Moreover, soil loss causes a slowing of poverty reduction over time in the three northern regions, which currently have the highest poverty rates in the country. Land degradation is a decline of the economic and biological productivity of land because of human treatment. Our land, water and soil are compromised when people exhaust resources or release harmful chemicals into the air. Cultural and conservation practices as factors for degradation assessment. Avoiding soil degradation is crucial to our wellbeing. Natural hazards like hurricanes and floods are a direct cause of land degradation, all types of forest were severely affected by hurricane ivan 2004 and emily 2005. Soil compaction can be a serious form of soil degradation. Soil degradation causes, effects, preventive methods agri. Defining land degradation and improvement land includes not only the soil resource, but also the water, vegetation, landscape, and microclimatic components ofan ecosystem land degradation refers to a temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity ofthe land,2 or its potential for environmental management.
Causes of soil degradation historically, soil degradation. Sequential and unanticipated cause effect situations. The linkages between land degradation, poverty and social. Soil erosion, deforestation, the loss or depletion of animal and plant species limit the productive opportunities of vast numbers of people. This write up, looks at the forms, causes and solutions to the menace of land degradation in. The degradation or deterioration of soil may be caused by the following factors. This factsheet looks at the causes and effects of water, wind and tillage. The resources which are affected include water, air and soil. But, in the field, further variables are used as indicators of the occurrence of soil degradation. Human activity affects not only soil quality and water supply, but also biodiversity. While agriculture is not the sole cause of soil degradation it is a dominant factor. This chapter addresses the status and causes of land degradation in northern ethiopia over the last century. Soil fertility is an ecological life process the soil is habitat to an immense variety of micro organisms, animals and plant roots.
Within short horizontal distances, climates from tropical to subhumid and subtropical to arctic can occur krauer. Chapter 3 nar rates the causes, factors, and processes of water erosion. Soil erosion and deforestation are the main forms of land degradation responsible for the decline in land productivity in turn reducing income of farm households in ethiopia. Causes of soil degradation the land degradation is caused by excessive pressure on land to meet the competing demands of the growing population for food, fodder and fibre. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of humaninduced processes acting upon the land. Soil degradation causes, effects, preventive methods. Causes of soil degradation and methods for soil conservation. Conversion of agricultural land in nonagricultural uses is one of the main reasons to follow. The three degradation terms, environmental degradation, land degradation, and soil degradation, are defined as any change or disturbance to the environment, land, or soil perceived to be. It is one of the major causes of low and declining agricultural productivity and continuing food insecurity and rural poverty.
However, the shortage of land causes overgrazing without replenishment and over time, the degradation becomes so severe that it renders the land permanently unproductive. Linking soil degradation processes, soilfriendly farming practices. However, soil scientists consider rainfall the most important erosion factor among the many factors that cause soil erosion. Other causes of soil degradation were 40 improper farming on. Major causes of soil degradation in darimu and chewaka woreda the major causes of soil erosion mentioned by farmers included erosive rains existence of intensive rain fall, steep slope topography, and little use of soil conservation practices, damaged conservation structures, and tillage, which makes the soil loose and bare. Environmental economics in the department of agricultural economics, extension and rural development. Causes of soil degradation historically, soil degradation caused by agricultural. Causes of soil degradation range from the use of fertilisers to dumping of industrial waste. Around ad cropland and pasture accounted for 1% to 2% of the ice free land area 10. Land shortage and poverty, taken together, lead to nonsustainable land management practices, meaning the direct causes of degradation. The destruction of environments and the eradication of wildlife.
While the direct cause of land degradation is mismanagement. Of the 80 countries substantially affected by land degradation, 36. It also results in high costofproduction, low income, food. Land degradation or conservation is an outcome of many proximate and underlying causes. Land use changes and unsustainable land management are direct human causes of land degradation very high confidence, with agriculture being a dominant sector driving degradation 14 very high confidence. Following independence, the large amount of land that had been reserved for grazing, primarily in the valleys and steep hillsides, was distributed to farm families. The basics of soil fertility the organic research centre. Chapter 6 causes of land degradation food and agriculture. Various human activities, such as the introduction of large scale irrigation canals, deforestation and faulty land use lead to accelerated soil degradation through.
Pdf soil degradation processes, causes, and assessment. Land degradation and its causes proper soil management is a basis for societys long term social and economic development. A case study on keyain village of munshigonj district. Certain farming systems and practices address one or more soil degradation. While soil degradation occurs naturally, it has been highly exuberated by anthropogenic activities. Soil degradation physical, biological, chemical is unfavorable process, resulting in the soil losing its organic matter humus accumulated earlier, leading towards decrease of soil fertil. Degradation occurs when earths natural resources are depleted. Soil degradation extent and dynamics of soil fertility. The direct cause of land degradation is mismanagement of the land by man. Pdf on jan 1, 2020, nada dragovic and others published soil degradation processes, causes, and assessment approaches find, read. As the human population expanded, 2% to 4% of the land was in agriculture by 1700 figure 1. Environmental degradation is the disintegration of the earth or. Apr 27, 2019 land degradation is a negative change in the quality of land, usually induced by a mixture of natural and manmade causes.
The history of soil degradation in southern brazil is related to the history of agriculture castro filho et al. Land use change over the past four decades is an important component of land degradation. Natural resource degradation in general and land degradation in particular has a great effect on the economies of developing countries. Abu sayeed during the last few years the agriculture sector is facing danger in many ways. Soil erosion is one of the most destructive phenomena of land degradation. According to fao, deforestation is the conversion of.
Causes, effects and solutions of soil degradation paperblog. Soils are a fundamental natural resource, and are the basis for all terrestrial life. Though land degradation is a matter of concern for ghana in general, it is particularly serious in the upper east region. The main causes of biodiversity loss are habitat loss and fragmentation, and the overexploitation of.
For reasons outlined above, poor farmers are led to clear forest, cultivate steep slopes without conservation, overgraze rangelands, make unbalanced fertilizer applications, and the other causes noted above. Compaction of soil is the compression of soil particles into. Air pollution, water pollution, garbage, and pollution of the natural environment are all challenges for india. High land areas in ethiopia are receiving high rainfall in short period of time and it is likely to be the major reason for soil degradation in the form of erosion. To determine the major causes of soil erosion and deforestation through. The primary cause of environmental degradation is human disturbance. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. Also, climate change combined with human activities continues to worsen soil degradation.
The soil integrates a variety of important processes involving vegetation growth, overland flow of water, infiltration, land use and land management. Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. Individuals respond to environmental degradation in a variety of ways. The term land degradation involves both soil and vegetation degradation. Environmental degradation and social integration unrisd. Assessment of substantive causes of soil degradation on. The degradation also impacts our wildlife, plants, animals and microorganisms.
Air pollution, water pollution, garbage, and pollution of the natural environment are all. Cost implications of agricultural land degradation in ghana core. It is a global issue with millions of people being affected, even forcing them to relocate in some cases. Productivity losses on tropical soils are estimated to be in the range of 0. The degradation comes from several sources but it is mainly from extensive agriculture. Forests play an important role in maintaining fertility of soil by shedding their leaves. Two common factors soil erosion and depletion of soil organic matter somemerge as consistent indicators of how the thin layer covering. Influences of agricultural practices on soil degradation. Soil degradation nsw environment, energy and science. Land degradation is, usually, the result of complex interrelationships between biophysical and socioeconomic issues which affect many people and their land, specially in the tropics and developing countries.
Grenada land degradation neutrality national report. Various types of human activities may lead to soil. Nature and causes of land degradation in the oromiya region. It affects the land s topsoil, the vegetation that grows on it, and the nearby water sources. The main causes of soil degradation and, consequently, the main threats to its ecological functions are erosion, organic matter decline, loss of biodiversity. The humaninduced soil degradation, the socalled accelerated degradation, is a much more rapid. Submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of. Farmers in india are complaining about low productivity because of various reasons and soil degradation is one of them. Soil degradation causes and solutions the project is financed by. The current status of land resources and its use patterns are the result of many highly inter linked factors including natural, socioeconomic, policy and those related to agricultural. The health impacts of desertification and drought pdf, 1. Soil loss from conventionally tilled land exceeds the rate of soil formation by 15 2 orders. Soil degradation sswm find tools for sustainable sanitation and.
Loss of soil fertility results in low productivity. Land degradation can also cause erosion and landslides. Extent and rate of land degradation global assessment of land degradation is not an easy task, and a wide range of methods are used, including expert judgement, remote sensing and modeling. The linkages between land degradation, poverty and social capital in uganda. Two common factorssoil erosion and depletion of soil organic matter som emerge as consistent indicators of how the thin layer covering. There is loss of not only water and plant nutrients but ultimately soil itself is lost, which, in turn, affects crop productivity. Linking soil degradation processes, soilfriendly farming. Depleted soils increase the risks of malnutrition for farmers. Feb 09, 2016 even though our country is blessed with wide varieties of soils with high fertility, it is being degraded day by day by various natural and human activities. May 06, 2020 soil degradation is caused by urbanization and infrastructure development and erosion. The soil finds its way into beds of streams and rivers, thus reducing their capacity to contain water which causes floods. In this report, land degradation is defined as a negative trend 4 in land condition, caused by direct or indirect humaninduced processes including anthropogenic.
Nature and causes of land degradation in the oromiya. Methods of soil conserva tion including amendments, conservation farming, cover crops. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Soil properties as well as soil forming factors such as climate, land use or soil management determine the extent of the soil degradation. The industrial revolution of 19th century mechanized the production and manufacturing of goods and introduced the use of. Land degradation in simple terms means loss of the inherent natural ability of the land to produce to its virgin capability. Land degradation in the upper east region of ghana, west africa.
Some impacts, such as soil erosion, are a consequence of many direct. Estimated impacts of soil degradation on the african water. Africa ssa, soil degradation nutrient depletion is the primary form of soil degradation in ssa, is leading to a decline in crop productivity, and has been linked to hunger and poverty tully, sullivan, weil, and sanchez, 2015. The soil finds its way into beds of streams and rivers, thus reducing their capacity to contain water which causes.
Jun 11, 2019 soil degradation is a process in which the value of the land and its biophysical environment is affected by a combination of human actions and nonnatural phenomenons. October 2010 agdex 5101 agricultural soil compaction. It describes basic processes and factors responsible for degradation, illustrates the causeeffect relationships. A fertile soil bears healthy crops over generations with its low. Similarly the devastating impacts of these disasters left a wave of soil erosion particularly. Introduction types of soil degradation water erosion wind erosion chemical deterioration physical deterioration human causes of erosion control of erosion. Basic concepts of deforestation, degradation, and fragmentation 2.
Causes and management s oil compaction can be a serious and unnecessary form of soil degradation that can result in increased soil erosion and decreased crop production. Status and trends of land degradation and restoration. In addition, land degradation directly affected the type. Success in fighting land degradation requires an improved understanding of its causes, impact, degree and relationship with climate, soil, water, land cover and socioeconomic factors 46.
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