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Soil Erosion
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SOIL EROSION 2
Introduction
Naturally soil is removed by the combined forces of wind and/ or water. Soil erosion has
been taking place for more than 450 million years. Natural processes moved regolith from the
surface of the Earth before this time. Soil erosion occurs at probably the same rate as the
formation of soil. However a much faster rate has been observed recently with the rate of soil
erosion exceeding the rate of soil formation. Soil erosion is a form of degradation of soil among
other forms like compaction, salinisation and loss of nutrients (Pruski & Nearing, 2002, p. 7- 16).
One of the major causes of soil erosion is human exploitation of natural resources which
has been increasing at a higher rate recently. Deforestation, faulty farming systems, clearing of
land for construction and agriculture, mining, diverting natural courses of rivers, and dam
construction are some of the human activities that have acted to accelerate the rate of soil
erosion, by indirectly or directly making the topmost layer of the earth weak thereby making it
more vulnerable to different agents of soil erosion that wear it away. For example deforestation
and cutting off trees make soil more vulnerable to erosion since the vegetations’ roots help in
Other causes of soil erosion are more nature oriented. For example the climate can cause
soil erosion by determining the velocity of the wind and also the levels of precipitation which in
turn determine the levels of soil erosion. For example if there is more precipitation, there is an
increase in the surface flow which in turn increases the vulnerability of an area to soil erosion by
the surface flow. The same way, if the velocity of wind is high, soil erosion increases with the
eroded soil being carried to places that are farther away than where it was carried from. The
climate is a major cause of erosion especially in the case of water and wind erosion.
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Another cause of soil erosion that is nature oriented is the soil properties. The chemical
and the physical properties of the soil also determine the level of vulnerability of a land to soil
erosion. Different soil types are different in terms of their chemical and physical attributes like
their structure, texture and water holding capacity. All these factors are important determinants
of the level of a soils vulnerability to different agents of soil erosion. This is a factor which is
very common in almost all types of soil erosion (Pruski & Nearing, 2002, p. 7- 16).
It is important to note that almost all the geographical processes that occur on earth are
related in one way or another and altering one process always affects all the other processes
adversely. Therefore preventing soil erosion should not be so hard. For example planting trees,
crops, flowers and other types of vegetation is a very effective method of preventing soil erosion.
Vegetation helps with erosion by acting as a shield for the soil by lessening the impact of erosion
agents like wind, rainfall, and running water. Another method of preventing soil erosion is by
building retention walls around the affected areas and other lands.
The walls act shield the soil from erosion agents and reduces the rate of erosion. The
retention wall also allows the soil to soak water slowly as it retains water. Used in combination
with other soil erosion methods, it can be a very effective method. Improving the soil properties
both chemical and physical can also help in reducing soil erosion. This can be done by applying
a top layer of fertilizer and mulch on the surface of the land. It can also be very beneficial for the
plants. The mulch and fertilizer lessen the rains impact on the soil and it also improves the soils
water soaking and retention capability (Brown & Drake, 2009, p. 11).
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Conclusion
Soil effects are being felt all over the world ant the extend keep on increasing. It is
therefore important that effective measures are adapted to reduce soil erosion to ensure the
sustainability of the human kind. Healthy soils ensure that humans have enough food and water
to live on, enough and clean oxygen to breath. It is important to observe soil erosion prevention
References
Pruski, F. F. & Nearing, M.A. (2002). Runoff and soil loss responses to changes in precipitation:
a computer simulation study. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation, 57 (1), 7-16.