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Asked by: Itxiar Marculeta
business and finance environmental services industryWhat causes soil degradation?
There are several physical factors contributing to soil degradation distinguished by the manners in which they change the natural composition and structure of the soil. Rainfall, surface runoff, floods, wind erosion, tillage, and mass movements result in the loss of fertile top spoil thereby declining soil quality.
In respect to this, which are the three reasons for the degradation of the soil?
Land Degradation: 9 Main Causes of Land Degradation
- Deforestation: Forests play an important role in maintaining fertility of soil by shedding their leaves which contain many nutrients.
- Excessive Use of Fertilizers and Pesticides:
- Overgrazing:
- Salination:
- Water-logging:
- Desertification:
- Soil erosion:
- Wasteland:
Keeping this in view, how do you fix soil degradation?
Here are a few to note:
- Wind breaks. Artificial and natural windbreaks, such as shrubs, reduce the erosion effects of wind.
- Terracing. Terracing of slopes reduces the effects of water runoff and helps conserve rain water.
- Strip farming.
- Crop rotation.
Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. It is a serious environmental problem. Avoiding soil degradation is crucial to our well-being.