Knowra Soil degradation Soil degradation Soil degradation is the decline of soil quality and productive capacity through physical, chemical, or biological damage. It can reduce ecosystem function and make land less able to support crops or natural vegetation.
Soil erosion : The removal of topsoil by water, wind, or other forces. It strips away nutrient-rich surface layers and can expose less productive subsoil.
Desertification : Land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas caused by climatic variations and human activities. It is a severe dryland expression of soil and ecosystem decline.
Food security : A condition in which people have reliable access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food. Declining soil productivity can reduce harvests and undermine stable food supplies.
Soil formation : The development of soil through interactions among climate, organisms, relief, parent material, and time. Formation builds soil properties that degradation erodes or disrupts.
Soil quality : The capacity of soil to perform functions within natural or managed ecosystems. Assessments depend on which soil functions and indicators count as quality.
Soil compaction : The compression of soil particles that reduces pore space and increases bulk density. Compaction restricts water infiltration, gas exchange, and root growth.
Land degradation neutrality : A state in which the amount and quality of land resources needed to support ecosystem functions and food security remain stable or increase. It frames prevention and restoration as a balance against further soil losses.
Nutrient runoff : The transport of nitrogen and phosphorus from land into surface waters by water flow. Degraded or poorly managed soils can lose nutrients that pollute downstream waters.
Soil health : The capacity of soil to function as a living system that sustains plants, animals, and people. It describes soil condition and function, which degradation diminishes.
Soil monitoring : The repeated measurement of soil properties to detect changes over time. Long-term monitoring helps distinguish lasting degradation from natural variation.
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