Soil Degradation

  • Date December 3, 2020
Science Skills – Grade 6 Soil Degradation

Soil degradation

Understand how the quality of soil declines and what causes this decline.

Soil degradation is the decline in soil condition caused by its improper use or poor management, usually for agricultural, industrial or urban purposes. It is a serious environmental problem. Soils are a fundamental natural resource, and are the basis for all terrestrial life. Avoiding soil degradation is crucial to our well-being.

Examples of soil degradation

Soil degradation is the physical, chemical and biological decline in soil quality. It can be the loss of organic matter, decline in soil fertility, and structural condition, erosion, adverse changes in salinity, acidity or alkalinity, and the effects of toxic chemicals, pollutants or excessive flooding.

 
Soil erosion costs European farmers €1.25 billion a year | EU Science Hub

Soil degradation can involve:
  • water erosion (includes sheet, rill and gully erosion)
  • wind erosion
  • salinity (includes dryland, irrigation and urban salinity)
  • loss of organic matter
  • fertility decline
  • soil acidity or alkalinity
  • structure decline (includes soil compaction and surface sealing)
  • mass movement
  • soil contamination (including effects of toxic chemicals and pollutants).

 

Previous Lesson
Back to Course
Next Lesson