Major Causes Of Soil Erosion

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Major Causes of Soil Erosion Jamie Hennings Environmental Science Week 5 August 17, 2011 The three major causes of soil erosion are overcultivation, overgrazing, and deforestation. These are each all major problems in creating an unsustainable society. The good thing is that each of these causes of erosion can be corrected to create a more sustainable society. Overcultivation is the practice of repeatedly cultivating and growing crops more rapidly than the soil can regenerate, leading to a decline in soil quality and productivity (Boorse & Wright, 2011). Preparation in growing crop and after the harvest of crop, the soil is left exposed to erosion. Water and wind cause this erosion to take place. Plowing is frequently considered necessary to loosen the soil to improve aeration and infiltration through it, yet all too often the effect is just the reverse (Boorse & Wright, 2011). The weight of the tractors cause the soil to become impacted which makes the soil more susceptible to erosion. Overcultivation erosion can be corrected by a no-till agriculture. According to this technique, the field is sprayed with herbicide to kill weeds and then a planting apparatus is pulled behind a tractor to accomplish several operations at once (Boorse & Wright, 2011). This method prevents the soil to become compacted because harvesting steps have been minimized to a single step. Other strategies to minimize overcultivation are low-till farming and the use of fertilizers. These strategies have helped to minimize the process of soil erosion. Even though time is needed and money is lost with improving the methods to correct overcultivation, it is necessary and beneficial to farmers and consumers in the long run. Overgrazing is the phenomenon of grazing animals in greater numbers that the land can support in the long term (Boorse & Wright, 2011).

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