5nI! crnsInn has bccn accc!cratcd In many arcas nf thc wnr!

d duc tn
pnnr cu!tIvatInn, nvcrgrazIng and thc strIppIng nf thc !and. Tnday, snI!
crnsInn Is nnc nf thc mnst crItIca! cnvIrnnmcnta! prnb!cms, thrcatcnIng
farm!ands, strcams and vI!!agcs.
SoiI Erosion by Water
Rain spIash erosion is soiI erosion from rain drops faIIing at high intensity and physicaIIy
moving the soiI a few miIIimeters. GuIIy and riII soiI erosion takes pIace when water faIIs too
fast to infiItrate into the soiI or the ground is aIready saturated. The water moves downhiII,
causing smaII and Iarge channeIs to form in the hiIIside.
SoiI Erosion by Wind
Wind soiI erosion occurs when high winds move the soiI over a distance. Most peopIe
think about the movement of sand dunes when they think of wind soiI erosion. Nutrient-
deficient and overgrazed soiIs may aIso be transported via wind erosion.
TiIIage Erosion
TiIIage soiI erosion takes pIace when gravity moves soiI downsIope. This occurs most
often on farms where soiI is tiIIed and Ioosened and roIIs downsIope by gravity.
On-Site Effects
The on-site effects of soil erosion include a reduction in soil quality. Furthermore, soil erosion can
also decrease a soil's ability to hold water. With both of these effects, soil becomes less able to
grow vegetation successfully.
Off-Site Effects
SoiI erosion aIso has an off-site effect, in that the sediments are transported to new
Iocations. Sediments move to streams, reducing the dissoIved oxygen in the water.
FertiIizers and contamination are. aIso transported to streams, which causes a decrease in
water quaIity. FinaIIy, fIooding can occur when dams and stream beds are buiIt up with
sediment, causing the water IeveI to rise
SoiI Erosion ProbIems & SoIutions
So|| eros|on occurs when env|ronmenta| factors wear on and remove so|| part|c|es So|| eros|on has
become a concern wor|dw|de caus|ng ser|ous prob|ems for food product|on and other agr|cu|tura|
crops It |s a|so at the heart of other env|ronmenta| |ssues
Causes
SoiI erosion is caused by excessive rainfaII, runoff, Iow organic soiI matter, steep sIopes
and gradients, Iack of vegetation cover, and wind. Erosion may be a sIow process, or it
can occur suddenIy, at a surprising rate.
ProbIems
Loss of soiI has an economic impact, causes environmentaI concerns, such as fIooding,
and reduces biodiversity. It aIso increases dust, which acts as an abrasive and air
poIIutant, and has the potentiaI to carry infectious disease.
SoIutions
ControI incIudes maintaining a surface cover over soiI to prevent further erosion. Ground cover and
vegetation can be pIanted and temporary soiI covers, such as wood fiber or straw combined with
materiaI that bonds organic materiaI to keep it from dispersing, may be appIied to controI erosion prior
pIanting
SoiI Erosion Effects
So|| eros|on occurs when natura| phenomenon such as w|nd and ra|n str|p the so|| away from a g|ven area faster than
|t can rep|en|sh |tse|f Wh||e so|| eros|on can occur natura||y human factors such as overfarm|ng or the use of
caust|c fert|||zers often acce|erate the pace of so|| eros|on 1he effects appear both at the s|te of the eros|on |tse|f
and at offs|te |ocat|ons affected by the eros|on
Damage to Human Structures
SoiI erosion can undermine the foundation of man-made structures such as fences and bridges,
making them Iess stabIe and more prone to coIIapse. In addition, eroded soiI cannot absorb
water as readiIy as more fertiIe soiI. Thus, when eroded soiI becomes waterIogged during
storms, it can create mudsIides, which can damage homes and buiIdings. Eroded soiI that
washes away can destroy roads and barricades, as weII as costing a great deaI to remove and
repIenish.
oss of Farmland
SoiI erosion tends to cIaim the topmost Iayer of soiI first, as rain and wind move over it. The
topmost Iayer usuaIIy contains the richest nutrients, making it the most conducive to successfuI
farming of the Iand. With that Iayer eroded away, the Iand becomes far Iess abIe to support
farming. Furthermore, the dispersaI of nutrient-rich soiI through erosion diIutes the potency of
the nutrients by spreading them further, making it more difficuIt to recIaim the soiI's fertiIity.
nvironmental Impact
Eroded sentiment can damage the environment far beyond the site of the erosion
itseIf. If it enters a stream or other water suppIy, it can dirty the water, create siIt in
reservoirs and interfere with the spawning of fish. In addition, it may carry
pesticides and fertiIizers to areas that weren't intended for them, poisoning pIants
and animaIs in the area. In some cases, those chemicaIs can even end up in
drinking water, increasing the rate of sickness and other heaIth probIems within a
given popuIation.
ullying
When rainwater and other kinds of water wash over eroded soiI, it can create smaII
channeIs in the surface caIIed riIIs or guIIies. Those channeIs can expand as more
and more water passes through them, widening untiI they become too Iarge to
ignore. WhiIe riIIs don't affect the abiIity to tiII the Iand, guIIies are Iarge enough so
that tiIIing becomes a probIem, damaging farming equipment and deIaying the
pIanting of crops. In the worst cases, guIIying can resuIt in smaII cave-ins and
other disruption of the soiI surface, wreaking further havoc with any attempts to
pIant.
What Can Protect SoiI Against Erosion?
Erosion is the removaI of soiI by the effects of wind or water. The best way to protect the soiI is to Iimit exposure
to those factors or to provide buffers between those factors and the soiI. SoiI erosion removes vaIuabIe top soiI
from the property, decreasing the fertiIity of the soiI and thereby reducing the productivity of farm Iands or
gardens and making it more difficuIt to maintain a Iawn. There are numerous things property owners can do to
reduce the effects of soiI erosion.
lant Trees
Trees serve a coupIe of purposes in soiI conservation and erosion prevention. The roots of the trees
stabiIizes the soiI in that area. The trees, especiaIIy if muItipIe trees are pIanted in rows, provide a wind
break. This reduces the speed of the wind on the Ieeward side of the row of trees, reducing the effect of
wind erosion. PIant tree rows on the side of the fieId, garden or yard where the predominate winds
originate.
lant round Cover
Grass is one of the most common ground covers used to prevent erosion. The roots of the grass hoId the
soiI stabIe. HeaIthy stands of grass are especiaIIy important in areas where concentrated fIows of water
exist from rain or snowmeIt. This incIudes near the ends of downspouts or aIong the eave Iine of the house
where rainwater runs off. The spIashing of rain drops on unprotected soiI can cause soiI particIes to
disIodge by severaI feet.
imit Slopes and Hills
Water running downhiII causes more erosion than water forming a
pond on a fIat surface. Maintain ground cover on hiIIs if at aII
possibIe. If a hiII must be pIowed or tiIIed, work across the hiII so that
the ridges created serve to sIow the running water rather than create
paths of Iow resistance down the hiII. Terraces or retaining waIIs aIso
reduce sIopes and provide reIativeIy fIat surfaces for gardens or
fieIds.
aintain Soil Residue
PIant materiaIs Iying on the ground reduces soiI erosion from both
wind and water. This process is usefuI in Iimiting or preventing
erosion in the faII after the harvest. Leave staIks and other pIant
components not harvested in the fieId or garden through the faII and
winter, and work them into the soiI the next spring after the threat of
erosion has passed.
How to Prevent SoiI Erosion
So|| eros|on can be a ma[or prob|em for you |f you have a garden p|ant beds or a farm revent|ng so|| eros|on |s a
respons|b|||ty that we a|| have to take ser|ous|y 1here are severa| th|ngs that you can do to prevent so|| eros|on
and protect your p|ant|ngs
Instructions
%revent so|| eros|on by p|ant|ng vegetat|on trees ground cover shrubs and other p|ants koots from
these p|ants w||| he|p ho|d so|| |n p|ace on the ground So|| w||| not b|ow away due to w|nd or be washed
away from ra|n as eas||y
%2 Create w|ndbreaks wh|ch are barr|er rows p|anted a|ong the w|ndward exposure of a p|ot of |and
W|ndbreaks made out of trees such as evergreen trees or bushes he|p prevent eros|on by prevent|ng w|nd
from b|ow|ng across your |and
%3Grow cover crops on farm |and When |and |s not be|ng used dur|ng the off season cover crops can he|p
prevent so|| eros|on due to w|nd and ra|n Legumes (beans) are often used as cover crops
%4 App|y mu|ch to reta|n mo|sture and a|so he|p prevent so|| eros|on 1opso|| |s not as ||ke|y to be
washed or b|own away when |t |s covered by mu|ch Mu|ch |s often used |n f|ower beds
%SConstruct surface runoff barr|ers such as edg|ng made of br|cks or stones can he|p prevent so||
eros|on by m|n|m|z|ng runoff If runoff |s m|n|m|zed so|| |s |ess ||ke|y to be carr|ed away by
groundwater runoff
%6 Use contour farm|ng when farm|ng on s|oped areas 1h|s conservat|on techn|que |s to fo||ow the
actua| topography of a s|ope when p|ant|ng crops Us|ng the natura| |ay of the |and |n th|s way can
a|so prevent so|| eros|on
71ry terrace farm|ng and garden|ng to decrease groundwater runoff Create near|y |eve| |ayers of crops on a
h|||s|de
What Causes SoiI Erosion?
So|| eros|on |s a ser|ous concern for farmers homeowners and anyone who cares about the env|ronment It reduces the v|ab|||ty of
farm|and underm|nes roads and other structures and can |ead to natura| d|sasters ||ke mud s||des Numerous factors |ead to so||
eros|on by |dent|fy|ng the causes you can beg|n to seek v|ab|e so|ut|ons
eatber
LocaI cIimate conditions such as rain and wind often Iead to soiI erosion. Raindrops disIodge surface soiI,
and excessive rain can Iead to runoff, which puIIs Iarge amounts of soiI from the surface. If Ieft unchecked,
this can create riIIs, or channeIs in the soiI, which can disrupt tiIIing and prevent farming equipment from
moving across the soiI. Wind can bIow up dry soiI and carry it miIes away, aIso reducing the amount of
nutrients in surface soiI.
Soil Composition
The precise makeup of a given patch of soiI can Iead to erosion. Nutrient-rich soiI that retains water weII is
Iess prone to erosion, whiIe dry, fine soiI Iends itseIf more readiIy to erosion. Patches of soiI that have aIready
experienced erosion are usuaIIy more vuInerabIe to additionaI erosion since they are Iess abIe to resist runoff
and wind.
Human Action
The actions of human beings contribute greatIy to soiI erosion and its attendant impact on the environment. Poor farming
methods, over-tiIIing of the soiI, the use of caustic pesticides and a high intensity of crop concentrations aII resuIt in soiI
erosion. In addition, Iess direct activities such
as deforestation and mining can create eroded soiI, as can home construction and overgrazing from
domesticated animaIs such as sheep and cattIe.
egetation
1he presence of veqetotion on o qiven potch of /ond he/ps it resist soi/ erosion P/onts thot provide o /ot of surfoce cover he/p
protect the soi/ from roin ond wind whi/e root systems he/p the soi/ retoin cohesion in the midst of heovy roins 4 tree /ine or
shrub /ine con stove off wind erosion os we// 5tretches of /ond without veqetotion ore more vu/nerob/e to the environment
ond thus more susceptib/e to erosion
SZVX[^_
The shape and gradient of the Iand can contribute to soiI erosion
What ProbIems Does SoiI Erosion Cause?
SoiI erosion, in one form or another, has been occurring for miIIions of years. Wind, water and other
forces wash away soiI and reshape the Earth. However, soiI erosion in the modern worId is often the
work of humans. Poor farming practices, construction and other endeavors can cause soiI erosion which
has a variety of consequences for peopIe and the pIanet.
Soil Quality Degradation
SoiI erosion has devastating consequences for the quaIity of soiI needed to grow crops, which
can Iead to scarce harvests and higher food costs. When erosion occurs, nutrient-rich top soiI is
washed away, according to the QueensIand Government Environment and Resource Management.
TopsoiI is rich in nutrients and organic matter and is vitaI to raising strong, heaIthy crops. As it
takes 1,000 years for the Earth to produce Iess than 1/2 inch worth of topsoiI, its acceIerated Ioss
is a serious probIem.
nvironmental Refugees
Large-scaIe soiI erosion can wash away towns and viIIages
and otherwise shrink areas where peopIe once Iived, rendering
them homeIess. The United Nations predicts that miIIions of
peopIe couId become "environmentaI refugees" due to
probIems Iike soiI erosion destroying their homes and reducing
the amount of IivabIe Iand. The probIem often goes hand in
hand with environmentaI expIoitation, as seen in countries Iike
the Ivory Coast and Madagascar, which have Iost tons of Iand
and soiI.
ater Source Damage
When soiI erodes and washes away, it negativeIy impacts nearby
water sources and often renders them unusabIe. Sediment from soiI
erosion cIogs ditches, bIocking drainage and Ieaves deposits of siIt
in reservoirs, according to the Ontario Ministry of AgricuIture, Food
and RuraI Affairs. Such siIt and dirt damages water quaIity, making
once potabIe sources unfit for consumption. Spawning sites for fish
can be overcome as weII, making it impossibIe for them to breed as
normaI and reducing their numbers.
Structural oss and Damage
A fasting moving wave of siIty, muddy water due to soiI erosion can sweep in and
do serious damage to Iand, and therefore, buiIdings and other structures.
Bridges, roads and homes are damaged by soiI erosion, either by the force of
water and siIt or when the ground that serves as their foundation breaks down
and is washed away. If such events occur when these structures are in use,
peopIe may be injured or kiIIed