Project Submitted by :-

Govt Sn.Sec. School Tanda Boys

Hoshiarpur
Topic Covered :
Soil
Erosion
 SOIL EROSION

• Definition of Soil Erosion

• Causes of Soil Erosion
• Prevention of Soil Erosion
 Definition of Soil Erosion

It refers to the movement of soil particles from

their original place to some other place. It is a
natural process & is as old as the earth itself.
Now days it has become a great threat for the
existence of human life because the rate of soil
formation is far less than erosion.
 Causes of Soil Erosion

The main causes of soil erosion are water;

wind; land slides; over hunting;
overgrazing; & deforestation.
(2) Water Erosion:- In the form of high
rainfall & floods is one of the main cause
of soil erosion. It removes soil in many
ways.
(a) Water running freely removes a
uniform sheet of top soil, it is called
Sheet erosion.
(b) As the flood water run rapidly or if
sheet erosion continues unchecked it
produces small stream like structures , it is
called Rill Erosion.
(c ) Along the steep slopes of the hills
several rills join to form deep channels or
Gullies which damages the roads &
buildings of that area. It can be explained
as when rill erosion goes unchecked , the
rills deepen & enlarge into gullies.
(d) During floods the river water puts
pressure on their banks to produce cuts
through them, it is called Riparian Erosion.
(e) Wind Erosion:- The strong winds
easily lift up and carry away the soil particles.
This type of erosion is active in dry areas.
The high velocity winds & dust storms
transport a huge quantity of soil particles to a
great distance. They often get deposited in
ponds, lakes, & rivers. This is also reduces
their depth, which has an adverse effect on a
aquatic life.
(f) Human beings themselves are
responsible in the erosion of soil.
For example the over hunting of
wild animals, especially
carnivores like tiger & lion has
lead to increase the population of
herbivores. The natural balance is
upset, as the increased
population of herbivores starts
overgrazing & damages the
vegetation in large quantities.
(g) Deforestation is another main cause
of soil erosion in India. According to
one estimate that by the year
2000AD only 2,370 million hectares
of forests were left, whereas in 1990
ad it was 7,000 million hectares.
Besides soil erosion, deforestation
also increases the chances of floods
& Droughts that will change the local
climate & the ecosystem.
 Prevention of Soil Erosion
The erosion of soil can be prevented
by the combined efforts of the
government & the social organization.
The various methods of the prevention
of soil erosion are:-
1. The wastelands can be utilized to grow
more & more trees to check erosions.
2. The already existing forests should be
protected. To increase the forest wealth the
“Van Mahitsav” projects should be given
priority.
3. The farming of soil erosion checking
crops like pulses ,groundnut & grasses can
also check erosion.
4. To carry out flood water, suitable
outlet channels should be made.
5. On hilly slops “Terrace Cropping”
should be followed. It reduces the
speed of water that checks soil erosion