Soil Erosion: Loss of soil from land
Causes:


Wind and water
Soil erosion naturally happens and can usually be replaced by new soil forming. However, over
farming, deforestation and over grazing can cause accelerated erosion and can cause new soil to
not be able to replace the eroded soil. It takes 20 to 1200 years to create 1 inch of topsoil!
How can soil erosion affect humans?
Soil erosion can cause soil to be less fertile and thus produce fewer or not as healthy crops.
How can people prevent soil erosion?






Planting trees – Tree roots hold the soil in place and prevent erosion from happening.
Planting different crops at different times rather than harvesting all crops at once can minimize
soil loss. This way the crops being planted there at all times reduce the erosion
possible.
Placing large rocks as barriers can reduce soil erosion.
Ploughing across hillsides rather than up and down can reduce soil erosion.
Using fertilizers to make soil more fertile.
Installing walls to prevent wind erosion.