According to the 2020 Food and Agriculture Organization’s report "State of knowledge of soil biodiversity – Status, challenges and potentialities", there are major gaps in knowledge about biodiversity in soils. Soil Degradation | Introduction i Table of Contents 1. Several types of soil degradation exist and are a … [7], Repeated plowing/tilling degrades soil, killing its beneficial fungi and earthworms. The highest numbers of people affected are in South and East Asia, the circum Sahara region including North Africa, and the Middle East including the Arabian Peninsula (low confidence). Salt-tolerant plants include saltbush, a plant found in much of North America and in the Mediterranean regions of Europe. Terraced farming is more common on small farms. degradation (countable and uncountable, plural degradations) . The growing population pressure, during 1980–1990, has led to decreases in the already small areas of agricultural land per person in six out of eight countries (14% for India and 21% for Pakistan). [citation needed] Humic acids can fix both anions and cations and eliminate them from root zones. Several papers have been published on soil degradation and restoration strategies in specific perennial crops and environments. Retrogression and degradation are two regressive evolution processes associated with the loss of equilibrium of a stable soil. Terraces are protected from erosion by other soil barriers. Windbreaks are sufficiently dense rows of trees at the windward exposure of an agricultural field subject to wind erosion. Degraded soils have a health status such, that they do not provide the normal goods and services of the particular soil in its ecosystem. [3] It is estimated that up to 40% of the world's agricultural land is seriously degraded. Action in the land's capacity to provide resources for human livelihoods. As a result of sea-level rise from climate change, salinity levels can reach levels where agriculture becomes impossible in very low-lying areas. Overgrazing is the grazing of natural pastures at stocking intensities above the livestock carrying capacity; the resulting decrease in the vegetation cover is a leading cause of wind and water erosion. Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the top most layer of the soil from erosion or prevention of reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination. soil erosion and compaction. Soil degradation costs U.S. corn farmers a half-billion dollars every year. Policy Studies Organization (PSO) Summit, December 2011, Special Report on Climate Change and Land, Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, "Global food crisis looms as climate change and population growth strip fertile land", A land degradation assessment and mapping method. As the land resource base becomes less productive, food security is compromised and competition for dwindling resources increases, the seeds of famine and potential conflict are sown. Bowen, D.E. soil degradation Definition Soil may deteriorate either by physical movement of soil particles from a given site or by depletion of the water-soluble elements in the soil which contribute to the nourishment of crop, plants, grasses, trees, and other economically usable vegetation. [7], Soil-conservation farming involves no-till farming, "green manures" and other soil-enhancing practices which make it hard for the soils to be equalized. Sensitivity and resilience are measures of the vulnerability of a landscape to degradation. Hence, soil degradation by erosion, contamination, salinization, and sealing all threaten soil biodiversity by compromising or destroying the habitat of the soil biota. Over-irrigation deposits salts in upper soil layers as a byproduct of soil infiltration; irrigation merely increases the rate of salt deposition. Yakov Kuzyakov. Water then evaporates from the soil leaving the salt behind. The result is accelerated soil degradation. Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany. This is frequent in semi-arid environments, where fuelwood shortages are often severe. People living in already degraded or desertified areas are increasingly negatively affected by climate change (high confidence). When plants (trees & shrubs) are cleared from a site, soil is exposed to sunlight and the eroding effects of wind and water. "[11] Additionally, it is claimed that 74% of the poor are directly affected by land degradation globally.[6]. Flooding can bring significant sediments to an alluvial plain. Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. Significant land degradation from seawater inundation, particularly in river deltas and on low-lying islands, is a potential hazard that was identified in a 2007 IPCC report. Recognizing The Challenges with Preventing Or Solving Land Degradation Poor land management, such as deforestation , overgrazing, construction activities and forest fires are among the main causes of this situation. Tree, shrubs and ground-cover are effective perimeter treatment for soil erosion prevention, by impeding surface flows. Use of humic acids may prevent excess salination, especially given excessive irrigation. Soil is in fact an extremely complex, variable and living medium, but absolutely critical for life on Earth. Summary for policy makers", "Global soils underpin life but future looks 'bleak', warns UN report", Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, Convention on Biological Diversity (1992), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Soil_conservation&oldid=1000859279, Human activities with impact on the environment, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2019, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 17 January 2021, at 02:20. Soil-destructive practices continue because the prevailing system of grants and subsidies reward intensive, mechanized agro-industrial farming. Once damaged, soil may take multiple seasons to fully recover, even in optimal circumstances. The U.S. is one of … Earthworm casts are five times richer in available nitrogen, seven times richer in available phosphates and eleven times richer in available potash than the surrounding upper 150 millimetres (5.9 in) of soil. The continuous high level of the water table led to soil salination. This increases the amount of soil organic matter. Severe land degradation affects a significant portion of the Earth's arable lands, decreasing the wealth and economic development of nations. Avoiding soil degradation is crucial to our well-being. The change in the groundwater level led to high salt concentrations in the water table. All are induced or aggravated by human activities, e.g. ", "Farmers Put Down the Plow for More Productive Soil", "State of knowledge of soil biodiversity – Status, challenges and potentialities. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Lacking structure increases erosion and carries nitrogen and other pollutants into rivers and streams. by Kelsey Simpkins, University of Colorado at Boulder. CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, UN Conference on the Human Environment (Stockholm 1972), "Estimating the soil erosion cover-management factor at the European scale", "Soil Conservation in Europe: Wish or Reality? Soil Degradation. In 2015, about 500 (380–620) million people lived within areas which experienced desertification between the year 1980s and 2000s. What could be done? The ions responsible for salination are: sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+) and chlorine (Cl−). Soil aeration is increased and the rate of weathering increases. Overall, more than 36 types of land degradation can be assessed. Over the period 1961–2013, the annual area of drylands in drought has increased, on average by slightly more than 1% per year, with large inter-annual variability. SOiL er et hardrock band med fem medlemmer, fra Chicago i Illinois, USA.. Medlemmer. Human activities such as deforestation, excessive grazing by cattle etc. Contour ploughing was practiced by the ancient Phoenicians for slopes between two and ten percent. When plants die, they decay and become part of the soil. Slash-and-burn and other unsustainable methods of subsistence farming are practiced in some lesser developed areas. Soil erosion is one of the main factors causing land degradation. The act of reducing in rank, character, or reputation, or of abasing; a lowering from one's standing or rank in office or society . [7], To allow plants full realization of their phytonutrient potential, active mineralization of the soil is sometimes undertaken. A broad range of minerals can be used, including common substances such as phosphorus and more exotic substances such as zinc and selenium. Exposure of naked soil after harvesting by heavy equipment, This page was last edited on 4 January 2021, at 13:41. Other dryland regions have also experienced desertification. It is a mixture of many different things including rock, minerals, water and air.Soil also has living things and dead things in it. Salinity in soil is caused by irrigating with salty water. AJ Cavalier – Vokal (2004–); Adam Zadel – Gitar, Vokal; Shaun Glass – Gitar; Tim King – Bass; Tom Schofield – Slagverk; Tidligere Medlemmer. Resilience is the ability of a landscape to absorb change, without significantly altering the relationship between the relative importance and numbers of individuals and species that compose the community. [7], Each one percent increase in soil organic matter helps soil hold 20,000 gallons more water per acre. High population density is not always related to land degradation. Soil erosion from agricultural fields is estimated to be currently 10 to 20 times (no tillage) to more than 100 times (conventional tillage) higher than the soil formation rate (medium confidence).". Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land. The retrogression is primarily due to erosion and corresponds to a phenomenon where succession reverts back to pioneer conditions (such as bare ground). A sequel to the deforestation is typically large scale erosion, loss of soil nutrients and sometimes total desertification. Salinity is estimated to affect about one third of the earth's arable land. Code 330 defines standard methods recommended by the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service. Land degradation From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Serious land degradation in Nauru after the depletion of the phosphate cover through mining Land degradation is a concept in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by one or more combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land. A standard guideline proposal, "Human Induced Land Degradation is Preventable", USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Economics of Land Degradation Initiative – Homepage, Safety of high-energy particle collision experiments, Existential risk from artificial intelligence, Self-Indication Assumption Doomsday argument rebuttal, Self-referencing doomsday argument rebuttal, List of dates predicted for apocalyptic events, List of apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Land_degradation&oldid=998245540, Human activities with impact on the environment, Articles with dead external links from February 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Soil is the foundation of life. An important element in land degradation is protecting soil as its degradation constitutes a serious threat for human health, food security, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and the preservation of healthy ecosystems. Shifting ecological risk: increased vulnerability of the environment or people to destruction or crisis. Terracing is the practice of creating nearly level areas in a hillside area. Planting species that can tolerate saline conditions can be used to lower water tables and thus reduce the rate of capillary and evaporative enrichment of surface salts. Soil is the loose material which forms the thin surface layer of Earth. Soil conservation is the prevention of loss of the top most layer of the soil from erosion or prevention of reduced fertility caused by over usage, acidification, salinization or other chemical soil contamination. Soil degradation is any type of problem that removes soil in an area or makes high-quality soil become poor. Johnson, P. Lamb, M. Saul, and A.E. Cover crops such as legumes plant, white turnips, radishes and other species are rotated with cash crops to blanket the soil year-round and act as green manure that replenishes nitrogen and other critical nutrients. A simple governance hurdle concerns how we value the land and this can be changed by cultural adaptation. Ryan McCombs – Vokal (1997–2004); Serj Tankian G.W. [1] Words by Lucy Purdy February 26, 2018. Soil erosion usually happens at a much faster rate than soil formation, soil erosion leads to a gradual degradation of soil quality. This is measured through a base line in the form of pre-existing risk of crisis or destruction. Meanings of environmental terms. [1] Cover crops also help suppress weeds. Soil degradation refers to the decline in quantity and quality of soil. According to the Special Report on Climate Change and Land of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change climate change in one of the causes of land degradation. Winter-Nelson. The best-known case of shallow saline water table capillary action occurred in Egypt after the 1970 construction of the Aswan Dam. A special form of this perimeter or inter-row treatment is the use of a "grass way" that both channels and dissipates runoff through surface friction, impeding surface runoff and encouraging infiltration of the slowed surface water.[5]. Our pick of five possible solutions. [3] Contour ploughing can increase crop yields from 10 to 50 percent, partially as a result of greater soil retention.[4]. [7], In addition to the usual types of land degradation that have been known for centuries (water, wind and mechanical erosion, physical, chemical and biological degradation), four other types have emerged in the last 50 years:[8]. Isaacson, D.N. Terminski, Bogumil, Towards Recognition and Protection of Forced Environmental Migrants in the Public International Law: Refugee or IDPs Umbrella (December 1, 2011). This is considered to be an important topic of the 21st century due to the implications land degradation has upon agricultural productivity, the environment, and its effects on food security. While this effect may not be desirable if floods endanger life or if the sediment originates from productive land, this process of addition to a floodplain is a natural process that can rejuvenate soil chemistry through mineralization. Causes include: Land clearance, such as clearcutting and deforestation; Agricultural depletion of soil nutrients through poor farming practices; Livestock including overgrazing and overdrafting; Inappropriate irrigation and overdrafting Some farmers claimed that no-till complicates pest control, delays planting and that post-harvest residues, especially for corn, are hard to manage.[7]. [10][11], Degraded soil requires synthetic fertilizer to produce high yields. 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