Soil erosion can be caused by practices such as overgrazing, overcultivation and deforestation. These practices and methods to correct them are discussed below.
Overgrazing refers to situations where there is such intensive use of grassland for grazing that grass production cannot keep it. The result is that the land turns barren. Erosion sets in because the top soil becomes exposed. Unwanted species of plants can begin to grow and take up the land. Overgrazing can be controlled through planned management of grasslands. Livestock can be moved to different grazing locations in order to avoid overgrazing. The land can also be reseeded with perennial varieties of grass and unwanted woody plants can be burnt.
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"Overgrazing, Overcultivation, and Deforestation".
Overcultivation refers to the deterioration of soil quality as a result of the effects of various practices carried out during cultivation. Such practices include plowing and the excessive use of chemicals such as inorganic fertilizers. Plowing exposes the soil to erosion by wind and water. The weight of the tractors moving over the land makes the soil even more compact and does not make for aeration. Practices that can correct overcultivation the ‘no-till technique.’ In this technique, herbicides are sprayed to kill weeds rather than plowing. Various devices can also be hitched up to a tractor such that multiple operations like soil loosening, planting, mulch adding and closing up of the soil, are carried out at once. The use of organic fertilizer helps to retain soil quality; inorganic fertilizer does not contribute to soil building or support soil organisms.
Deforestation refers to the cutting of trees. Forests ecosystems have rich top soils. When trees are cut down, the soil is exposed to the agents of erosion and loses its rich nutrient supply and moisture holding capacity. Deforestation can be reserved through conservation of forest ecosystems, indiscriminate cutting down of forests should be avoided. Tree planting can also be done to replace trees that are cut down.
