed under a protective forest cover.

Inappropriate land management practices refer to the use of land in ways which could be sustainable if properly managed, but where the necessary practices are not adopted. An example is the failure to adopt soil conservation measures where these are needed. It can also refer to land use which is ecologically sustainable under low intensity of use but in which the management becomes inappropriate at higher intensifies. Examples are shifting cultivation and the grazing of semi-arid rangelands.

The GLASOD assessment gives one or two causes for each map unit and type of degradation. In this assessment, only four causes were recognized, defined as:

de fore station and removal of natural vegetation;

overgrazing;

agricultural activities;

over-exploitation of vegetation for domestic use.

This survey did not recognize a separate class of problems arising in the planning and management of irrigation, but it is clear from the results that such problems are included under agricultural activities.

The results from the GLASOD assessment of causes is summarized in Table 20. Other information on causes is from publications and persona! information.

TABLE 20 - Causes of degradation as given in the GLASOD assessment

Type of degradation

Percentage area of degradation type caused by

 

Deforestation

Overgrazing

Agricultural
activities

Overcutting of
vegetation

Water erosion

61

67

2

44

Wind erosion

21

46

1

98

Soil fertility decline

25

0

75

0

Salinization

34

30

14

87

Waterlogging

0

0

85

33

Lowering of water table

12

22

65

34

All types of degradation

37

46

15

63

NB: Up to two causes are given for each type of degradation, therefore percentages sum to more than 100.

 hope it help