The Soil Erosion Essay Example

on soil loss. Soil erosion is further worsened by deforestation since natural vegetation covers reduce surface runoff velocity and bind soil particles through roots while increasing the soil's strength.

Vegetation cover serves as a key protector of soil against erosional processes. However, when deforestation occurs, rainwater runoff increases and seepage and storage in the soil diminishes, leading to damage of the soil's structure and loosening of the soil. This runoff can carry the soil, causing filling of channels and even devastating floods. In natural forest settings, rainfall is slowed down by leaves and thick vegetation coverage. Soil surface covering and humus also serve as sponges, absorbing rainfall and allowing it to sink into the earth, emerging later as springs and streams. In cases where gentle rainfall occurs, absorption occurs in its entirety and reduces the severity of flooding in streams, but deforestation only exacerbates these issues.

(c) The practice of over-grazing by pasturing cattle, goats and sheep causes the grass cover on soil to become worn and thin. This results in direct rainfall onto the soil, which clogs up pores with mud and creates an impervious crust that decreases soil infiltration and increases surface runoff. This ultimately leads to an expansion of bare ground and vulnerability to numerous erosional processes.

Soil erosion has socio-economic factors such as farming systems, farm tenancy size, and tenant-landlord relationships in addition to the causes mentioned above.