How is erosion bad for the environment

Queensland farmers have been cultivating the land since the s. However, early farmers were not aware that some of their farming practices were causing erosion. By the s, soil erosion was seriously threatening the productivity of fertile cropping areas such as the Darling Downs and the Inland Burnett. If nothing is done to protect the soil, losses can be very high.

Soil erosion has been so severe that some areas of Queensland are now unsuitable for cropping. Soil losses from unprotected cultivation in upland cropping areas of the Darling Downs can average between 20 and 60 tonnes per hectare per year.

Steep, unprotected cropping lands in tropical areas can lose up to tonnes of soil per hectare per year. Eroded soil, which can contain nutrients, fertilisers and herbicides or pesticides, can be deposited where there is a reduction in the slope of the land. This can be in sediment traps, along contour banks, or in grassed waterways, dams or wetlands. Catena Verlag Cremlingen-Destedt, Germany 37— Singh J. Solliday, L. Southgate M. Speth, J. Negotiating Comm. Stone, R.

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Troeh J. Hobbs R. Africa Recovery 10 2 : p. October Walsh, K. Wardle R. Bardgett J. Klironomos H. Setala W. Putten Particle van der D. Weesies S. Livingston W.

Hosteter D. Pimentel Eds Soil Erosion and Conservation. Cambridge University Press New York 63— Wen, D. Wendt E. Alberts A. Note: World Health Reports for previous years can be accessed through this site. Witt, B. Young Agroforestry for Soil Conservation C. B Wallingford, UK. Zacharias A. Zhang D. Walling T. Quine A. Ziemer, R. Download references.

You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar. Correspondence to David Pimentel. Reprints and Permissions. Environ Dev Sustain 8, — Download citation. Received : 31 October Accepted : 21 January Issue Date : February Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:. Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article. Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative.

Skip to main content. Search SpringerLink Search. Abstract Soil erosion is one of the most serious environmental and public health problems facing human society. Google Scholar Pimentel, D. Negotiating Comm Stone, R.

October N. Rights and permissions Reprints and Permissions. Yet the need for food and other agricultural products continues to soar. As a result of erosion over the past 40 years, 30 percent of the world's arable land has become unproductive. About 60 percent of soil that is washed away ends up in rivers, streams and lakes, making waterways more prone to flooding and to contamination from soil's fertilizers and pesticides.

Soil erosion also reduces the ability of soil to store water and support plant growth, thereby reducing its ability to support biodiversity.

Erosion promotes critical losses of water, nutrients, soil organic matter and soil biota, harming forests, rangeland and natural ecosystems.

Erosion increases the amount of dust carried by wind, which not only acts as an abrasive and air pollutant but also carries about 20 human infectious disease organisms, including anthrax and tuberculosis. Story Source: Materials provided by Cornell University.

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