Facts about land degradation | Why land degradation | Land degradation facts

Facts about land degradation | Why land degradation | Land degradation facts

There are several factors responsible for land degradation. They are, 

1) Soil pollution:

Soil pollution occurs due to dumping and disposal of wastes, application of agro-chemicals. The soil pollutants include pesticides, fertilizer, industrial waste, salts, heavy metals, excretory products of people and livestock. 

2)Salination of soil :

Increase in concentration of soluble salts dissolved in irrigation water accumulate on the soil surface. Additionally, salts from the lower layers move up by capillary action during summer season and are deposited as white crusts on the surface, Intensive farming with poor drainage is causing serious Salination damage in large areas of India. 

3) Soil erosion:

Soil erosion occurs by water, wind, ocean waves and glaciers. Human activities such as felling of trees, over grazing, over cropping and improper tilling accelerate soil erosion. 

4) Shifting cultivation :

This consists of cutting down trees and setting them on fire and raising crops on resulting ash. It is also called jhuming in north-eastern India. This is an unhealthy method of cultivation which degrades forest and disturbs solil stability. 

5) Desertification:

In results because of erosion of top soil shifting of sand -dunes by wind and over grazing in lands sparsely covered by grass. 

People also ask

How much land is degraded in the world?

Globally, about 25 percent of the total land area has been degraded. When land is degraded, soil carbon and nitrous oxide is released into the atmosphere, making land degradation one of the most important contributors to climate change

How much land is degraded each year?

Key facts and figures. Land degradation affects almost 2 billion hectares of land worldwide, home to 1.5 billion people. Every year, 24 billion tons of fertile soils are lost due to erosion. 12 million hectares of land are degraded each year – this is 23 hectares per minute!

How can we save land degradation?

Answer: Afforestation, management of overgrazing, planting of shelter belts of plants,proper management of waste lands, control over mining activities, proper discharge of industrial wastes etc are the measures that could be taken to control land degradation to some extent.

What are effects of land degradation?

Its impacts can be far-reaching, including loss of soil fertility, destruction of species habitat and biodiversity, soil erosion, and excessive nutrient runoff into lakes. Land degradation also has serious knock-on effects for humans, such as malnutrition, disease, forced migration, cultural damage, and even war.

How do humans affect land degradation?

Human interventions which are causing land degradation are (1) deforestation, (2) overgrazing by livestock, (3) mismanagement of agricultural land, (4) overexploitation of the vegetative cover for domestic use, and (5) (bio)industrial activities.

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