Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is a gradual process that occurs when the impact of water or wind detaches and removes soil particles, causing the soil to deteriorate. Soil deterioration and low water quality due to erosion and surface runoff have become severe problems worldwide. The problem may become so severe that the land can no longer be cultivated and must be abandoned. Many agricultural civilizations have declined due to land and natural resource mismanagement, and the history of such civilizations is a good reminder to protect our natural resources. -Click here to read the whole article by Mahdi Al-Kaisi, Department of Agronomy, Iowa State University

Erosion is the process by which soil particles are displaced. Typically erosion is caused by water, but there are other types caused by wind and gravity. Erosion is accelerated when water is moving fast and when there is a large volume of water washing over the soil. Erosion strips the soil of nutrient rich topsoil and deposits it in other areas that may not be suitable like creeks and roads. In fact, sediment (displaced soil) can be extremely detrimental to aquatic habitats. Click here to read the whole article.

Every year the world loses some 25 billion tons of soil, reducing its ability to produce food. Land degradation and desertification are likely to intensify with the continued growth in population and increasing variations in the climate. If the current trends are left unchecked, arable land is expected to shrink in Africa by two-thirds and in Asia by one-third.

ScienceDaily (Mar. 23, 2006) — Around the world, soil is being swept and washed away 10 to 40 times faster than it is being replenished, destroying cropland the size of Indiana every year, reports a new Cornell University study.

ScienceDaily (Nov. 4, 2004) — Human activity causes 10 times more erosion of continental surfaces than all natural processes combined, an analysis by a University of Michigan geologist shows.

Resources for Soil Erosion Prevention and Soil Conservation

Vetiver: the world's leading soil erosion prevention plant
Wikipedia page on soil conservation

Soil Erosion sites