The health of soil is a primary concern to farmers and the global community whose livelihoods depend on well managed agriculture that starts with the dirt beneath our feet. 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. Potential environmental consequences span from famine and water pollution to reductions in biodiversity and ecosystem efficiency. Soil degradation needs to be recognised, alongside climate change, as one of. If you continue browsing the site, you agree to the use of cookies on this website. Land degradation impacts were assessed in social and economic terms only for soil erosion. Impacts of erosion on soil, air, and water quality erosion. Soil degradation, conservation and remediation khan towhid. The environmental impact of agriculture is the effect that different farming practices have on the ecosystems around them, and how those effects can be traced back to those practices. Deforestation is the conversion of forest to nonforest land and can result in land. In this report, land degradation is defined as a negative trend 4 in land condition, caused by direct or indirect humaninduced processes. Silting of drainage, canals, rivers and reservoirs results in increased floods and droughts. Desertification has been defined as land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities11. Estimated impacts of soil degradation on the african.
Effects of soil degradation by modeling the decomposition of soil organic matter dynamics, crop systems models can simulate the effects of soil nutrient depletion under lowinput extractive field management practices, as well as soil carbon sequestration under regenerative management practices. In this guide, we look at what land degradation is including the sub land and soil issues it encompasses, along with the causes, the effects impacts, and the potential. Land degradation indicators and management options. It has led to increased pollution and sedimentation in streams and rivers, clogging these waterways. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. Hyphospheric impacts of earthworms and arbuscular mycorrhizal. This is particularly worrisome since, according to the uns food and agriculture organization, some 83% of subsaharan african people depend on the land for their livelihood, and food production in africa will have to increase almost 100. A soil degradation index is derived from an ordered qualitative classification on the degree of soil degradation and the area extension.
Whilst soil degradation is recognised as a major aspect of land degradation, other processes which affect the productive capacity of cropland, rangeland and forests, such as lowering of the water table and deforestation, are captured by the concept of land degradation. Past and present human intervention in the utilization and manipulation of environmental resources are having unexpected consequences such as soil degradation. The erodible material is almost devoid of organic matter and lacks in mineral plant nutrients. Usually land degrad ation is described in terms of the loss in natural resources soil, water, fauna and flora or in the biophysical process by which it functions. Pdf more than 40% of chinas arable land is degraded. Impacts of erosion on soil, air, and water quality. The current study was undertaken in order to take stock of the existing knowledge on the economic impacts of soil degradation in europe and abroad, and to provide initial estimations of the total. Four types of costs were specified such as lost cropland, lower crop yield, lost grazing land, and lower grass yield. This term previously designated the podzolization of chernozems under the influence of forest vegetation. Estimated impacts of soil degradation on the african water. Polluted soil can harm humans by making contact with the soil or consuming vegetation produce from contaminated soils. But even though the soil changes occur, but the composition of soil layers remain almost the same in a human lifetime. Environmental degradation is the disintegration of the earth or.
Land degradation processes are ongoing over large part of the earth land surface figure 3. When organic matter is lost, soils tend to lose their physical structure. Decline in crops yields and agronomic production exacerbate foodinsecurity that currently affects 854 million people globally, and low concentration of protein and micronutrients e. It thus covers the various forms of soil degradation, adverse human impacts on water resources, deforestation, and lowering of the productive capacity of rangelands. Impacts on human health over 200 years of industrialisation have caused soil contamination to be a widespread problem in europe. Land degradation is, however, difficult to grasp in its totality. Decreased aeration means less oxygen available for plant roots to grow. Careless agricultural practices, pollution and deforestation cause lots of soil degradation in the world. Land degradation can be prevented through different mechanisms depending up on the nature and form of degradation. Assessing the economic impacts of soil degradation 2 this report will be cited as follows. The principal aim of this study was to explore the impacts of desertification, degradation and drought on both the natural resources. The most common human activities that increase soil erosion are described below. Soil degradation a process that results in the partial loss by soil of previously accumulated organic matter, exchangeable alkalineearth cations, and the clayey fraction. Soil loss from conventionally tilled land exceeds the rate of soil formation by 15 2 orders of magnitude medium confidence.
Land degradation is the temporary or permanent lowering of the productive capacity of land unep, 1992b. Degradation leads to reduction in crop yield in the affected lands and a possible decline in cropping intensity. Soil compaction, low organic matter, loss of soil structure, poor internal drainage, salinisation and soil acidity problems are other serious soil degradation conditions that can. The impact of erosion on ecological functions of soil. Erosion gradually depletes organic matter and decreases soil productivity. The contamination or degradation of soils impacts heavily on the health of plants. Land degradation may also be considered a combination of the mechanical. Decision makers, scientists, businesses and individual citizens generally accept and understand that air and water pollution can. Thus the term podzolized chernozems is now used in soil classifications. To put the soil degradation results in perspective, the study will first demonstrate the sensitivity of water balance models to soil water holding capacities. Recurring droughts and land degradation are closely linked. The paper estimates the effect of soil degradation on crop yields for dominant cereals in ethiopia at a nationwide level and analyses its relation with population density and fertiliser use. Soil erosion and land degradation have been increasing in ethiopian highlands due to the existence of arable land 90 %, high human population 90% and livestock density 60% which resulted in. Ultimately, the environmental impact depends on the production practices of the.
The increase will mainly interest the areas where soil erosion is currently. The environmental impact of agriculture varies based on the wide variety of agricultural practices employed around the world. These impacts include compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation, and soil salinity. Soil degradation article about soil degradation by the. Causes of soil degradation and methods for soil conservation. Soil erosion wind erosion, water erosion, mechanical erosion and so on a partial or complete loss of the top fertile layer of soil the soil layer with minerals and organic matter in it. The effects of soil erosion go beyond the loss of fertile land. The destruction of environments and the eradication of wildlife. In undisturbed forests, the soil is protected by layers of humus and leaf litter. In extreme cases, soil becomes unfit for cultivation. The looming food insecurity in the country is mainly linked to the prevailing degradation problem 4. Technical report on soil degradation european commission. Pdf the paper estimates the effect of soil degradation on crop yields for dominant cereals in ethiopia at a nationwide level and analyses its.
Pdf the effect of soil degradation on agricultural productivity in. It literally refers to the impairment of natural quality of soil component of any ecosystem. Land degradation which is also seen as a decline in land quality caused by human. Water can be lost through evapotranspiration, evaporation, infiltration, runoff, pollution, or overuse. Oct 12, 2015 we discuss briefly some potential impacts of changes in soil properties arising from degradation threats on soil functions. Most types of soil degradation can be prevented or reversed by adding nutrients to nutrient depleted soil, rebuilding topsoil through soil amendments, reestablishing vegetation, or buffering soil acidity scherr and yadav 1996. Impact of environmental degradation on agricultural. Soil degradation is any type of problem that removes soil in an area or makes highquality soil become poor. This agricultural problem could detrimentally impact our food and water supplies as well as the general sustenance of life. Water, the wind, and gravity move in an out of the soil particles. Soil degradation is the inability of soil to support the growth of crops. First, land degradation has its major impact on soils of lower fertility, where population levels are low. Pdf assessing the economic impacts of soil degradation.
Half of the topsoil on the planet has been lost in the last 150 years. Soil degradation as a reason for inadequate human nutrition. In view of the grave consequences of soil degradation on ecosystem functions, food security, biodiversity and human health, this book covers the extent, causes, processes and impacts of global soil degradation, and processes for improvement of degraded soils. Air pollution, water pollution, garbage, and pollution of the natural environment are all challenges for india. Eu agricultural areas, as an effect of climate change. The soil is always changing as water comes and goes. Mar 02, 2020 land degradation is the blanket term usually used to describe a number of land and soil degradation issues such as soil contamination, soil erosion, desertification, and more. The process is a sequence of actions that destroy the physical chemical and biological properties of. While drought increases soil degradation, soil degradation, in turn, magnifies the impact of drought. Desertification, a phenomenon referring to land degradation in arid, semiarid and dry subhumid regions as a result of climatic variations and human activities, is considered as one of the most severe environmental and socioeconomic problems of recent times. The effect of soil degradation on agricultural productivity. Soil degradation ann verdoodt academic year 20112012 compilation of course notes by prof. The world is losing 10 ha of arable land each minute5 ha to soil erosion, 3 ha from salinity, and 2 ha by.
Evaluation project sqep within the national soil conservation program nscp, currently provides a focus for much of this research. Soil degradation and sustainable development in europe. The organic portion, which is derived from the decayed remains of plants and animals, is concentrated in the dark uppermost topsoil. Soil degradation is the decline in soil quality caused by its improper use usually for agricultural postural, industrial, or. Assessing the economic impacts of soil degradation 5 2 aim and scope of the study the current study was undertaken in order to take stock of the existing knowledge on the economic impacts of soil degradation in europe and abroad, and to provide initial estimations of the total economic impact of soil degradation in europe. This erosion is the dominant form of soil degradation troeh et al. The paper suggests some rules of thumb for identifying the priority areas for government and donor intervention, including the need for targeted research on the productivity. Most of the degradation is due to soil erosion and biodiversity loss in the less populated areas, while water shortage, soil depletion and soil pollution are most common in the most agricultural areas. The main objective of one of the sqep subproject was to collect information regarding the impacts of soil degradation on crop. Soil degradation a major threat to humanity summary soil degradation needs to be recognised, alongside climate change, as one of the most pressing problems facing humanity.
Impacts of modern agriculture and degradation on soil. Desertification and land degradation are among the central problems for the sustainable development of the dryland ecosystem, especially in the case of the sudan figure 1. Impacts of soil erosion exercise pdf impacts of erosion on soil quality. Prominent environmental degradation found in most rural communities include deforestation, loss of biodiversity, loss of soil fertility, leaching of the soil, land degradation, land and water pollution, desertification, flood, drought, and erosions. The degradation of soil structure makes the soil hard, compact and cloddy. In addition to erosion, soil quality is affected by other aspects of agriculture. In nigeria, the nigerdelta communities are mostly cited as examples of. Specifically, it will simulate the impact of land degradation on soil water holding capacities, and the subsequent impacts on evapotranspiration.
Flavobacteriaceae was stimulated by earthworm and thus enhanced the pentachlorophenol degradation in soil. This study takes the degradation of soil resources as its focus. Soil is the thin layer of organic and inorganic material that covers the earths rocky surface. Sustainable land use can help to reduce the impacts of agriculture and livestock, preventing soil degradation and erosion and the loss of valuable land to desertification. Several types of soil degradation exist and are a threat to natural forests and planted crops. Secondly, on fertile soils, land degradation is largely. Current state 1990 and projection of climate change effects for 2050. The soil aeration, waterholding capacity and permeability are also decreased. Soil degradation article about soil degradation by the free. Degraded soil diminishes food production and leads to soil erosion, which in turn contributes to desertification. Humans are also affected in numerous ways either directly or indirectly. Effects of soil erosion on farmland in shottisham near woodbridge.
Land degradation affects people and ecosystems throughout the planet and is both affected. Land degradation and rehabilitation in ethiopia society at large is also suffering from uncertain information about the rates of land use change and land degradation. Land degradation can also be defined in terms of actions taken which increase the soil loss from agricultural lands affecting crop productivity and increasing sediment loads to rivers and reservoirs. Solutions need to be developed and introduced which address both issues simultaneously. In the present study, earthworm activity stimulated flavobacteriaceae which had a significantly negative correlation with residual otc r 2.