Soil Erosion, Essay Example

Abstract

Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process where the soil is degraded with all its components either by wind or water. Natural processes and human beings can either cause this process. It is a slow but continuous process and can cause serious effects to the topsoil which usually fertile. This natural process causing erosion can either be geological erosion; which tends to make the plane of the soil to be in a uniform level, or accelerated erosion. This is caused by continuous cultivation, putting the surface of the soil under much pressure.

The three principal causes of soil erosion are water, wind and gravity erosion. Water is the main cause of soil erosion. When it rains and the raindrop touches the ground, the soil is detached from the surface and thus causing erosion. When water flows in a large amount it carries with them the thin top layer of the soil thus exposing the soil to further degradation. This type of erosion is called sheet erosion (Food and Agriculture Organization, 1965). After further erosion, sheet erosion turns into rill erosion, which makes some finger like feature on the surface. This can be controlled by tillage making the land be in a uniform level again. Further erosions depend on the rills leading to gully erosion, forming deep rills. When gullies have been formed, it is difficult to control; they are too large even prevent vehicles from passing.

The other cause of erosion is wind erosion; this is common in desert, lakes, seashore, and riverbanks with little vegetation to cover and shield the soil. The tiny soil atoms are blown away by wind and moved to a different location. When soil is transported in a sequence over a period, these are called siltation. The tiny soil elements are carried to lengthy distances in the form of suspension. Soil erosion also causes damage to other utilities like roofing materials, roads by depositing soil particles (Gobin et al. 2003, p. 28). Wind erosion changes the texture of the surface and makes it hazardous.

Erosion can also be caused by Gravity. This is when the gravity causes the soil to move, its causes slips, landslides and flows. It can occur land is unstable due to too much heat, which can cause rocks in a high place fall after expanding, or when there is too much rain, making the soil weak and can fall from a higher place to a lower place.

In conclusion, soil erosion can be prevented by ensuring we plant a lot of trees and the land are not bare. Terracing should be done on steep, sloppy fields to reduce the speed of water flow. Tree planting should be done widely.

References

Food and Agriculture Organization. (1965). “Types of Erosion damage”, Soil Erosion by Water: Some Measures for its control on cultivated lands, United Nations.

Gobin et al. (2003). Assessment and reporting on soil erosion. Background and workshop report. Copenhagen: European Environment Agency. Retrieved 17 May 2012 from <http://www.environmental-expert.com/Files/8909/articles/3028/tech_94.pdf>