Land Degradation, Causes, types, effects and Solutions

One of the current environmental issues facing the world is land degradation. A thorough, multidimensional strategy is needed to address this issue, including restoring damaged ecosystems, implementing laws and regulations that encourage the sustainable use of land resources, and developing sustainable land management techniques.

Land degradation is a global issue that affects both developed and developing nations, with effects that are felt at the local, regional, and global levels. Our earth and its inhabitants can have a more sustainable future if we make coordinated efforts to address the issue of land degradation and gain an understanding of its kinds, causes, and effects.

What is Land Degradation?

Land degradation refers to the reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of rainfed cropland, irrigated cropland or range, pasture, forest, and woodlands in arid, semi-arid, and dry subhumid areas.

This can be caused by a variety of processes, including those brought on by human activity and patterns of habitation, such as wind- and/or water-driven soil erosion, deterioration of the physical, chemical, biological, and economic properties of soil, and long-term loss of natural vegetation.

The term “land degradation” describes the deterioration of the Earth’s land resources, such as soil, plants, and water. It is a complicated and diverse environmental issue. Overuse of natural resources, unsustainable agricultural practices, deforestation, urbanization, and climate change are examples of a combination of human-caused and natural elements that contribute to this situation.

Land degradation can also be defined as a long-term decline or loss of at least one of the following: biological productivity, ecological integrity, or value to humans. It is brought on by direct or indirect human-induced processes, such as anthropogenic climate change.

Causes of Land Degradation

This is the result of numerous variables coming together. Among them are:

• Deforestation
• Soil Erosion
• Misuse or Excess Use of Fertilizers
• Landslides
• Industrial and Mining Activities
• Improper Cultivation Methods
• Urbanization
• Overgrazing
• Salination
• Waterlogging

1. Deforestation

Deforestation and tree-cutting are the primary and most important causes of land degradation. The soil particles are held together by the roots of the trees, preserving their quality. The dispersal of soil particles that occurs when trees are cut down exposes soil minerals because trees and crop cover are essential to the creation of soil.

Covering the soil with vegetation encourages biological activity, aeration, soil binding, and water-holding capacity. Logging and slash-and-burn methods of tree removal can cause further erosion, which washes the land into rivers, as well as toxic accumulation and unusable soil.

The agricultural plants that frequently take the place of the trees are unable to retain soil, and many of these species—such as wheat, coffee, cotton, soybeans, palm oil, and cotton—may even exacerbate soil erosion. Additionally, when arable land loses its productive soil, farmers relocate, remove more forest, and so on, perpetuating the cycle of soil loss.

2. Soil Erosion

Soil erosion is the main factor contributing to land deterioration after deforestation. The essential nutrients are also carried away when the top layer of soil is washed away by wind or water.

It is not possible to grow anything in the poor quality of the remaining soil. Soil erosion diminishes soil depth, lowers the soil’s capacity to store rainfall, and undermines soil structure by lowering fertility.

Reduced fertility and soil erosion are the results of unfavourable changes in the physical, chemical, or biological properties of the soil. There are other types of land degradation, such as salinity, alkalinity, chemical contamination, acidity, and waterlogging.

The cumulative consequences of several processes, including the loss of biological variety and vegetative cover, nutrient imbalance in the soil, decrease in soil organic matter, and reduced infiltration and water retention capacity, lead to land degradation.

Erosion of the soil refers to the loss of the uppermost layer of nutrients. The most frequent and severe type of soil erosion is caused by wind and water.

(i) Wind Erosion

Strong winds carry dust and loose, coarse soil particles at great distances in areas devoid of vegetation and sandy soil. Because there are fewer roots and less moisture in the soil, soil particles become more loose when forests disappear. Wind-induced soil erosion is more likely to occur with these dislodged particles.

(ii) Water Erosion

Mining, overgrazing, and deforestation are all equally to blame for a rise in the rate of water erosion. Raindrops hitting against one another or moving water are the two main causes of erosion in water. The thin soil cover over wide regions may be more or less uniformly removed by water after severe rains.

We refer to it as sheet erosion. If the erosion is allowed to continue uncontrolled, the silt-laden runoff may cause multiple finger-shaped grooves to emerge throughout the region. We refer to this as rill erosion.

Unattended rills start to take on the characteristics of gullies, enlarging in breadth, depth, and length. This is known as gully erosion, which is an advanced stage of rill erosion. Water-induced erosion is one of the biggest causes of land degradation. Due to massive losses of extremely fertile soil and plant nutrients from runoff water, it degrades the land.

It weakens the soil’s organic matter, ruins the soil’s structure, lowers the depth at which it occurs, lowers the groundwater table, restricts the amount of moisture that can be stored and the crop’s feeding zones, and affects fertility because of nutrient losses.

3. Misuse or Excess Use of Fertilizers

The use of pesticides and other chemicals on agricultural plants has enabled farmers to raise yields. Pesticide and chemical fertiliser overuse or misuse can damage soil organisms by upsetting the balance of microbes that support soil cohesiveness.

Nutrient losses and the denature of vital soil minerals might arise from improper fertiliser application. As a result, the biological activity of the soil is destroyed, which may cause hazardous materials to accumulate.

While their ability to manage pests in the short term is undeniable, there are two main reasons to seriously doubt their long-term efficacy in doing so, as well as their overall impact on ecosystems, human health, and the environment.

These are:

• Pesticide residue concentrations rise as they ascend the food chain;
• The quick evolution of new insect breeds resistant to the pesticides used

Furthermore, overuse of these pesticides causes some pests to become more resistant, and it may even kill some beneficial species like earthworms, which are crucial for preserving soil fertility. As a result, the usage of pesticides causes the soil’s fertility to deteriorate.

4. Landslides

A landslide occurs when soil and weathered rock material suddenly fall down a slope as a result of gravity. Landslides are frequent in hilly areas, particularly those that are close to the ocean or along riverbanks.

Landslides eventually occur as a result of the constant erosion caused by water movement. Rivers that are flooded significantly increase the risk of landslides. In the northern and northeastern mountainous regions, landslides are frequent. Additionally, landslides are caused by human activity.

They are:

• Deforestation in hilly regions
• Heavy mining in hilly regions
• Dam construction
• Infrastructure
• Transportation infrastructure, particularly road construction.

5. Industrial and Mining Activities

These actions add to the contamination of the soil. Mining makes the soil unusable by destroying crop cover and releasing hazardous chemicals into it. The discharge of wastes and effluents from industrial processes contaminates the soil, altering its chemical, biological, and physical characteristics.

6. Improper Cultivation Methods

Some farming techniques can harm the fertility and composition of the soil, including deep ploughing, excessive tillage, farming on steep slopes, mono- and row-cropping, and surface irrigation. Erosion, a reduction in soil regeneration rate, and a decline in agricultural production are caused by improper farming practices.

7. Urbanization

It causes compaction during building, alterations to drainage patterns, and depletion of soil vegetation cover. Urban areas’ impervious surfaces exacerbate erosion and surface runoff. Pollutants from metropolitan runoff frequently taint waterways and upset ecosystems.

8. Overgrazing

Overgrazed areas are common in areas with large animal populations. The cattle graze to survive, leaving the land bare of nutrition. Grass and tiny plants cannot flourish in these conditions. To raise livestock, the majority of people in Asia and Africa rely on rangelands and pastures with a poor carrying capacity.

Natural ecosystem conversion to pasture land causes less initial damage to the land than crop cultivation, but it can result in high rates of erosion, topsoil and nutrient loss, and decreased agricultural productivity. Erosion rates rise as a result of the breakdown of soil particles and destruction of surface crop cover.

In addition to lowering ground cover, overgrazing can cause wind and rain to erode and compact the land. This damages soil microorganisms and causes significant erosion of the land by reducing the capacity of plants to develop and for water to permeate the soil.

9. Salination

Salination is the term used to describe an increase in the amount of soluble salts in the soil. The following variables determine where saline soil originated:

• Quality of Irrigation Water: In arid areas, the groundwater is typically salinized. The irrigation water may increase the soil’s salinity and be rich in soluble water in and of itself.
• Excess Use of Fertilizers: Alkalinity in soils can be caused by overusing alkaline fertilisers such as sodium nitrate, basic slag, etc.
• Capillary Action: During the summer, salts from the bottom layers rise by capillary action and settle on the soil’s surface.
• Poor Drainage of Soil: Dissolving salts Water from irrigation systems collects on the soil’s surface because of poor drainage, particularly during floods.
• Salts Blown by Wind: A lot of salt is carried by the wind and deposits itself on the fields in arid regions close to the sea.

10. Waterlogging

The groundwater level rises as a result of over-irrigation and poor field drainage. Waterlogging is the result of this groundwater mixing with surface water utilised for irrigation. The dissolved salts from the soil are brought to the surface by groundwater, where they evaporate to produce a layer or sheet of salt.

Types of Land Degradation

Here are the types of land degradation. If you look through some of these types of land degradation, you will find out that most of them are also causes of land degradation and even effects. Well, their their uniqueness is what makes them stand out from other types of land degradation that is why you can find them under the types of land degradation.

• Soil Erosion
• Soil Compaction
• Soil Fertility Decline
• Waterlogging
• Salinization
• Lowering of the water table
• Forest degradation
• Rangeland degradation
• Soil Acidification
• Mining and Quarrying Activities

1. Soil Erosion

The process of soil erosion occurs when water or wind removes soil. The topsoil layer, which is rich in nutrients and organic matter, may be lost as a result of this process, which may be brought on by natural or man-made causes. Reduced soil fertility, a diminished ability to hold water in the soil, and increased soil compaction can all be results of soil erosion.

2. Soil Compaction

Compaction of the soil is the result of compressed soil particles, which reduces pore spaces and hinders air and water penetration. Human activities including heavy machinery use, intense agriculture, and construction might be the cause of this. Reduced root growth, less water infiltration, and higher runoff can all result from compacted soil.

3. Soil Fertility Decline

The term “decay” in soil fertility refers more colloquially to the more accurate description of deterioration in the physical, chemical, and biological components of the soil. Although a significant result of erosion is a reduction in fertility, the term “erosive” here refers to the effects of mechanisms other than erosion. The primary mechanisms at play are as follows:

• A decrease in soil biological activity accompanied by a drop of soil organic matter;
• Adverse changes in soil nutrient resources, such as decreased availability of the major nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium), the start of micronutrient deficiencies, and the development of nutrient imbalances.
• Degradation of soil physical properties (structure, aeration, water holding capacity), as brought about by reduced organic master.
• Accumulation of toxicities, mainly acidity from improper fertiliser application.

4. Waterlogging

The decrease in land productivity caused by an increase in groundwater near the soil surface is known as waterlogging. The severe type, known as ponding, in which the water table rises above the surface, is also covered under this topic. Salinization and waterlogging are related, as both are caused by improper irrigation control.

5. Salinization

When we talk about salinization, we’re talking about any kind of soil degradation that results from an increase in salt content in the soil. It therefore encompasses both codifications, also known as alkalization, which is the establishment of sodium’s dominance over the exchange complex, and salinization in the strict sense, which is the accumulation of free salts.

These are primarily human-induced processes that result from improper irrigation scheme design and administration. Saline intrusion, or the seepage of seawater into coastal soils due to excessive groundwater extraction, is also discussed.

6. Lowering of the Water Table

This type of land degradation is self-explanatory; it results from groundwater being pumped for irrigation via tube wells at a rate greater than its natural recharge capability. This happens in regions where groundwater is “sweet,” or non-saline. Another reason is pumping for industrial and urban use.

7. Forest Degradation

This is the result of human activity reducing biotic resources and decreasing forest productivity. A contemporary survey is reviewing it (Banerjee and Grimes, in the process).

8. Rangeland Degradation

This is the reduction of rangelands’ potential for productivity. Although there is a lack of specific quantitative data, it is thought of in general terms.

9. Soil Acidification

Acidification of the Soil is the result of a drop in pH. Certain farming methods, excessive fertiliser use, and acid rain can all contribute to this. Reduced plant development, heightened susceptibility to soil-borne infections, and decreased soil fertility can all result from soil acidity.

10. Mining and Quarrying Activities

Degradation of land is also caused by mining and quarrying operations, as well as a lack of post-extraction soil restoration. The same comments on land pollution hold.

Effects of Land Degradation

Wide-ranging adverse effects of land degradation include flooding, desertification, landslides, contaminated water supplies, and a global decline in food supply. Agriculture, meanwhile, deals with a wide range of immediate consequences daily.

• Soil Salinisation
• Soil Acidification
• Organic Matter Loss
• Soil Compaction
• Water Quality Degradation
• Soil Fertility Decline
• Increased Carbon Emissions
• Food Security
• Health Issues
• Economic Losses
• Migration and Conflict
• Loss of Land Quality and Productivity
• Loss of Arable Land
• Pollution and Clogging of Waterways
• Loss of Biodiversity
• Increase in Flooding
• Desertification

1. Soil Salinisation

Soil salinization is the process that occurs when the earth’s salt concentration reaches hazardous levels. When salts accumulate in the root zone of plants, usually as a result of poor drainage, excessive evaporation, or insufficient watering, problems occur. Salinization of the soil might even make land unfit for farming by slowing crop development.

2. Soil Acidification

“Acidification” is the term used to describe the increased acidity that results from decreases in soil pH. Usually the result of improper crop or fertiliser selection.

The number of microorganisms is impacted by acidification, and this has an impact on the rate of nutrient cycling and the productivity of land ecosystems. Because acidity weakens the earth’s structural integrity and breaks down aggregates in the earth, it exacerbates land degradation.

3. Organic Matter Loss

Long-term processes such as land degradation lead to the loss of organic matter which is also known as dehumification. Particles are bound together by organic stuff, which strengthens the ground structure. Less humus in the earth increases the likelihood of land erosion and fertility loss from natural or man-made sources.

4. Soil Compaction

Around 1.2 t/m3 is the ideal density for most soils. However, concentrations of 1.4–1.5 t/m3 are currently typical due to large agricultural machinery repeatedly running over the same areas. Compaction has a disastrous impact on agricultural crop growth and development because plant roots cannot emerge through such a dense mass.

5. Water Quality Degradation

Freshwater resources are impacted by contaminants and sediments that are carried to water bodies by soil erosion brought on by land deterioration.

6. Soil Fertility Decline

The soil’s ability to sustain plant growth is compromised when vital nutrients are removed.

7. Increased Carbon Emissions

Climate change is exacerbated when vegetation that has been destroyed or degraded releases stored carbon back into the atmosphere. The Amazon rainforest’s ability to act as a “carbon sink” has been significantly diminished by deforestation and the ensuing land degradation, hastening climate change.

8. Food Security

Crop yields are decreased by agricultural land degradation, putting the world’s expanding food supply in jeopardy.

9. Health Issues

Disease rates may rise as a result of contaminated soil and water. Malnutrition may also increase when there is insufficient agricultural output.

10. Economic Losses

Increased poverty is a result of the economic costs of land degradation, particularly in areas where agriculture and natural resources are important.

11. Migration and Conflict

Degradation of the land can leave areas more unstable by causing migration and conflict over scarce resources.

12. Loss of Land Quality and Productivity

Roughly half of the ground’s available potassium and phosphorus is found in the topsoil. Nutrients like nitrogen, phosphate, and potassium are also lost along with topsoil, which lowers crop output. The good news is that more fertiliser may be used to make up for this nutritional deficit.

On the other hand, excessive ground compaction, weak subsurface structure, shallow rooting depth, and significant soil erosion and degradation result in a loss of productivity that cannot be made up for by additional fertiliser.

13. Loss of Arable Land

Global food security is at risk due to several types of land degradation that are now affecting agricultural areas worldwide. It is believed that several factors, including aridity, a decline in plant cover, erosion and salinization, and the loss of organic carbon, contribute significantly to the loss of arable land.

14. Pollution and Clogging of Waterways

Sediment is naturally filtered by topsoil, but land deterioration is causing it to disappear. Along with sediments and pollutants like pesticides, fertilisers, and heavy metals, topsoil is carried away. Increased sedimentation as a result can choke streams, hinder water flow, and lower water quality.

15. Loss of Biodiversity

Soil degradation and biodiversity loss are correlated. The microorganisms that live there suffer from the destruction of the land. At the same time, biota mobility and feeding activities impact drainage and soil stability. Thus, processes of soil loss are accelerated by decreased biodiversity.

16. Increase in Flooding

The ground’s ability to absorb water decreases as land quality declines. Rainwater therefore runs off the surface. The likelihood of flooding will rise as more water—possibly loaded with sediments, which worsen the situation—flows into rivers, streams, and other bodies of water.

An agricultural field or pasture is frequently created from land that was once a forest or other type of landscape, such as marshes and floodplains. Because the transformed soil can’t absorb as much water, flooding occurs more frequently. There are ways to maintain and restore wetlands in addition to increasing the soil’s ability to hold water.

17. Desertification

As a result of soil deterioration, once-fertile land loses nutrients, which makes the area less conducive to plant development and leads to desertification. Desertification is spreading more quickly due to climate change and human land overuse. The issue is exacerbated by wind and water erosion, which takes away productive topsoil and leaves behind a sterile, desolate mixture of sand and dust.

Destructive global processes both cause and are a result of land degradation. Crop yields are lowered as land quality deteriorates. Therefore, in an attempt to increase their yields right away, an increasing number of farmers are turning to harsh and intensive agricultural techniques.

But in the end, this results in even worse soil degradation. Using sustainable, precision agriculture and conservation land management techniques is the only way to break this vicious cycle going forward.

Solutions to Land Degradation

Using sustainable land management practices consistently over time is necessary to reduce soil degradation. Even though maintaining the fertility and health of the land is a marathon, we’ll go over several tried-and-true strategies that you may use straight away to minimise or prevent soil degradation:

• Reclamation of land and reversible degradation
• Bring back the Trees
• Stop or limit ploughing
• Apply conservation tillage techniques
• Crop Rotation
• Strip Cropping
• Avoid over-irrigation
• Apply the right amount of fertilizer
• Aim for organic farming
• Plant Cover Crops
• Adopt contour farming
• Practice terrace farming on the slopes
• Reduce the use of industrial farming
• Leave land alone
• Environmental education and awareness

1. Reclamation of land and reversible degradation

Erosion caused by wind and water has mostly irreversible effects. Although soil organic content and plant nutrients can be replenished, replacing the actual lost soil material would involve putting the soil out of service for many thousands of years, which is not a feasible option given the slow rate of natural soil formation.

In other situations, however, land degradation is reversible; for example, degraded pastures may recover with better range management and soils with lower organic matter levels may be regenerated by introducing plant leftovers. With salinity control and reclamation operations, salinized soils can be brought back to productive use, albeit at a significant cost.

Land reclamation usually calls for labour-intensive, expensive, or both types of inputs. This fact is amply demonstrated by the reclamation initiatives in irrigated areas that are salinized and wet.

In some situations, such as reclamation forestry, the land can only be recovered by removing it from productive usage for many years. Reclamation, or putting degraded soils back to productive use, always comes at a higher cost than stopping degradation in its tracks.

2. Bring back the Trees

Erosion occurs far more readily in the absence of vegetation and trees. Reforestation initiatives and sustainable forest management practices are essential to stopping soil degradation.

3. Stop or limit ploughing

Around the world, some farmers are experimenting with zero-tillage, or conservation agriculture, in areas ranging from Kenya to the Cotswolds. The main goal is to prevent any exposed bare soil, therefore “cover crops” are sown right away following harvest. They replenish nutrients and plant materials in the soil while also protecting it. Furthermore, they hold moisture well in heated weather.

4. Apply conservation tillage techniques

Minimise or do away with heavy tillage methods that destabilise the soil and fuel deterioration. Reduced tillage and no-till farming are examples of conservation tillage techniques that help preserve moisture, increase organic matter content, and lessen land degradation.

5. Crop Rotation

Crop rotation involves switching around the kinds of crops cultivated in your specific fields every growing season. This improves soil fertility, breaks down the cycles of disease and pests, and lowers the chance of nutrient depletion.

6. Strip Cropping

Use strip cropping to switch up your crops. To optimise degradation management, this approach often involves rotating crops from one strip to another once a year. Strip-cropping rotations, in which annual grasses and legumes are replaced with grain and row crops, are the mainstay of effective soil degradation remedies.

7. Avoid over-irrigation

Use effective watering techniques, including drip irrigation, to avoid unintended consequences like field sodification and secondary salinization.

8. Apply the right amount of fertilizer

Variable rate application, or VRA, can assist in determining the amount of fertiliser required in each zone to produce the target yield while avoiding damage to the land and the environment. It is based on soil diagnostics and satellite imagery analytics.

9. Aim for organic farming

Consider using more organic fertilisers instead of chemical ones to help stop soil degradation. To prevent pesticide drift, use chemical-free integrated pest management (IPM) techniques.

10. Plant Cover Crops

When your cash crop isn’t in season, plant cover crops like grasses or legumes. Improved ground structure, decreased weed growth, increased organic matter content, and protection from land degradation are all provided by cover crops.

11. Adopt contour farming

Water runoff and land degradation are reduced by contour farming, which gathers precipitation behind the ridges.

12. Practice terrace farming on the slopes

By lowering the hillside gradient, agricultural terraces can lessen the likelihood that surface water flow will result in slope erosion. Terrace farming also improves pedogenetic processes.

13. Reduce the use of industrial farming

Agrochemicals, repeated harvests, and tilling have increased yields at the expense of sustainability. It would be beneficial to regulate land and agriculture responsibly, but we also need to be honest about what we eat. Research suggests that we should consume far more fruits and vegetables, less dairy, and significantly less ethically raised, grass-fed meat, if any.

14. Leave land alone

Another way to stop soil degradation is to leave more land alone. Even with the difficulties posed by an expanding population, it takes 500 years or more for just 2.5 cm of topsoil to form. Removing land from production would enable soil carbon to replenish and stabilise. To use less pastured land at once, experts advise the dairy and meat businesses to rotate their usage of it.

15. Environmental education and awareness

Bringing attention to the negative effects of land degradation and educating communities about the significance of sustainable land management techniques can instil a feeling of accountability and motivate group action.

Conclusion

The natural balance has been severely harmed by human abuse, which has disrupted mother nature greatly. This has to be fixed. Complete eradication of land degradation is a difficult and drawn-out task. We must all put effort into it.

Degradation of the land affects both the environment and our way of life. Because of its consequences on ecology, agronomic productivity, and food security, it has grown to be a crucial global issue. We must act now to stop land degradation before it negatively impacts the quality of our daily lives.

FAQs-Land Degradation

What is the difference between land degradation and land pollution?

Land degradation and land pollution are two distinct environmental issues that can have significant impacts on the quality and productivity of land resources.

The term “land degradation” describes the deterioration of the land’s ability to sustain natural ecosystems and human activity, frequently as a result of deforestation, desertification, and soil erosion. Reduced agricultural yields, a decline in biodiversity, and a drop in land value can all result from this process.

On the other hand, contamination of soil and land resources by other contaminants, like heavy metals, toxic chemicals, or municipal garbage, is known as land pollution. While inappropriate waste management or industrial activity is usually the cause of land pollution, unsustainable land-use patterns are the main cause of land degradation.

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