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Soil erosion is the main factor for soil degradation and is due to several mechanisms: water erosion, wind erosion, chemical degradation and physical degradation. Erosion can be influenced by human activity. For example, roads which increase impermeable surfaces lead to streaming and ground loss.
All of these causes have contributed to the degradation of fertile soil, posing a serious threat to the livelihoods of millions of Africans who rely on the land for subsistence. In the Sahel, desertification is mostly attributed to wind erosion. [24] To put it simply, wind erosion is the phenomenon when a strong wind removes a field's topsoil.
Sand and water on the side of the road, causing erosion on the environment Plastic bags dumped by the road side in Katete in mbarara district in western Uganda. The erosion caused by rains, rivers and winds as well as over-use of soils for agriculture and low use of manures have resulted in turning the soils infertile, as for example, in the plains of the Nile and the Orange River.
[35] [36] There is growing evidence that tillage erosion is a major soil erosion process in agricultural lands, surpassing water and wind erosion in many fields all around the world, especially on sloping and hilly lands [37] [38] [39] A signature spatial pattern of soil erosion shown in many water erosion handbooks and pamphlets, the eroded ...
Wind erosion of soil at the foot of Chimborazo, Ecuador Rock carved by drifting sand below Fortification Rock in Arizona (Photo by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, USGS, 1871). Aeolian processes, also spelled eolian, [1] pertain to wind activity in the study of geology and weather and specifically to the wind's ability to shape the surface of the Earth (or other planets).
The increase of desertification has also increased the amount of loose sand and dust that the wind can pick up ultimately resulting in a storm. For example, dust storms in the Middle East “are becoming more frequent and intense in recent years” because “long-term reductions in rainfall [cause] lower soil moisture and vegetative cover”. [25]
Soil erosion is the result of natural physical forces, such as water and wind, gradually wearing away the topsoil in a field. [5] This process can be slow and inconspicuous or occur rapidly, leading to significant topsoil loss. [5] Apart from soil erosion, there are other severe soil degradation issues, including soil compaction, reduced ...
Factors like soil texture, wind speed, and land use practices influence wind erosion. Unsustainable agricultural practices, desertification, and land disturbance contribute to wind erosion. [54] Soil compaction: Excessive agricultural machinery use, improper land management, and heavy grazing can lead to soil compaction.