Question

what is soil erosion? Give the main reasons for soil erosion and methods by which it can be reduced ? In Long Answer ​

Answer 1

Answer:

Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process that affects all landforms. In agriculture, Soil erosion refers to the wearing away of a field's topsoil by the natural physical forces of water and wind through forces associated with farming activities such as tillage.  

Causes: The agents of soil erosion are water, wind, ice, and gravity. Running water is the leading cause of erosion. because water is abundant and has the power to erode the upper layers of the soil. The wind is also a leading cause of erosion as it can pick up and blow soil far away.

 Remedial steps for soil erosion:

        Plant grass and shrubs. Bare soil is swept by wind and water

        Add mulch or rocks.

        Use mulch matting to hold vegetation on slopes

        Put down fiber logs

        Build retaining walls

        Improve drainage

        Reduce watering if possible

        Avoid soil compaction 

Answer 2

what is soil erosion?

Soil erosion is the natural process in which the topsoil of a field is carried away by physical sources such as wind and water.” What is Soil Erosion? In this process, the soil particles are loosened or washed away in the valleys, oceans, rivers, streams or far away lands.

Give the main reasons for soil erosion and methods by which it can be reduced

Various agents, like wind, water, deforestation, overgrazing by cattle, and etc., cause soil erosion. The different factors of Soil Erosion are:

Wind:

When strong winds blow, the topsoil along with the organic substance is carried away by the wind. These occur more often when the land is not covered with grass or plants. Such conditions are extremely common in desert and semi-desert regions where strong winds blow very frequently.

Water:

When it rains in the hilly areas, the soil gets cleaned away towards the plains. The running water deposits the mineral-rich soil in the riverbed & over the years, this deposition of soil can change the course of the river. This can lead to floods which cause the destruction of life & property.

Methods of controlling Soil Erosion:

Biological methods: It includes the make use of a plant of vegetation cover.

(i) Agronomic practices: It includes natural protection of growing vegetation in a   mode that reduces soil loss. These are:

Crop rotation: It decreases soil loss & preserves the productivity of the land.

Strip cropping: It involves the planting of the crop in rows or strips to verify the flow of water.

Agrostological methods: Grasses such as Cynodon dactylon are used as erosion resisting stabilizer plants. They are developed in strips between the crops. Such methods contain:

Hay farming: This aims to grow grass in rotation with the field crops, which helps in building up the structure of soil, preventing soil erosion and improving its fertility.

Retiring lands to grass: It involves growing grass on such lands where a major proportion of the topsoil has been eroded. Normally grasses are allowed to graze under suitable climate conditions.