Who is responsible for soil degradation?

Soil degradation causes include agricultural, industrial, and commercial pollution; loss of arable land due to urban expansion, overgrazing, and unsustainable agricultural practices; and long-term climatic changes.

How does agriculture affect the soil?

Agriculture alters the natural cycling of nutrients in soil. Intensive cultivation and harvesting of crops for human or animal consumption can effectively mine the soil of plant nutrients. In order to maintain soil fertility for sufficient crop yields, soil amendments are typically required.

Does Agriculture destroy soil?

Farming practices such as tilling break up the soil and destroy its natural structure, killing many of the vital bacteria and fungi that live there and leaving it vulnerable to being washed away. “[Soils] are key for storing water – good soil is like a sponge that soaks up the rain and keeps it there.

What factors cause soil degradation?

Natural hazards which can lead to soil degradation include land topography and climatic factors such as steep slopes, frequent floods and tornadoes, blowing of high velocity wind, rains of high intensity and drought conditions in dry regions. The most prominent degradation feature worldwide is erosion by water.

What are the main factors responsible for soil degradation 8?

(i) Temperature and rainfall are the two main climatic factors responsible for soil formation. (ii) Deforestation and the indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides and fertilisers in agricultural lands are two factors contributing to land degradation. (iii) Land is among the most important natural resources.

How can agriculture prevent soil erosion?

You can reduce soil erosion by:

1. Maintaining a healthy, perennial plant cover.
2. Mulching.
3. Planting a cover crop – such as winter rye in vegetable gardens.
4. Placing crushed stone, wood chips, and other similar materials in heavily used areas where vegetation is hard to establish and maintain.

How is agriculture responsible for degradation of soil Class 8?

(i) Temperature and rainfall are the two main climatic factors responsible for soil formation. (ii) Deforestation and increasing use of chemicals (pesticides and fertilisers) in agricultural land are two factors responsible for land degradation.

How does agriculture cause soil pollution?

Agriculture and livestock activities pollute soil through excessive application of pesticides and fertilizers, the use of untreated wastewater for irrigation, and the use of manure and sewage sludge with high antibiotic, antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and heavy metal content.

How does agriculture cause soil erosion?

Agricultural processes themselves can also cause soil erosion. Grazing animals can induce this effect by eating the plants covering the topsoil, exposing it to the elements, and churning up the ground pacing back and forth over its surface.

How farming destroys the quantity of soil?

Excessive cultivation, for example, can wreck the structure of some soils so that they are no longer capable of holding enough moisture for growing plants. Salinization, or the accumulation of salts in the topsoil, can also have a deletrious effect on soil productivity and crop yields.

Which of the following is not responsible for land degradation?

Answer: Terrace farming is not responsible for land degradation.

How does agriculture lead to salinization of soil?

Salinization occurs when dissolved salts in water tables rise to the soil surface and accumulate as water evaporates. Application of irrigation water or heavy rainfall can also cause water tables to rise.

What are the causes of land degradation?

This leads to soil erosion, rising water tables, the expression of salinity, mass movement by gravity of soil or rock, stream bank instability and a process that results in declining water quality. Land degradation is a global problem, largely related to agricultural use. 1. Land clearance, such as clear cutting and deforestation 2.

What are the effects of agriagriculture on the environment?

Agriculture is both a cause of and sensitive to environmental degradation, such as biodiversity loss, desertification, soil degradation and global warming, all of which can cause decreases in crop yield. Genetically modified organisms are widely used, although some are banned in certain countries.

How does soil degradation affect smallholder agriculture?

Soil degradation is just but one of the constraints to food crop production in SSA smallholder agriculture but a root cause of persistent cycles of rural poverty.

What are the main threats to sustainable agriculture?

Soil degradation and soil erosion are a serious threat to sustainable agriculture. The climate change leading to sea level rise and increased evaporation would result in increasing salinization of the coastal soil and aquifers.