What are the consequences of soil degradation? What can we do to prevent and reverse soil degradation? 

Replace traditional irrigation, via blanket or flood, with a drip irrigation system that brings the water close to the roots. 

Trees and plants protect the soil from wind, retain moisture and provide organic matter.

Physical soil degradation, what is it?

Soil degradation is a process that reduces the present or future capacity of the soil to continue performing its functions.

It can occur for natural or man-made reasons.

In general, there are two types of soil degradation processes:

1. Those that produce displacement of soil particles. The most important are water and wind erosion.
2. Phenomena that lead to soil degradation in situ. Physical degradation processes such as compaction and artificial processes can cause damage.

Chemical processes, like acidification, salinization, loss of organic matter, and contamination by fertilizers can also be harmful. Intense agricultural productivity with poor management practices in the long term also damages the soil structure.

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Soil degradation process

Soil can be put into production in two ways. We can leave it in its natural state alongside other elements of the environment. Alternatively, we can alter it. This will depend on the quality and intensity of the use and management we make within it for productive benefit.

If we change the interrelationships of our environment, we create other environments, which can give rise to supporting processes at a “rate” or “speed” that the soil cannot withstand, and lead to its degradation.

These processes that cause the soil to reduce its initial productive capacity are called “degradation processes” and are: 

• Erosion
• Physical degradation
• Biological degradation
• Chemical degradation

1. Erosion: When this process occurs, soil loss occurs, and each time, this loss can be negligible or very large. The meteorological element that “moves” the soil from its original position may be water, in which case we refer to “water erosion” or the winding process, in which case we refer to “wind erosion”.

Water erosion and wind erosion are widespread in croplands around the world.

2. Physical degradation: related to this, there are a series of micro-processes that modify the “porous” free spaces that the soil has, allowing air and water to “move”. Detrimental changes in the soil, affect the physical conditions related to the flow of air, water, and nutrients, and root development. 

These processes can occur on the land surface or underground, the most common effects being compaction (hoof or plow tracks), sealing of the soil surface (ironing), and encrustation.

3. Biological degradation: The most notorious effects of the occurrence of degradation processes are the loss of biodiversity (living organisms) and organic matter (organisms of animal and plant origin, partially and/or decomposed or transformed) biological. This has an impact on a variety of soil functions, including transformation, recycling, and subsequent assimilation of nutrients by plants, among the most crucial for agricultural soils. 

The accommodation and persistence of soil minerals in specific units (structure) help maintain pore space that will ensure the transfer of rainwater and/or irrigation water through the soil and the removal of excesses. Air also enters and leaves the soil during this process. 

It’s widely demonstrated that the occurrence of these biological degradation processes in agricultural soils is mainly due to intensive soil use, such as unsustainable agricultural practices, and the use of poor technology.

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4. Chemical degradation: Several chemical degradation processes are related to biological degradation and generally take place in situations where the latter is more likely to occur. Nutrient depletion and soil acidification as a result of, among other causes, organic matter depletion are examples of what has been reported. 

Another chemical degradation process, soil contamination, is often related to human activities that cause water pollution (surface and groundwater), improper use and management of inputs, and agricultural wastes (such as toxic metals, sewage sludge, smelting wastes, and mining wastes). Another process that takes place in areas that can receive (permanent) irrigation is the increase in soil salinity.

Main causes of soil degradation

The main reasons for the current state of the soil are phenomena such as erosion, loss of organic carbon, salinization, compaction, acidification, and chemical contamination.

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Soil degradation: its serious consequences

Water scarcity, less food production and nutrition insecurity, poverty and social insecurity, migration, and reduced ecosystem services are just some of the effects of land degradation.

Solutions to land degradation

What can be done to stop land degradation? Drip irrigation systems that place water right next to the roots can be used instead of traditional irrigation methods (blanket or flood). 

The soil is protected from the wind, it’s kept moist, and the trees and plants provide organic matter.