Soil erosion

The process of soil loss due to wind, water, or other factors, which can result in decreased soil productivity, water quality issues, and reduced carbon sequestration.

What is soil erosion and what causes it?

- "Soil erosion is the denudation or wearing away of the upper layer of soil." - "This natural process is caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, that is, water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and animals (including humans)."

How is erosion categorized?

- "In accordance with these agents, erosion is sometimes divided into water erosion, glacial erosion, snow erosion, wind (aeolean) erosion, zoogenic erosion, and anthropogenic erosion such as tillage erosion."

Can erosion occur unnoticed or does it have visible impacts?

- "Soil erosion may be a slow process that continues relatively unnoticed, or it may occur at an alarming rate causing a serious loss of topsoil."

What are the consequences of soil erosion on farmland?

- "The loss of soil from farmland may be reflected in reduced crop production potential, lower surface water quality, and damaged drainage networks."

What are the potential negative impacts of erosion on natural landscapes?

- "On natural landscapes, erosion can lead to ecological collapse, both because of the loss of the nutrient-rich upper soil layers."

How does erosion contribute to desertification?

- "In some cases, the eventual end result is desertification."

How does erosion affect water bodies and waterways?

- "Off-site effects include sedimentation of waterways and eutrophication of water bodies, as well as sediment-related damage to roads and houses."

Which activities have accelerated erosion rates?

- "Human activities have increased by 10–50 times the rate at which erosion is occurring worldwide." - "Intensive agriculture, deforestation, roads, acid rains, anthropogenic climate change, and urban sprawl are amongst the most significant human activities in regard to their effect on stimulating erosion."

What are some of the consequences of excessive erosion?

- "Excessive erosion causes both 'on-site' and 'off-site' problems." - "On-site impacts include decreases in agricultural productivity and ecological collapse." - "Off-site effects include sedimentation of waterways and sediment-related damage to roads and houses."

Which factors are primarily responsible for land degradation?

- "Water and wind erosion are the two primary causes of land degradation." - "Combined, they are responsible for about 84% of the global extent of degraded land."

What are some examples of human-induced erosion?

- "Intensive agriculture, deforestation, roads, acid rains, anthropogenic climate change, and urban sprawl"

Are there any preventative measures or remediation practices for erosion?

- "There are many prevention and remediation practices that can curtail or limit erosion of vulnerable soils."

Can erosion lead to sinkholes?

- "Soil erosion could also cause sinkholes."

How does erosion impact crop production potential?

- "The loss of soil from farmland may be reflected in reduced crop production potential."

What percentage of degraded land is attributed to erosion?

- "Water and wind erosion... are responsible for about 84% of the global extent of degraded land."

Which agents of erosion are mentioned in the paragraph?

- "Water, ice (glaciers), snow, air (wind), plants, and animals (including humans)."

Is erosion a natural process or solely caused by human activity?

- "Soil erosion is a natural process caused by the dynamic activity of erosive agents, including humans."

What are the consequences of erosion on surface water quality?

- "The loss of soil from farmland may be reflected in... lower surface water quality."

How does erosion affect roads and houses?

- "Off-site effects include sediment-related damage to roads and houses."

How much has human activity increased the rate of erosion?

- "Human activities have increased by 10–50 times the rate at which erosion is occurring worldwide."