Differences between Soil Erosion and Soil Degradation

World Soil Day is observed every year on December 5 in order to increase public awareness of the significance of soil in our lives. On World Soil Day, the growing issue of soil erosion and soil degradation are highlighted.  According to UN reports, all of the world’s topsoil could be gone within 60 years. And it is estimated that 2 billion people worldwide suffer from micronutrient malnutrition, also known as hidden hunger due to its covert nature.

But do you know about Soil Erosion and Soil Degradation and the major differences between them? Then continue reading...

Differences between Soil Erosion and Soil Degradation

Soil Erosion

The most fertile, upper layer of soil is gradually removed by a variety of forces, particularly water, wind, and mass movement, which eventually degrades the soil, which is known as Soil Erosion.

Types of Soil Erosion

It is a complicated process that depends on the soil's characteristics, the slope of the ground, the vegetation, and the frequency and intensity of rainfall. The five different types of soil erosion are as follows:

• Sheet erosion by water;
• Wind erosion;
• Rill erosion 
• Gully erosion
• Ephemeral erosion 

Causes of Soil Erosion

Deforestation

Soil erosion risks are increased by the removal of native trees and the planting of new tree species that may or may not retain soil. Land clearing for agriculture is primarily done to meet the high demand of the expanding population for commodities like coffee, soybean, palm oil, or wheat.

Overgrazing

Intense cattle raising is the cause of overgrazing. Topsoil sediments are moved elsewhere during this process. The remaining soil may lose its ability to infiltrate, which would result in a greater loss of water to the ecosystem and a more difficult time for the emergence of new plants.

Agrochemicals

To help farmers increase their yields, chemicals are frequently used as pesticides and fertilizers on (often) monocultural crops. As the soil deteriorates, erosion becomes more likely, and sediments are carried away by water and wind into nearby rivers and areas, where they may contaminate nearby ecosystems.

Constructional & Recreational Activities

Since the construction of roads and buildings prevents water from flowing normally, these structures also bear some of the blame for soil erosion. Instead, it runs off to lands nearby, causing flooding and hastening erosion there. Additionally, motorized sports like motocross have the potential to alter the soil's composition and erode it.

Steps to Prevent Soil Erosion

• Stopping Soil Erosion via Sustainable Farming Practices
• Protecting the Soil by Planting Windbreaks
• Stone Walls to Prevent Soil Erosion
• Reforestation Helps Protect Soils
• Conservation Tillage and Soil Erosion

Soil Degradation

The loss of equilibrium of stable soil is a key factor in the regressive evolution process known as soil degradation. With regard to the local climate and vegetation, degradation is a type of evolution distinct from natural evolution. In addition to changing the soil's formation, this replacement alters the humus's composition and quantity.

Types of Soil Degradation

The physical, chemical, and biological deterioration of soil quality is known as soil degradation. It can be due to erosion, poor changes in salinity, acidity, or alkalinity, the loss of organic matter, a decline in soil fertility, a decline in structural health, the effects of toxic chemicals, pollutants, or excessive flooding. Degradation of soil may include

• water erosion 
• wind erosion
• salinity 
• loss of organic matter
• fertility decline
• soil acidity or alkalinity
• structure decline 
• mass movement
• soil contamination 

Causes of Soil Degradation

The objective of understanding the distinct nature of soil quality decline, here are the various causes, effects, and solutions of soil degradation:

Physical Factors

Different physical factors that cause soil degradation can be identified by how they alter the soil's natural structure and composition. The loss of fertile topsoil due to rainfall, surface runoff, floods, wind erosion, tillage, and mass movements lowers soil quality.

Biological Factors

Biological factors are actions taken by people and plants that tend to degrade the soil's quality. A region's microbial activity may be significantly impacted by an overgrowth of certain bacteria and fungi through biochemical processes, which lowers crop yield and the suitability of the soil's productivity potential.

Chemical Factors

The chemical elements of soil degradation include the loss of nutrients caused by alkalinity, acidity, or waterlogging. It is primarily brought on by salt buildup and nutrient leaching, which degrade soil quality by causing undesirable changes to the essential chemical components of soil.

Deforestation

Due to the removal of trees and crop cover, which promotes the availability of humus and litter layers on the soil's surface, deforestation exposes soil minerals, resulting in soil degradation. When trees are cut down through logging, infiltration rates increase, and the soil is left bare and vulnerable to erosion and the accumulation of toxins.

Misuse or Excessive use of Fertilizers

Chemical fertilizers and pesticides should not be used excessively because they kill soil-binding organisms. The majority of agricultural practices that involve the use of fertilizers and pesticides frequently involve misuse or excessive application, which helps to kill the good bacteria and other microorganisms that help form soil.

Industrial and Mining Activities

The main sources of soil pollution are industrial and mining processes. Contrarily, industrial activities discharge hazardous wastes and effluents into the air, land, rivers, and groundwater, which eventually contaminate the soil and consequently affect its quality. The physical, chemical, and biological qualities of the soil are all degraded by industrial and mining activities.

Improper Cultivation Therapy

In addition to being unsustainable for the environment, some agricultural practices are the main cause of the decline in soil quality that has been observed everywhere. One of the main causes is the breaking up of the soil into smaller particles during tillage on agricultural lands, which accelerates the rate of degradation.

Other improper farming practices include farming on steep slopes, monocultures, row crops, and surface irrigation, which deplete the soil's fertility and alter its natural composition while also preventing soil regeneration.

Urbanization

Urbanization has a significant impact on the process of soil deterioration. It denudes the vegetation cover of the soil, compacts the soil during construction, and changes the drainage pattern, in that order.

Second, it encases the soil in a thick layer of impermeable concrete, increasing the amount of surface runoff and leading to increased erosion of the topsoil. Once more, the majority of urban runoff and sediments are highly contaminated with oil, fuel, and other chemicals.

Overgrazing

The rates of soil erosion and the loss of soil nutrients, as well as the topsoil, are highly contributed by overgrazing. Overgrazing destroys surface crop cover and breaks down soil particles, increasing the rates of soil erosion. As a result, soil quality and agricultural productivity are greatly affected.

Preventive Measures for Soil Degradation

• Reduce cutting down of trees and promote afforestation.
• Use land reclamation to restore lost soil mineral matter and organic content.
• Preventing salinization in the first place is an environmentally friendly means of offering a solution to soil degradation.
• Proper tillage mechanisms hold as one of the most sustainable ways of avoiding soil quality decline. 

Hope all your confusions are now clear about Soil Erosion and Soil Degradation.