Soil erosion
Topic: Environment and Sustainable Development · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 7 "Environment and Sustainable Development"
Meaning
Soil erosion is the loss of the fertile top layer of soil. Water, wind, deforestation and overgrazing wash or blow it away. Topsoil holds most of the nutrients crops need, so erosion lowers farm output and adds to land degradation. Land degradation means a fall in the quality of land. It is one of India's five priority environmental issues.
Example
Government of India estimates put soil erosion in India at about 5.3 billion tonnes a year. This washes away 5.8-8.4 million tonnes of nutrients every year. Farmers then have to buy more fertiliser to make up the loss.
Don't confuse with
- Land degradation: this is the wider idea, meaning any fall in land quality. It also covers salinity, waterlogging, chemical overuse and desertification. Soil erosion is only one of its forms.
Related concepts
- Poverty-induced degradation and pollution from affluence
- Land degradation
- Deforestation
- Open access resource
- Biodiversity loss
- Air pollution
- Industrial pollution
- Water pollution
- Groundwater overuse
- Virtual water