Soil Erosion, Degradation and Conservation

SOIL EROSION

• Soil erosion is the natural process involving the detachment and removal of loose rock materials and soils by exogenous forces, unaffected by human interference. 
• This phenomenon, also referred to as geological erosion, is a slow and inherent part of geological denudation.
• The term "accelerated erosion" refers to an increased rate of erosion caused by various human-induced land-use changes. 
• When discussing soil erosion, it commonly signifies the speeding up of the natural erosion process through human activities.
• Soil erosion encompasses the loosening and displacement of topsoil particles from the land. 
• This can occur gradually as a natural geological process or rapidly due to human activities such as deforestation, floods, and changes in land use.
• Accelerated soil erosion denotes an extreme form of soil degradation, where the natural process is hastened. 
• The soil is removed at a much faster rate than occurs naturally, surpassing the rate at which new soil forms.
• This type of accelerated soil erosion, often known as man-induced erosion, is prevalent in regions with a humid climate. 
• Extensive land-use changes, deforestation, and overgrazing contribute significantly to this erosion type.
• Soil erosion involves two primary processes: the loosening and detachment of soil particles from the soil mass, followed by the removal and transportation of these particles downslope.
• Human activities, such as changes in land use, deforestation, and alterations in land patterns, have profoundly influenced the rate and extent of soil erosion. 
• These activities have significantly accelerated the erosion process beyond its natural pace.

In summary, soil erosion, a natural process, can be markedly accelerated by human activities, leading to extensive degradation. It involves the detachment and removal of soil particles from the land, impacting soil quality and stability. Recognizing the differences between natural erosion and accelerated, man-induced erosion is crucial in addressing and mitigating its adverse effects on the environment.

Soil erosion and land degradation collectively stand as significant challenges that disrupt the ecological balance worldwide. The swift expansion of the human population has exerted immense pressure on land and soil resources, leading to land degradation and soil erosion. Globally, over 4.85 billion acres (1.96 billion hectares), accounting for about 17% of vegetated land, has been degraded to varying degrees due to human activities.

LAND OR SOIL DEGRADATION

Soil degradation refers to the reduction in soil quality resulting from its improper use, typically in agricultural, pastoral, industrial, or urban settings. This issue is a significant global environmental concern, which can be further intensified by the effects of climate change. It involves various aspects such as physical elements (like soil erosion), chemical factors (including salinity, alkalinity, and pollution), and biological deterioration (such as the decline in vegetal cover and pollution).

DEFORESTATION

• The rapid increase in population has exerted significant pressure on forest land and resources, leading to the widespread issue of deforestation. Deforestation, in turn, exacerbates soil erosion, which is a form of soil degradation.
• The roots of trees and plants play a crucial role in stabilizing soil by binding soil particles and controlling water flow, thereby preventing soil erosion. When deforestation occurs, this natural protection is lost, leaving the soil vulnerable to erosion by wind and water.
• Regions like the Shiwalik range, the Chos of Punjab, and the ravines of the Chambal valley suffer extensive soil damage due to deforestation. In these areas, the absence of trees and vegetation leads to increased vulnerability of the soil to erosion, causing significant degradation.

Major Causes of Deforestation

1. Shifting Cultivation:

Shifting cultivation involves clearing patches of land, burning the vegetation, and mixing the resulting ash with the soil, which adds nutrients. After raising crops for a few years with modest yields, the area is abandoned to allow fertility recovery. However, this practice becomes unsustainable due to the rapid population increase in forested regions.

2. Development Projects and Mining:

Deforestation occurs globally due to opencast mining activities, disrupting forested areas as a consequence of these projects.

3. Plantation Boom:

The increasing demand for commodities like cocoa, coffee, tea, sugar, palm oil, and rubber has led to deforestation in tropical rainforests as plantations expand.

4. Raw Materials Extraction:

Wood serves as a raw material for various industries, including paper, plywood, furniture, matches, boxes, crates, and packing cases. Industries also obtain raw materials from plants for items such as drugs, scents, perfumes, resins, gums, waxes, turpentine, latex, rubber, tannins, alkaloids, and beeswax.

5. Other Causes:

Deforestation also results from overgrazing, agriculture, mining, urbanization, floods, fires, pests, diseases, defense activities, and communication developments. These activities further contribute to the loss of forest cover and contribute to deforestation.

Effects of Deforestation

1. Degraded Forests:

Deforestation diminishes closed forests, leading to an increase in degraded forest areas.

2. Water Cycle Disruption:

Forests play a crucial role in recycling moisture through transpiration, where water evaporates from the soil and is released into the atmosphere. Deforestation disrupts this cycle, resulting in decreased groundwater levels and reduced long-term precipitation due to quick surface runoff.

3. Impact on Biota and Ecosystems:

Deforestation negatively affects biodiversity, neighbouring ecosystems, soil erosion, land degradation, alteration of groundwater channels, pollution, and scarcity of resources.

4. Overgrazing:

Overgrazing during dry periods leads to scarcity of fodder, causing animals to graze to ground level and uproot grass. This results in soil structure loss, easy soil wash-away during heavy rains, and soil erosion, particularly in hilly areas. 

5. Faulty Agricultural Methods:

Incorrect ploughing, lack of crop rotation, and shifting cultivation contribute significantly to soil erosion. Ploughing along slopes, lack of water obstruction, and continuous cultivation of the same crop deplete the soil, making it vulnerable to erosion by wind or water. Removal of forest cover due to shifting cultivation exposes soil to the elements, leading to heavy topsoil loss, especially on hill slopes. 

6. Soil Salinity and Alkalinity:

Saline and alkaline soils result from salts deposited in the topsoil. Undecomposed rock fragments give rise to salts like sodium, magnesium, calcium, and sulphurous acid. Poor drainage leads to salt deposits as water evaporates. Over-irrigation in canal-irrigated areas causes rising groundwater levels, resulting in white salt layers due to salt evaporation and capillary action. 

7. Specific Areas Affected:

Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana: Facing salt deposition issues due to over-irrigation.

Rajasthan (Indira Gandhi Canal): Irrigation has transformed the desert into arable land but has led to severe salinity and alkalinity problems.

These issues stem from human activities, such as overgrazing, improper agriculture methods, and excessive irrigation, leading to profound and adverse impacts on soil quality and ecosystems.

Effects of Salinity and Alkalinity

1. Soil Fertility Reduction:
   • Saline and alkaline soils significantly reduce soil fertility.
2. Impact on Cultivation:
   • Cultivation on saline soils is challenging without substantial irrigation to leach out salts.
   • Crops are limited to those tolerant to salinity, like cotton and barley.
   • Fodder and food quality deteriorates due to these conditions.
3. Construction Challenges:
   
   • Salinity and alkalinity pose challenges in building and road construction.
   • Reduced water percolation can cause floods.

Steps to Treat Salinity and Alkalinity

1. Drainage Management:
   • Providing outlets to drain excess water and lower the water table.
2. Water Body Leak Prevention:
   • Sealing leaks in canals, tanks, and other water bodies by lining them.
3. Improved Irrigation Practices:
   • Making judicious use of irrigation facilities to manage water levels.
4. Vegetation Enhancement:
   • Enhancing vegetal cover by planting salt-tolerant vegetation to prevent further degradation.
5. Crop Rotation:
   • Implementing crop rotation to sustain soil health.
6. Application of Gypsum:
   • Applying gypsum to convert alkalis into soluble compounds.
7. Alkali Removal Techniques:
   • Utilizing substances like sulphuric acid or sulphur to remove alkali.

Organic residues, such as rice husks and straw, promote mild acid formation during decomposition, aiding in soil restoration.

By implementing these measures, the adverse effects of salinity and alkalinity on soil fertility and agricultural productivity can be mitigated, allowing for improved land management and sustainable cultivation practices. 

DESERTIFICATION

• Desertification refers to the expansion of desert-like conditions in arid or semi-arid regions due to human influence or climate change. A significant expanse between the Indus and the Aravalli range has experienced the encroachment of desert-like conditions.
• Soil erosion caused by wind is particularly severe in desert areas. Wind-carried sand is deposited on the fertile lands adjacent to deserts, leading to a decline in fertility. Over time, these once-fertile lands begin to blend into the encroaching desert.
• The Thar Desert, for instance, is advancing at an alarming rate, estimated to progress about 0.5 kilometers annually. Uncontrolled grazing, extensive deforestation, and the burgeoning population are among the factors contributing to the process of desertification. Additionally, climate change has played a role in the expansion of these arid regions.

Ecological implications of desertification encompass various significant factors:

• Drifting of sand leading to its accumulation on once-fertile agricultural land.
• Excessive soil erosion primarily by wind and, to some extent, by water.
• Deposition of sand in rivers and lakes, reducing their water-holding capacity.
• A decrease in the water table, resulting in severe water scarcity.
• Expansion of wastelands in affected areas.
• Reduction in agricultural production.
• Increased frequency and intensity of droughts due to altered environmental conditions.

Controlling desertification involves strategic measures:

• Intensive tree plantation in the transitional areas to create a buffer against encroaching deserts.
• Using mulching to stabilize shifting sand dunes in deserts with diverse plant species. Mulches serve as an effective physical barrier to prevent the movement of sand.
• Regulating and controlling grazing practices while developing new pastures to prevent overgrazing.
• Imposing bans on indiscriminate felling of trees.
• Encouraging the use of alternative fuel sources to reduce the demand for fuelwood.
• Appropriate and planned utilization of sandy and wasteland areas to maximize their potential through thoughtful strategies.

SOIL CONSERVATION

• Soil conservation refers to the proactive measures taken to prevent soil erosion or the decline in fertility caused by various factors such as overuse, acidification, salinization, or other forms of chemical contamination.
• Soil erosion stands as the most significant challenge to Indian agriculture and animal husbandry. As succinctly summarized in Khullar’s Indian Geography, “With soil conservation, people rise, and with its destruction, they fall. Neglect of soil is like killing the hen that lays the golden egg.” This statement emphasizes the vital role of soil in sustaining human prosperity and the dire consequences of disregarding its conservation.
• Soil conservation methods play a critical role in preserving the soil's fertility and preventing erosion, particularly in regions where farming and agriculture are primary activities. 

Here are various methods utilized for soil conservation:

Crop Rotation:

• A sustainable practice involving the cultivation of different crops on the same land in successive seasons.
• Varying nutrient needs of different crops assist in restoring the lost nutrients and conserving soil fertility.

Strip Cropping:

• Involves cultivating crops in alternating parallel strips.
• Allows certain strips to remain fallow while others are planted with different crops, ensuring the land is never entirely bare and exposed.

Use of Early Maturing Varieties:

• Utilizing crops with early maturation periods to reduce pressure on the soil and limit erosion.
• Contour Ploughing:
• Ploughing land at right angles to the hill slope creates ridges and furrows that obstruct water flow down the slope.
• Prevents gully formation and excessive soil loss by reducing runoff.

Shifting Cultivation Management:

• Encouraging tribes to adopt settled agriculture rather than shifting cultivation.
• Providing support for resettlement and agricultural resources to facilitate this transition.

Directional Ploughing and Mulching:

• Ploughing the land in a direction perpendicular to the wind reduces wind velocity and protects the topsoil.
• Mulching uses organic materials to cover bare ground, protecting the soil from erosion and retaining moisture.

Contour Barriers and Rock Dams:

• Barriers constructed along contours or rocks piled across channels slow down water flow, preventing gullies and soil loss.
• Terrace Farming and Bunding:
  • Creating terraces and constructing banks along contours or terraces divides the slope, reducing surface runoff and erosion.

Intercropping and Shelterbelts:

• Planting various crops alternately to safeguard the soil from rain wash.
• In coastal and arid regions, planting rows of trees as windbreaks to protect soil cover.

Sand Fences, Afforestation, Overgrazing Control, and Dam Construction:

• Erecting sand fences to reduce wind velocity and trap blowing sand.
• Afforestation involves preventing forest destruction and growing new forests.
• Controlling overgrazing by creating separate grazing grounds and producing more fodder.
• Strategically constructing dams to prevent soil erosion from river floods.

Each method contributes significantly to soil conservation, playing a pivotal role in protecting soil fertility and preventing erosion in diverse environmental and agricultural settings.

FAQs on Soil Erosion, Land Degradation and Soil Conservation:

1-What is soil erosion, and how does it differ from accelerated erosion?

Ans. Soil erosion is a natural process involving the detachment and removal of soil particles by exogenous forces. Accelerated erosion is the increased rate of erosion due to human-induced activities.

2-What are the primary causes of soil erosion?

Ans. Human activities like deforestation, floods, and changes in land use, and natural phenomena, cause soil erosion.

3-What is soil degradation, and what are its effects?

Ans. Soil degradation refers to reduced soil quality due to improper use and various elements like erosion, salinity, pollution, and biological deterioration.

4-How does deforestation impact soil erosion?

Ans. Deforestation exposes soil to erosion by wind and water. The removal of vegetation leads to soil vulnerability and subsequent erosion.

5-What are the significant causes of deforestation?

Ans. Shifting cultivation, development projects, mining, the plantation boom, and raw materials extraction contribute to deforestation.

6-How does overgrazing affect soil quality and erosion?

Ans. Overgrazing leads to soil compaction, loss of topsoil structure, and erosion, particularly in hilly areas.

7-What is the impact of soil salinity and alkalinity on agriculture?

Ans. Saline and alkaline soils reduce fertility, limiting cultivation and lowering fodder and food quality.

8-How can soil salinity and alkalinity be treated or managed?

Ans. Techniques include drainage management, proper irrigation practices, crop rotation, and application of gypsum to convert alkalis into soluble compounds.

9-What is desertification, and how is it caused?

Ans. Desertification is the spread of desert-like conditions due to human influence and climate change, resulting from factors like uncontrolled grazing and deforestation.

10-What measures can be taken to control desertification?

Ans. Planting trees in transitional zones, mulching sand dunes, controlling grazing, regulating tree felling, and promoting alternative fuel sources.

11-What are the methods employed for soil conservation?

Ans. Various methods include crop rotation, strip cropping, contour ploughing, shifting cultivation management, mulching, terrace farming, and afforestation.

12-How significant is soil conservation in agricultural practices?

Ans. Soil conservation plays a crucial role in maintaining soil fertility, preventing erosion, and promoting sustainable agricultural practices.