Introduction
Soil health is the condition of the soil. It is important for maintaining a sustainable food production system, but it is also linked to our own health. The current trend in agriculture and gardening shows that soils are becoming less healthy because of many factors such as an increase in erosion and compaction, loss of organic matter, water logging and salinization etc.
Soil degradation is a process in which the physical, biological, and chemical quality of soil declines due to factors such as improper land use, agriculture, or pasture. It can be caused by factors such as urban or industrial purposes.
Soil degradation often leads to adverse changes in alkalinity, acidity, salinity, extreme flooding, use of toxic soil pollutants, erosion, and deterioration of the soil’s structural condition. These elements contribute to a significant amount of soil quality depreciation annually. Excessive soil degradation thus gives rise to immediate and long-term impacts which translate into serious global environmental headaches.
Soil degradation is a natural phenomenon. However, it has been heavily exuberated by anthropogenic activities. Besides, climate change combined with human activities continues to worsen soil degradation.
In order to understand the distinct nature of soil quality decline, here are some of the causes, effects and solutions of soil degradation:
Soil quality can be degraded by natural factors such as weathering, erosion or overgrazing. Natural factors are constant and they do not depend on human activities. On the other hand, anthropogenic factors are affected by humans and they may change over time due to climate change or other reasons (National Research Council).
Soil quality can be degraded by human activities such as overgrazing or improper management of land use (National Research Council).
Soil quality can also be degraded due to natural factors that are not related to humans like dry spells or drought conditions (National Research Council).
Soil quality can also be degraded due to human activities that have no relation to climate change like deforestation for example but still have an impact on soil quality because it affects the amount of CO
The problem is in the way we manage our land and build our houses.
Soil degradation is a complex issue. It’s not just a local problem, it’s also not just a problem in developing countries or even just tropical ones.
Soil degradation is caused by human activities such as deforestation and erosion from heavy rains or windstorms, excessive use of fertilizers and pesticides on crops that grow on top of the soil (and then leach into it), overgrazing by animals that eat up all the grasses underneath them before they die off too much for new ones to come back naturally (which means less biodiversity), over-cultivation which kills off all vegetation but leaves bare ground where nothing else can grow because there are no nutrients left behind from previous crops growing there previously
Permeability is the main issue.
Soil permeability is the main issue. Permeability is the ability of soil to transmit water, air and nutrients through it. It’s a measure of how easily water moves through soils in various directions. If you have good drainage, then you can plant without worrying about losing roots or getting mildewed leaves from your plants!
But if your soil has poor drainage and high clay content (clay particles are small enough that they don’t allow air bubbles), then moisture will accumulate inside your potting mix instead of flowing out when watered properly — causing root rot or disease problems like black spot fungus on tomatoes which rots tomato leaves between veins turning them yellowish-brown before dying off entirely leaving behind dead fruit rotting away inside their green husks—or worse still – if left untreated could lead to root rot which affects all parts below ground level including stems/trunk etc…
Soil is important for filtering and absorbing water.
Soil is a natural water filter, storing and releasing rainwater slowly. This process helps to prevent floods and droughts in your area, as well as keep the soil around you healthy. Soil also acts as natural storage for excess water during rainy seasons, which can be used later on when it’s needed most: during dry spells or after heavy rains.
Compaction of soil, loss of organic matter, water logging and salinization are some major issues that cause soil degradation.
Compaction of soil, loss of organic matter and waterlogging are some major issues that cause soil degradation.
- Compaction: Soil compaction can occur when the amount of water held by soil decreases. It leads to uneven distribution of weight in the topsoil layer and causes it to collapse under its own weight. This process is called pore pressure loss (PPL). A decrease in PPL results in increased porosity within a given volume of soil that has been compacted by heavy equipment such as tractors or bulldozers; this creates cracks at depth intervals just above where they were originally present before being compacted, causing more moisture loss through these cracks later on down into deeper layers where roots cannot reach them easily due to lack/of nutrients present in these areas which would otherwise nurture plant growths if they had access instead!
- Loss Of Organic Matter: The oxidation process which happens naturally over time will eventually reduce any available carbon content found within soils making them less suitable for growing crops like wheat or corn but also leading us closer to another problem known as salinity problems caused by high levels sodium chloride content (NaCl) found during rainy seasons when excess rainfall spills over into nearby rivers causing dilution levels too high for proper irrigation practices such as drip irrigation systems used today.”
Soil management and improvement of soil health are very important in maintaining a sustainable food production system.
Soil health is closely linked with our own health and the health of the planet. Our food, water and air are all affected by poor soil health.
Soil management and improvement of soil health are very important in maintaining a sustainable food production system.
Soil health is closely linked with our own health.
Soil health is closely linked with our own health. The soil, the food we eat and drink, and all the other things we put on it, have an effect on our human body. When healthy soil is created in a garden or in a field somewhere around us, our bodies get a lot better because of it!
Here are some ways that good soil can help you:
- It makes you feel better if you’re feeling stressed or ill because of your environment (like toxins in the air or water)
Conclusion
Now, the question is: what can we do to reverse this trend? The first step is to understand that soil health depends on a healthy natural environment. We have to protect our soils from erosion and water logging, maintain organic matter content in the soil, regulate pH levels and improve drainage systems so that nutrients are available for plants to use as they need them.