Factors responsible for land degradation and management of degraded land

Factors responsible for land degradation and management of degraded land.
Land degradation means
Causes of Land Degradation
Methods for Assessing Land Degradation
Prevention and Control Measures for Land Degradation

1. Factors Responsible For Land
Degradation And Management Of
Degraded Land


Land degradation
Land degradation is the process of deterioration of soil or loss of
fertility of soil. The causes of land degradation can be divided into
natural hazards, direct causes, and underlying causes. Natural
hazards are the conditions of the physical environment which lead
to the existence of a high degradation hazard, for example steep
slopes as a hazard for water erosion.

The change in the characteristic and quality of soil which
adversely affect its fertility is called as Degradation.


Land degradation means:
1. Loss of natural fertility of soil because of loss of nutrients.
2. Less vegetation cover
3. Changes in the characteristic of soil.
4. Pollution of water resources from the contamination of soil
through which water sweeps into ground or runoff to the water
bodies.
5. Changes in climatic conditions because of unbalanced created
in the environment.

2. Causes of Land Degradation:
• Population: The indirect activities included pressure on
agricultural intensification and population growth. About 220
million hectares of tropical forest have been degraded 1975 and
1990 mainly for food production.
With the increase in population, more land is needed for
producing food, fibre, and fuel wood leading to increasing
pressure on the limited land resources. Therefore the land gets
degraded due to over exploitation.

• Human Activities: Human induced causes many human
activities are leads to land degradation directly or indirectly
include deforestation, overgrazing by livestock, wrong irrigation
practices, urban sprawl and commercial development, pollution
from industries, and mining activities etc.

• Urbanization: Increased urbanization due to population
growth reduces the agricultural land. To compensate for loss of
agricultural land, new lands comprising of natural ecosystems
such as forests are cleared. Therefore, urbanization leads to
deforestation which in-turn affects millions of plant and animal
species.
• Fertilizers and Pesticides: Increased application of fertilizers
and pesticides are needed to increase farm output in new lands
thereby leading to pollution of land, water and soil degradation.
Some specific causes are:

3. a) Soil erosion:
• It is wearing away of the land surface by physical forces such as
rainfall, flowing water, wind, ice, temperature change, gravity or
other natural or anthropogenic agents.
b) Soil contamination:
• It includes contamination by heavy metals, acidification,
nutrient surplus (eutrophication), etc.
c) Overgrazing:
• Overgrazing occurs when plants are exposed to intensive
grazing for extended periods of time, or without sufficient
recovery periods.
d) Mining and quarrying activities:
• Due to this excavation process alter the structure of the land,
stacking of top soil, loss of soil due to dumping of the mine
wastes.
e) Improper crop rotations:
• It decreases fertility of soil.

Impact of land degradation
• Loss of soil organic matter and nutrients.
• Loss of soil structure.
• Loss of soil biodiversity.
• Loss of water holding capacity and water infiltration.
• Soil pollution.
• Reduced yields of crops.

4. • Reduced land value and resilience to future events.
• Impact on food security.
• Reduces ability to adapt to climate change.

Methods for Assessing Land
Degradation:
Expert opinion - e.g. Global Assessment of Soil Degradation
(GLASOD) - Use ‘Indicators
’Remote sensing - satellite monitoring e.g for green biomass
cover
Field monitoring - ecological or soil-based
Productivity changes - crop yields, biomass production or
livestock outputs (FAO statistics)
Sample studies at farmer level - Participatory approaches
Modelling - e.g. soil erosion hazard maps, GIS etc.

Prevention and Control Measures for Land
Degradation:
• Management on overgrazing: Management practices like
water development, placement of salt and supplements, fertilizer
application, fencing, burning can control the overgrazing.

5. • Managing irrigation: Irrigation system can be controlled like
drip irrigation to reduce soil erosion. Using high and low salt
water was most effective in maintaining the productive capacity
of the clay soil.

• Managing urban sprawl: The urban planning is the most
important factor, to control the urban sprawl. Fertile field near by
the urbane area need to be protected by the local government
rules. There should be a proper waste management system
dumping of these waste generated as part of urban sprawling will
degrade the land, can cause soil salinity, acidity and loss of it
vegetative properties.
• Managing mining and quarrying: The impact can be reduced
by proper management of mining process, using advanced
technologies rather than conventional methods. After mining by
proper back filling, spreading the soil back over the top, the land
can be reclaimed.
• Managing agricultural intensification: Agricultural
intensification need to be managed properly to reduce the
environmental effect. This can be done through education of the
farmers.
• Strip farming:
It is & practice in which cultivated crops are sown in alternative strips to
prevent water movement.

• Strip farming:
It is & practice in which cultivated crops are sown in alternative strips to
prevent water movement.
•Crop Rotation:
It is one of the agricultural practice in which different crops are
grown in same area following a rotation system which helps in
replenishment of the soil.

6. •Ridge and Furrow Formation:
Soil erosion is one of the factors responsible for lad degradation.
It can be prevented by formation of ridge and furrow during
irrigation which lessens run off.

• Construction of Dams:
This usually checks or reduces the velocity of run off so that soil
support vegetation. n off.
•Contour Farming:
This type of farming is usually practiced across the hill side and is
useful in collecting and diverting the run off to avoid erosion.