{"id":81706,"date":"2023-12-06T03:29:33","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T03:29:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/globalroadtechnology.com\/\/?p=81706"},"modified":"2024-01-15T03:38:44","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T03:38:44","slug":"what-is-soil-erosion-the-causes-impacts-and-controls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/globalroadtechnology.com\/what-is-soil-erosion-the-causes-impacts-and-controls\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Soil Erosion? The Causes, Impacts and Controls"},"content":{"rendered":"

We don\u2019t often stop to consider it, but the dirt we walk on daily is a hive of activity and one of the keys to life on planet Earth. A home to vast swarms of microbial life and the nutrients that plants and animals need to grow, whatever you call it, dirt, earth, or soil, is a vital pillar in our ecosystem. In turn, damage to the soil or\u00a0<\/span>unchecked erosion<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0can have significant consequences. Our air, water, food supplies, and climate all feel the flow-on effects of soil erosion and its general health and quality. Inevitably, when these negative factors arise, they often impact communities and can lead to notable societal upheavals.<\/span><\/p>\n

During the 1930s in the US, a famous situation arose, often called the Dust Bowl era, which is still used today as a case study for what can go wrong when\u00a0<\/span>soil is mismanaged<\/span><\/strong>. During the Dust Bowl, previously fertile land of the Midwest and Southern Plains dried up, giving rise to massive dust storms that could shift millions of tons of soil away in one fell swoop. The period was also marked by several thousand human fatalities attributed to \u201cdust pneumonia\u201d, countless losses in animal life, and damage to agriculture in the region.<\/span><\/p>\n

Considering that it can take hundreds of years to build up just\u00a0<\/span>three centimeters of topsoil<\/span><\/strong>, losing so much so quickly was devasting. A positive outcome from the US experience was the rise of soil management bodies tasked with soil practices, who could pinpoint the source problems like overplowing, poor land management, and drought and put effective regulations in place. Similar institutions now exist around the globe.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Soil Erosion?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

The dictionary definition of erosion goes something like this:\u00a0<\/span>Soil Erosion is the loss of topsoil to wind, rain, and other natural forces; it is often natural but can be intensified by human activity, leading to negative environmental, societal, and economic impacts.\u00a0<\/span><\/em>It\u2019s important to note that erosion and weathering are different in that weathering does not transport material away where erosion does. In Australia, erosion presents a\u00a0<\/span>constant threat<\/span><\/strong>, in part due to our extreme weather. For example, heavy wet season rains in Queensland powerfully drive erosion. This action, whether on a large or small scale, inevitably leads to a loss of topsoil, the most fertile layer of our planet. This can be devastating for agricultural producers and the industry at large as the loss of this topsoil results in reduced yields and higher production costs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Depending on the soil type, once the topsoil is gone,\u00a0<\/span>erosion can drive rifts and gullies<\/span><\/strong>\u00a0that make the cultivation of paddocks impossible. The impacts of erosion on farmlands often include:<\/span><\/p>\n