Soil erosion
Topic: Soils of India: Types, Degradation and Conservation · NCERT: Class 7, Ch 1 "The Story of Indian Farming"; Class 9, Ch 2 "Shaping of the Earth's Surface"; Class 10, Ch 1 "Resources and Development"; Class 12, Ch 3 "Land Resources and Agriculture"; Class 12, Ch 9 "Geographical Perspective on Selected Issues and Problems"
Meaning
Soil erosion means the soil cover is removed and washed or blown away. Normally, new soil forms about as fast as old soil is lost, so the two stay in balance. Natural agents of erosion are running water, wind and glaciers. Human activities upset this balance: deforestation, overgrazing, construction, mining and faulty farming, such as ploughing up and down a slope. Erosion removes fertile topsoil and is a major cause of land degradation.
Example
The Chambal basin in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh has lost so much soil to running water that it has turned into ravines. In western Rajasthan and Kachchh, wind blows away loose soil.
Don't confuse with
- Soil degradation: erosion is one cause of degradation. Degradation is wider: it also includes the soil losing nutrients and organic matter, salinity, waterlogging and chemical pollution, even when no soil is carried away.