Soil Erosion and Soil Conservation
The denudation of the soil cover and subsequent washing down is described as soil erosion. The soil erosion is caused due to human activities like deforestation, over-grazing, construction and mining etc. Also, there are some natural forces like wind, glacier and water which lead to soil erosion. Soil erosion is also caused due to defective methods of farming.
The running water cuts through the clayey soils and makes deep channels as gullies. The land becomes unfit for cultivation and is known as bad land. When water flows as a sheet over large areas down a slope and the topsoil is washed away, it is known as sheet erosion. The wind blows loose soil off flat or sloping land, known as wind erosion.
Different Ways for Soil Conservation
- Ploughing along the contour lines decelerate the flow of water down the slopes. This is called Contour Ploughing.
- Terrace cultivation restricts erosion. This type of agriculture practice is done in the Western and Central Himalayas.
- When a large field is divided into strips and strips of grass are left to grow between the crops. Then, this breaks up the force of the wind. This method is known as Strip Cropping.
- Planting lines of trees to create shelter helps in the stabilisation of sand dunes and in stabilising the desert in western India. Rows of such trees are called Shelter Belts.
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