Unit 4: Agriculture - Accelerated Soil Erosion
- Created by: rosieevie
- Created on: 18-05-15 21:31
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- Accelerated Soil Erosion - removal of soil by water/wind more quickly than formation
- Vegetation reduces soil erosion rate
- Natural windbreak - slows wind
- Reduces raindrop impact by cover and leaf litter
- Organic matter and roots bind soil together
- Increase infiltration rate and reduce runoff
- Farming increases soil erosion rate
- Vegetation removal increases wind velocity and raindrop impact
- Ploughing loosens soil
- Falling humus levels loosens soil
- Overgrazing reduces plant cover and root binding
- Coastal sedimentation
- Types
- Rainsplash - falling raindrops compact soil and disperse surface particles
- Overland flow - thin sheets of running surface water
- Rill erosion - small amounts of water flowing in temporary channels detaches and transfers particles
- Gully erosion - large amounts of water flowing in permanent steep-sided channels
- Wind erosion - removes and transfers soil particles
- Problems caused by soil erosion
- Reduced agricultural productivity (lower soil fertility and crop productivity)
- Desertification
- Silting up of river deltas = increased flood risks
- Dust pollution
- Ecological changes
- Aesthetic pollution - land scars
- Landslides
- Turbid runoff in rivers = sedimentation in reservoirs
- Flooding downstream due to reduced river flow capacity
- Vegetation reduces soil erosion rate
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