Soil is a renewable valuable resource. 95 % of human needs for food and cloth are obtained from the soil. Due to human activities, at present, soils are facing two major problems;
- Soil Erosion
- Soil Degradation
Soil Erosion:
Soil Erosion means the transportation of topsoil [ O and A horizon of the soil profile]. Soil loses fertility due to soil erosion.
Cause of soil erosion;
Natural Cause:
- River Water erosion such as gully and sheet erosion
- Wind erosion
- Wave erosion
Man-made cause:
- Overgrazing
- Mining
- Deforestation
- Construction of infrastructure in the mountainous region
The consequence of soil erosion:
- Loss of soil fertility leads to a decrease in natural vegetation and affects agricultural output.
- It decreases the groundwater recharging rate
- Soil erosion leads to silting of the river bed that causes a flood in lower riparian areas
Prevention of soil erosion:
- Control of overgrazing
- Reforestation
- Contour plowing
- Stonewall bunding
Soil Degradation:
Soil degradation leads to a decrease in the quality of the soil. Here, there is no transportation of the soil; it degrades in the same place.
Soil degradation is largely caused by soil pollution, deforestation, overgrazing, mining, and quarrying[ open pit mining for sand, gravel, and boulders].
In India;
- Soil degradation in Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha is caused by mining and deforestation.
- In Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Maharashtra, soil degrades largely by Overgrazing.
- In Punjab, Haryana, and Western Uttar Pradesh, the soil is degraded by faulty irrigation practices.
- Soils in the urban areas and around the industrial center are degrading due to pollution.
- Soil is also degrading in many parts of counties due to the overuse of fertilizer and pesticides.
Cause of soil degradation:
Natural Cause
- Drought leads to the calcification of the soil.
- Flood or heavy rain leads to the leaching of minerals from topsoil. Flood also bring pollution from other areas.
Human Activities:
- Use of chemical fertilizer and pesticides in the soil.
- Salinization of the canal
- Jhumming cultivation.
- Mono crop farming
- Wasteland; unutilized lands lead to soil degradation.
- Badland (the semi-arid region)
- Urban waste disposal
- Brick making from topsoil
Conservation of soil degradation:
- Flood control measures such as the making of a flood dam
- Social forestry
- Use of green manure and biofertilizer
- Proper disposal of waste.
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- भारत में विकास के लिए भू क्षरण एवं वनों का ह्रास दोनों ही चुनौतियां एवं मुद्दे हैं -उदाहरण सहित व्याख्या कीजिये।
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