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EROSION
Types Of Erosion
There are two (2) types of erosion, namely:
Geologic Erosion
Geological erosion goes on continuously, it
causes the wearing down of land masses providing
material for soil formation essentially therefore it is
influenced by climate, soil properties, vegetation
and topography.
Accelerated Erosion
This type of erosion is brought about by man
usually in his attempt to produce crop from the
land or to clear the land for commercial or
industrial purposes in so doing he exposes the land
to one or more of the agents of erosion.
Soil Layer
Natural Factors
Water Erosion
Wind
Steep slopes
Climatic Changes
Human Induced-Factors
Deforestation
Poor Farm Practises
Animal Induced Factor
Over Grazing
Water Erosion
Water erosion is the dislodgement,
transportation & deposition of soil particles by
the force of water from one location to
another.
Sheet Erosion
Rill Erosion
Rill erosion is erosion that results in small,
short-lived and well-defined streams. When
rainfall does not soak into the soil, it can
gather on the surface and runs downhill,
forming small channels of water called rills. A
rill will dry up after the rainfall, but you may
still see the stream bed that was created by
the temporary stream.
Gully Erosion
Gully Erosion are advanced rill erosion. If rill
erosions are not addressed they grow into
gully erosions.
Wind
Wind erosion is the detachment and movement of
soil particles by air moving.
Wind moves the soil in two ways, suspension and
saltation. Suspension occurs when the wind lifts
finer particles into the air leading to dust storms.
Saltation occurs when the wind lifts larger particles
off the ground for short distances, leading to sanddrifts.
Wind erosion tends to occur most in low rainfall
areas when soil moisture content is at wilting point
or below.
Climate Changes
rainfall: when rainfall becomes more
severe, erosion increases rapidly.
drought: Drought can cause soil erosion due
to the effects of wind and flooding. Moreover,
the drying out of soil causes cracks which
reduce the volume of the soil.
changing winds: areas previously sheltered
become exposed
Steep Slope
Cultivating along steep slopes results in
gully erosion taking place.
Overgrazing
When farmers allow too much animals to
graze an area of land, it damages the soil
structure and removes its cover making it
bare and exposed to erosion by wind/water.
Effects of erosion
Reforestation
Rotational grazing