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Living Things Erosion

Soil erosion is caused by water, wind and tillage which can pollute streams and rivers as soil breaks apart. It can also lead to mudslides and floods affecting structures. Over time, erosion depletes soil nutrients making it less suitable for planting crops. Sedimentation from erosion settles in waterways, carrying pollutants that reduce water quality and cause algal blooms which lower oxygen levels harming aquatic life. Erosion also causes mudslides threatening stability of buildings and roads. Deforestation contributes to erosion as trees stabilize soil, and excess sedimentation from deforestation leads to flooding. Agricultural practices like over-irrigation and tilling reduce soil nutrients, while better practices like leaving crop residue improve soil

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Vince Azares
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35 views3 pages

Living Things Erosion

Soil erosion is caused by water, wind and tillage which can pollute streams and rivers as soil breaks apart. It can also lead to mudslides and floods affecting structures. Over time, erosion depletes soil nutrients making it less suitable for planting crops. Sedimentation from erosion settles in waterways, carrying pollutants that reduce water quality and cause algal blooms which lower oxygen levels harming aquatic life. Erosion also causes mudslides threatening stability of buildings and roads. Deforestation contributes to erosion as trees stabilize soil, and excess sedimentation from deforestation leads to flooding. Agricultural practices like over-irrigation and tilling reduce soil nutrients, while better practices like leaving crop residue improve soil

Uploaded by

Vince Azares
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Soil erosion is the weathering away of topsoil caused by water, wind or tillage.

Pesticides and other chemicals can get trapped in soil, polluting streams and rivers as
the soil breaks apart. Soil erosion can also lead to mudslides and floods, negatively
affecting the structural integrity of buildings and roadways. Over time, abusive farming
and agricultural tilling processes can result in nutrient degradation -- the decline in soil
quality. This type of erosion depletes organic matter in soil, making it less suitable for
planting and harvesting crops or for the natural production of vegetation.

Pollution and Poor Water Quality


The gradual erosion of soil creates sedimentation, a process by which rocks and
minerals in the soil separate from the soil and deposit elsewhere, often lodging in
streams and rivers. Pollutants in the soil, such as fertilizers and pest control agents
used to protect crops, also settle in the streams and rivers. Water pollutants result in
poor water quality -- including the quality of drinking water if the pollutants aren't
removed before consumption.

Sedimentation also leads to the excessive growth of algae, as sunlight can get
through the sediment. High levels of algae remove too much oxygen from the water,
resulting in the death of aquatic animals and reduced fish populations, according to
the World Wildlife Fund.

Mudslides and Structural Problems


Soil erosion leads to mudslides, which affect the stability and structural integrity of
buildings and roadways. Mudslides not only affect structures supported by the soil but
also buildings and roads that are in the path of slides. Mudslides occur when fine
sand, clay, silt, organic matter and soil spill off the sides of hills and slopes as a result
of the force and energy of heavy rainfall . This runoff occurs quickly, so there's not
enough time for the surface to reabsorb or trap the eroding soil, according to
Envirothon, a program of the National Conservation Foundation and North America's
largest high school environmental education competition.

Deforestation and Flooding


Deforestation -- the removal of trees to create room for cities and farming -- erodes
soil. Trees help hold soil in place , so when they're uprooted, winds and rains push the
loose soil and rocks to streams and rivers, again resulting in unwanted sedimentation.
The heavy layers of sediment keep streams and rivers from flowing smoothly,
eventually leading to flooding. Excess water, especially during rainy seasons and
when the snow melts, gets trapped by the sediment and has nowhere to go except
back on land.
Soil Degradation
The degradation of nutrients in soil is often a result of poorly conducted farming and
agricultural practices that lead to soil erosion. Excessive irrigation and outdated
tilling practices reduce the amount of nutrients in the soil and make it less fertile for
natural vegetation and agricultural purposes. According to the Environmental
Protection Agency, agricultural methods, such as purposely leaving organic matter in
the soil and ensuring that at least 30 percent of the previous year's crop
residue remain in the soil, increase the fertility and vitality of the soil. In some cases,
seeds can be planted directly in the previous year's crop residue without any further
tillage.

Wind, water and glaciers all wear down soil and rock and carry it to other sites. The
process of erosion makes a tremendous, costly impact around the world. Each year,
estimated damage due to erosion reaches $400 billion worldwide. Some of this is due
to natural causes, but a great deal of erosion comes from human activities such as
agriculture, mining and construction.

The Effects
Whether it is natural or man-made, erosion leads to a number of problems. Over 99
percent of the world’s food is raised on farms, but the planet is losing about 96,000
square kilometers (about 37,000 square miles) of cropland annually. It takes 20 years
for just 2.5 acres to be replaced. Erosion also leads to sediment dumping in
waterways. This harms habitats, killing organisms dependent upon streams and rivers.
In addition, when land is worn down, it cannot control water flow well, so flooding is
more likely.

Cultivation Challenge
Farmland is being reduced because of erosion, but agriculture practices are, ironically,
responsible for removing about 75 billion tons of topsoil around the world annually.
The American share of that is almost 7 billion tons. Farming exposes topsoil to wind
and rain when vegetation is cleared for new acreage, as well as when plows work the
field, loosening the soil.

Going Deep
Mining activities remove trees, plants and topsoil from an area. Unprotected, the earth
is open to the elements, and wind and rain erode the land. Strip mining is especially
harmful because it moves large chunks of land to reach the coal beneath. Developers
sometimes blast sections of mountains, exposing even more vulnerable earth.
The Problem Builds
If appropriate steps are not taken, construction practices cause erosion. Soil is
exposed when areas are cleared for building, and storm water runoff carries sediment
to lakes, rivers and streams. In many parts of the United States, regulations require
construction areas larger than 5 acres to have erosion-control plans, such as silt
fences and straw bales to reduce runoff.

Getting Hotter
Humans contribute to global warming, and global warming contributes to erosion. The
burning of coal, oil and gas is responsible for most of the climate change. Storms are
increasing in frequency and severity, washing away soil. This is especially apparent in
coastal areas, where hurricanes and typhoons wear away coastlines and destroy
habitats.

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