LAND DEGRADATION

Land degradation is a process in which the biophysical environment is

affected by a combination of human induced processes acting upon the
land it is used as a change or disturbance to the land perceived to be that
reas or undesirable.
Land degradation is growing at an alarming rate about 25 billion tons of
fertile soil is being degraded every year mainly because of unsuitable
agricultural practices. 25% of the land has already been degraded globally
and 4% of the total agricultural land is degraded. About 3.2 billion people
globally are affected by land degradation and if land degradation continues
at the same pace then by the year 2050 95% of the total land will be
degraded .
Land degradation can worsen the problem of climate change and affect
water quality, agricultural productivity, sustainable development ,
biodiversity and the living conditions of human and wildlife.
LAND DEGRADATION IN INDIA
Nearly 30% of India's land has been degraded through deforestation, soil
erosion, overcultivation and depletion of wetlands. The area is as large as
the area of the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
combined. If land degradation is not address then 600 million people are at
the risk of impact of climate change. Land degradation has also reduced the
gross domestic product by 2.5% every year. 29.32 % of land in India is
degraded and out of the total land India has pledged to restore 500
hectares of land which is 1.5 % of the total degraded land.
The main processes that led to degradation in India were water erosion
which contributed about 10.9 8% in the land degradation process ,
vegetation degradation which contributed about 8.99 1% and wind
erosion which contributed about 5.55 %. Land degradation has increased
in most states . The states of Rajasthan , Gujarat, Maharashtra, Jammu and
Kashmir and Karnataka have the highest area of land which is constantly
undergoing degradation. The total area combined makes 18.4 % out of the
total 29.3 % degraded land while other states have less then 2% of
degraded lands. States such as Jharkhand, Rajasthan ,Delhi, Gujarat and Goa
have the highest amount of degraded land within there own boundaries.
More than 50% of the lands of these states is degraded.
Since water erosion is the main reason leading to loss of soil cover which
then causes land degradation initiatives such as watershed management
initiatives should be taken to combat land degradation.
TYPES
CAUSES OF LAND DEGRADATION
Land degradation can occur due to different reasons such as -
 Overgrazing by cattle’s and other animals leads to depletion of the
vegetation cover over a particular piece of land which increases the
risk of water and wind erosion.
 Clearing large patches of land such as deforestation to obtain
resources such as firewood, timber for furniture and other products
such as paper etc decrease the vegetation cover over the land and
make it more vulnerable to erosion.
 If the farming practices are poor then it may result in agricultural
depletion of soil nutrients. Other improper farming practices such as
unsuitable irrigating practices to obtain multiple crops at a time
cause soil erosion.
 Climate change is also one factor that affects land degradation.
Climate change worsens land degradation particularly in low lying
coastal areas, drylands ,river deltas and permafrost areas. Due to
climate change the sea level rises and the water salinity levels of low
lying areas change making the area unsuitable for agricultural use.
 Increase in the population is also one of the main reasons for land
degradation because as the population grows the demand for
residential areas and commercial sectors increases which causes land
degradation.
IMPACTS OF LAND DEGRADATION
Land degradation has many impacts such as
 Impact on food production. Human population is growing rapidly
around the globe but as land degradation continuous there will be
decrease in food production which will result in a lot of people
suffering from hunger.
 Land degradation also destroys biodiversity and species habitat.
 It leads to soil erosion.
  It may cause excessive nutrient runoff into the lakes which decreases
the quality of water and affects the biodiversity of the water system.
SOLUTIONS FOR LAND DEGRADTAION
and degradation can be prevented by the following methods-
 Strip Farming- It is a farming practice in which crops are sown in
alternative strips to prevent erosion by water.
 Crop Rotation- To replenish the soil in this agricultural practice
different crops are grown on the same area.
 Ridge and Furrow Formation- Ridge and furrow formation decreases
water runoff during irrigation which prevents erosion.
 Contour Farming- This type of farming practice is usually done on
hillsides and it is useful for diverting water runoff to avoid erosion.
SOIL EROSION
Soil erosion is a gradual process of movement and transport of the upper
layer of the soil that is topsoil by different agents such as water, wind and
mass movement causing its deterioration in the long term.
IMPORTANCE OF TOPSOIL
 Topsoil supplies plants with valuable nutrients.
 Seedbed for germination of seeds and establishment of the root
system.
 Supports micro-organisms which are important in the composition of
plant residue and recycling of elements.
 It is an important resource which allows the production of food ,fibre
etc extra the topsoil takes about thousand years to generate 3cm. but
which soil erosion the upper layer of the soil is washed away
decreasing the quality and quantity of the food ,fibre etc
TYPES OF SOIL EROSION
Surface runoff and rainfall results in four types of erosion-
Splash Erosion-
This is the first stage of erosion, when the rainfalls on the soil its particles
that are held together break up into individual elements. These particles
can rise up to 60 cm above the soil surface and spread across the top layer
of the soil and can be easily run off by water or wind.
Sheet Erosion-
This is the second stage. In this a thin layer of soil is removed because of
heavy rains and runoff from water flow. It is very gradual and can go
unnoticed until a huge amount of soil is removed. Overgrazing and lack of
vegetation cover over the soil can increase the rate of sheet erosion. It
results in loss of organic matter and nutrients from the top layer of the soil.
Rill Erosion-
Rill erosion is the third stage of erosion. In this type of erosion, the surface
water collects and forms depression in the soil and erodes the soil. It forms
rails which are shallow drainage lines around 30cm deep into the ground
and makes the ground even more prone to erosion. It is most common in
lands having bare or loose soil. It can be prevented by planting grass over
the soil, contour farming etc.
Gully Erosion-
Gully erosion is the worst type of erosion because normal cultivation
practices are not the solution to this type of erosion. In this type of erosion
gullies are formed which can be to 2 m deep or even go deeper and can
become 10 to 15 m deep. It can be caused due to overgrazing, improper
maintenance of waterways poor vegetation cover over the land etc.
Water Erosion-
This erosion when it starts is vertical but when it reaches the base level it
can switch into lateral erosion and can widen the valley floor. This type of
erosion can deepen valleys or create steep banks or head cut when it flows
over the ground.
Tunnel Erosion-
Tunnel erosion happens when soil from the subsoil layer is lost. This type
of erosion is caused when the water enters the subsoil layer through small
cracks or holes in the soil and slowly washes away the subsoil layer. In this
type, the top part of the soil may remain unaffected but as the subsoil starts
depleting rapidly it can collapse and form a gully .
Bank Erosion-
Bank erosion occurs when the edge of a stream or river tattoo erode or
wear off. The causes of bank erosion can be removal of gravel and sand
from the stream bed , overgrazing, cultivation etc .
Wind Erosion-
Wind erosion is most common in arid and semi-arid areas. There are two
types of wind erosion namely deflation and abrasion. In deflation the wind
carries loose particles of the soil with itself while in abrasion the surface of
the soil is eroded down when the particles that are carried by the wind get
stuck on the ground. Great plains face 6100 times more erosion in drought
years than wet years.
Mass Movement-
Mass Movement occurs due to the movement of sediments or rocks against
the slope surface. This type of erosion occurs in different stages, first
breakdown of materials takes place, materials are then transported from
higher elevation levels to lower elevations levels from their streams or
rivers pick up the materials and carry them to even more lower levels.
Mass movement is usually common in slopes. It can occur gradually or can
occur suddenly. Mass movement can be controlled by using check dams,
vegetation cover, permanent plant structures, barriers etc.
Chemical Erosion-
Solute particles from the soil start running off into streams or rivers. Water
which is affected by chemicals or toxic waste is easily able to cause this
type of erosion.
CAUSES OF SOIL EROSION -
Deforestation due to agriculture -
Cutting down of trees to form new agricultural lands causes soil erosion as
new crop plants usually have less capacity to hold the soil as firm the as the
trees present in a forest.
Overgrazing -
Cattles and others animals when they overgraze on a piece of land, they
cause the topsoil particles to get distributed everywhere and the soil also
loses is infiltration capacity which makes it hard for new plants to grow on
that soil.
Use of agrochemicals-
Chemicals and pesticides seep into the soil and cause an imbalance in the
microorganisms that are present in the soil. The soil gets degraded and
eventually paves way to soil erosion.
Construction-
Building and roads cause soil erosion as the water that gets collected from
rainfall etc does not have a proper place to seep in and runoffs into nearby
lands and causes soil erosion.
PREVENTION OF SOIL EROSION.
Crop Rotation- High residue crops such as corn, hay etc protect the topsoil
from being carried away by different agents of erosion such as wind and
water. Crop rotation of high residue crops helps in preventing soil erosion.
Contour Farming- Contour farming techniques reduce water runoff and
decrease the risk of soil erosion by water.
Strip Farming- Strip farming involves planting the crops in long strips
alternatively such as in crop rotation system. This technique is useful when
their is a steep area.
Terrace Farming- Terrace farming prevents soil erosion. It is done by
plating crops on the flat areas on hillside.
Grass Waterways- By planting grass around the land in which soil erosion
occurs due to surface runoff soil erosion can be prevented as the grass will
hold the soil particles tightly and not let them be carried away with the
flow of water.
Diversion Structures - Diversion structures usually divert the flow of water
from areas that are at high risk of soil erosion.
Reforestation- Water retention capacity of the soil is increased when there
is reforestation around rivers, lakes etc and also on unstable pieces of
lands.

DESERTIFICATION
Desertification is a type of land degradation in which biological
productivity of a land is lost due to natural processes or induced by human
activities. Due to desertification fertile lands become more arid.
41 percent of Earth's land area is covered by drylands and 10 to 20% of
these all dryland have already been degraded. About 2 billion people reside
in these drylands but 12.6 percent of these people already live in
decertified areas. Desertification affects the ecosystem such as there is a
decrease in agricultural production , fertile agricultural land gets
accumulated with sand, there is an increase of area under wastelands,
droughts become more frequent and their intensity also increases , the
vegetation loss in the area can increase the formation of large sand clouds
which can affect the health of the people living in that area etc.
Desertification decreases the biological diversity of an area and it also
causes climate change. Desertification causes vegetation loss in an area
then the carbon that is stored in the soil goes into the atmosphere and
increases increasing climate change.
Desertification In India
70% of India's total land is under desertification. Desertification has
increased by 1.16 million in just eight years. Thar desert is advancing at an
alarming the rate of 0.5 kilometre per year. In Nagaland, desertification is
being caused by an increase in the population, deforestation and shifting
cultivation while in Himachal Pradesh desertification has increased
significantly due to less snowfall and more rainfall. Almost a quarter of
India's land is now under desertification.
Causes of Desertification
Globalisation and an increase in population has given rise to unsuitable
agricultural practices which have led to a decrease in the productivity of
the land.
Overgrazing-Due to overgrazing by sheep, cattle and other animals the
vegetative cover of an area is lost making the soil more exposed to erosion.
Climate Change- Climate change causes less amount of rainfall over the
drylands and thus gives increases the rate of desertification in those areas.
On an average the deserts now receive less rainfall in comparison to 50
years ago.
Soil erosion is one of the main causes that leads to desertification.
Overgrazing and population growth make it even worse.
Removal of wood – In desert areas, when trees are cut down for their wood
, they roots no longer hold the soil particles together. This leads to soil
erosion which further leads to desertification.
Prevention Of Desertification
Protecting the vegetation cover which may help the soil against agents such
as wind and water mainly during the drought season.
Preventing overgrazing of pastures and lands because vegetation cover
over land helps soil particles to be held together.
Integrating water management and land management systems. Sustainable
land use can help prevent desertification. Preventing overexploitation of
land and proper irrigation practices can help prevent desertification.
Choosing alternative livelihoods reduce the pressure over the land. These
alternative livelihoods reduce resource demands from a particular piece of
land. These alternative livelihoods can be dryland aquaculture etc.

Biotic components
The components that are living comprise the biotic components of the
ecosystem. Biotic components include bacteria, plant, animals etc. The
biotic components together with the abiotic components make up the
ecosystem. Biotic components can be divided into three groups based on
the energy flow of the ecosystem. These groups are-
Producers-
Producers are also called as autotrophs. These are the organisms that make
food for themselves using inorganic materials present in the environment.
They are known as producers because they produce nutrients that are
required by all other organisms to survive. Producers belong to the bottom
of the food chain and are essential for the ecosystem to function. For eg,
green plants make food for themselves by the process of photosynthesis in
which the utilise the energy from sunlight and with the help of chlorophyll
they are able to synthesise glucose. Aside from glucose these plants also
produced proteins, amino acids etc.
Autotrophs are further divided into photoautotrophs and
chemoautotrophs.
Photoautotrophs- They use the energy from sunlight to convert carbon
dioxide and water into organic materials such as sugars, amino acids ,fats
etc. For eg, green plants, green algae etc. Photoautotrophs are very
important as heterotrophs feed on them to survive. They make a very
essential part of the ecosystem.
Chemoautotrophs - These organisms obtain energy by utilising inorganic
chemicals. Chemoautotrophs are very essential for the ecosystem as they
help in nitrogen fixation such as Nitrosomonas, they are usually present
where sunlight is unable to reach so they make an important part of the
ecosystems where there is no sunlight. For eg, they live in deep sea
hydrothermal vents etc. Some chemoautotrophs such as methanogens
produce methane, iron bacteria obtain energy by oxidizing the ferrous iron
which is dissolved in water, Nitrosomonas which help in nitrogen fixation
etc.
Consumers
Consumers are also known as heterotrophs and these cannot make their
own food and depend on other organisms for energy . Consumers include-
Herbivores - These animals only eat plants. They sometimes also eat tree
barks , shrubby growths. Their digestive system is developed in such a way
that they are easily able to digest plants. Examples of herbivores are cow,
rabbit, elephant etc.
Carnivores- These animals feed on meat of other animals. Carnivorous feed
on omnivores, herbivores and also other carnivorous. Lion, shark, snake etc
are examples of carnivores.
Omnivores- These animals feed on both animals and plants, for example ,
raccoons, pigs etc. Omnivores cannot feed on all the plants like herbivores
but can eat fruits etc. Omnivores have a major advantage in the ecosystem
because they can feed on both animals and plants so they rarely face any
food scarcity.
Their are three types of consumers -
Primary consumers- Primary consumers feed primary producers. Primary
consumers vary from small microscopic organisms such as zooplanktons to
big animals such as elephants. The primary consumers include herbivores
such as grasshopper, rabbits, small fishes, snails, zooplanktons etc. Primary
consumers are present in all types of habitats.
Secondary consumers- These are the animals that feed on primary
consumers. Secondary consumers depend on primary consumers for
energy. It includes both carnivores and omnivores. Secondary consumers
play an important role in the ecosystem because the keep the population of
primary consumers in check. These can be found across a variety of
habitats. Examples of secondary consumers are piranhas, dogs ,moles etc.
Tertiary consumers- These animals feed on primary consumers and
secondary consumers for their energy requirements. These belong the
highest trophic level and play an important role in maintaining the balance
in the ecosystem. They keep the population of lower tropic levels in check
so that no trophic level is at a disadvantage. For example, If the wolves
disappear from the ecosystem then the deer population will increase and it
will further put pressure on the vegetation present in the ecosystem. Thus ,
tertiary consumers are an essential part of the ecosystem.
A rabbit consumes grass so it is a primary consumer, snake consumes the
rabbit so the snake is the secondary consumer and the eagle who consumes
the snake is the tertiary consumer.
Detritivores- These are heterotrophs which feed on dead organic matter
which includes decomposing plants animals and also faecal matter of other
animals. For example, earthworms millipedes, sea cucumber etc. They play
an important role in the ecosystem as they help in cyclic flow of nutriments
in the ecosystem. They are a part of different biogeochemical cycles such as
nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle and the phosphorus cycle.

Decomposers
Decomposes are organisms that decompose organic materials such has
dead animals and plants. Decomposers get their energy by breaking down
organic matter. Decomposers play an important role in the ecosystem as
they help to decompose and recycle the dead organic matter. If they were
not present in the ecosystem then dead organic matter would pile up
everywhere . Examples of decomposers are bacteria, fungi etc.
Decomposers maintain the energy flow in the environment they
decompose organic complex matter into more simple substances and make
the substances readily available for the primary producers.
ABIOTIC FACTORS
Abiotic components are the non-living parts of the environment. These are
the non-living chemical and physical parts that constitutes the ecosystem.
Abiotic components affect organisms present in the ecosystem.
Abiotic factors include wind, rain, humidity, temperature, salinity, soil
composition, pollution etc . Abiotic factors play a very important role in the
ecosystem as they determine the availability of various resources such as
water, minerals, wind etc . Humans also sometimes alter these abiotic
components. Alteration of these abiotic components affects the ecosystem
and the organisms living in it. For example, greenhouse gases which are
utilised by humans can alter the pH of aquatic ecosystems , fertilizers that
are used in agriculture can affect the habitat of snails, in the beginning of
the 19th century, England had two kinds of moths. One type of moth had a
white coloured body while the other had a black coloured body.

biotic factors are important in shaping and ecosystem and the kind of
organisms that live inside it and the challenges that are faced by the
organisms and how those organism survive the challenges.
for examples due to less amount of rainfall in some places Savanna
ecosystems may involve instead of forests because the trees can grow due
to less amount of rainfall.
abiotic factors in different ecosystems
ecosystems and extreme temperature low rainfall and a highly distinct
habitat
tropical rainforest ecosystem
this ecosystem receives a lot of sunlight it has warm temperature and
experience mild seasons
tundra ecosystem
this ecosystem receives very little sunlight.
temperate rainforest these have seasonal climates and milder weather
grassland ecosystem
ecosystems are defined by the amount of rainfall they receive the amount
of rainfall is not too much to support a forest but not too less to be
considered a dessert
oceans
salt water is an important factors in the ocean some fishes can only survive
in saltwater. the amount of send light receive by the different organisms in
the ocean divides the ocean into different layers. because of the biotic
factors that the different types of ocean ecosystem such as coral reef
ecosystem deep sea Ocean system showline ecosystem.

abiotic factors are very important part in the ecosystem and can greatly
affect the biotic factors present in the ecosystem.
biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem are required for normal
functioning ecosystem