INTRODUCTION

The vast development of the world’s economy had

sacrificed lot of natural resources due to the demand
of population growth. The projection of this growth is
expected as the world have abundant natural
resources followed by the open opportunity on forest
and agricultural vegetation. With the invention of
new technology through science and discovery,
people had left them no choice but to address the
daily provision despite the negative impact of
uncontrollable natural resources consumption
towards irresponsible use of it.
 What is soil?

Soil, the biologically active, porous

medium that has developed in the
uppermost layer of Earth’scrust. Soil is
one of the principal substrata of life on
Earth, serving as a reservoir of water
and nutrients, as a medium for the
filtration and breakdown of injurious
wastes, and as a participant in the
cycling of carbon and other elements
through the global ecosystem. It has
evolved through weathering processes
driven by biological, climatic, geologic,
and topographic influences.
The effects of soil erosion go beyond the
loss of fertile land. It has led to
increased pollution and sedimentation in
streams and rivers, clogging these
waterways and causing declines in fish
and other species. And degraded lands
are also often less able to hold onto
water, which can worsen flooding.
Sustainable land use can help to reduce
the impacts of agriculture and livestock,
preventing soil degradation and erosion
and the loss of valuable land to
desertification.
 SOIL AND FORESTLAND
MANAGEMENT RELATIONSHIP

Soil is classified into four types: sandy, silt, clay and

loamy, which are all present in our country. Just like its
classification, its structure plays also a role in
determining relationship between trees and soil. Their
porosity [and soil ability to propagate roots], are all
depends on it. Thus, soil has greatly influence agriculture
and forestland management to link on possible planning
scheme to counter natural calamities in the absence of
soil management.
The soil is basically classified into four types:
• Sandy soil.
• Silt Soil.
• Clay Soil.
• Loamy Soil.

SANDY SOIL
The first type of soil is sand. It consists of small
particles of weathered rock. Sandy soils are one of
the poorest types of soil for growing plants
because it has very low nutrients and poor in
holding water, which makes it hard for the plant’s
roots to absorb water.
SILTY SOIL
is known to have much smaller particles
compared to the sandy soil and is made up of
rock and other mineral particles which are
smaller than sand and larger than clay. It is the
smooth and quite fine quality of the soil that
holds water better than sand. Silt is easily
transported by moving currents and it is mainly
found near the river, lake, and other water
bodies.
 Clay Soil
Clay is the smallest particles amongst the other
two types of soil. The particles in this soil are
tightly packed together with each other with
very little or no airspace. This soil has very
good water storage qualities and making hard
for moisture and air to penetrate into it. It is very
sticky to the touch when wet, but smooth when
dried.

Loamy Soil
Loam is the fourth type of soil. It is a
combination of sand, silt, and clay such that the
beneficial properties from each is included. For
instance, it has the ability to retain moisture and
nutrients, hence, it is more suitable for farming.
As the human population has expanded, more
and more land has been cleared for
agriculture and other pursuits that degrade
the soil and make erosion more likely to
occur.

The following are the several causes:

 Deforestation
 Overgrazing
 Use of agrochemicals
 SOIL EROSION

It is a naturally occuring process that affects all

landforms. In agriculture, soil erosion refers to the
wearing away of a field's topsoil by the natural
physical forces of water and wind or through forces
associated with farming activities such as tillage.

Soil erosion is partially caused by run-off, or

water that flows over the surface of the
ground after the soil is saturated, or unable
to absorb anymore water.
 SOIL EROSION

All soils undergo soil erosion, but some are more

vulnerable than others due to human activities
and other natural causal factors. The severity of
soil erosion is also dependent on the soil type and
the presence of vegetation cover. Here are few of
the major causes of soil erosion.
 Rainfall and Flooding
Greater duration and intensity of
rainstorm means greater potential for soil
erosion. Rainstorm produces four major
types of soil erosion including rill erosion,
gully erosion, sheet erosion, and splash
erosion. These types of erosions are
caused by the impacts of raindrops on the
soil surface that break down and disperse
the soil particles, which are then washed
away by the stormwater runoff.
 Rivers and Streams
The flow of rivers and streams
causes valley erosion. The
water flowing in the rivers and
streams tend to eat away the
soils along the water systems
leading to a V-shaped erosive
activity. When the rivers and
streams are full of soil
deposits due to sedimentation
and the valley levels up with
the surface, the water ways
begin to wash away the soils
at the banks.
High Winds
High winds can contribute
to soil erosion, particularly
in dry weather periods or in
the arid and semi-arid
(ASAL) regions. The wind
picks up the loose soil
particles with its natural
force and carries them
away to far lands, leaving
the soil sculptured and
denudated. It is severe
during the times of drought
in the ASAL regions. Hence,
wind erosion is a major
source of soil degradation
and desertification.
Overgrazing, Overstocking and
Tillage Practices

The transformation of natural

ecosystems to pasture lands has
largely contributed to increased
rates of soil erosion and the loss of
soil nutrients and the top soil.
Overstocking and overgrazing has
led to reduced ground cover and
break down of the soil particles,
giving room for erosion and
accelerating the erosive effects by
wind and rain. This reduces soil
quality and agricultural productivity.
Deforestation, Reduced Vegetation
Cover, and Urbanization
Deforestation and urbanization
destroy the vegetation land
cover. Agricultural practices
such as burning and clearing of
vegetation also reduce the
overall vegetation cover. As a
result, the lack of land cover
causes increased rates of soil
erosion.

Agricultural tillage depending

on the machinery used also
breaks down the soil particles,
making the soils vulnerable to
erosion by water. Up and down
field tillage practices as well
create pathways for surface
water runoff and can speed up
the soil erosion process.
Needless to say, soil erosion is a sum-up
result of human activities where
deforestation viewed as the most
forecasted reason of the occurrence as
trees and vegetation cover help to hold
the soil particles together thereby reduces
the erosive effects of erosion caused by
rainfall and flooding. The root system of
the tree, as mentioned, depends on the
soil foundation, therefore silviculture and
forest management are somehow a
counteraction towards soil erosion.
In forest conditions, surface runoff
and soil erosion are generally low
because of the surface litter cover,
erosion generally decreases
productivity of forests by decreasing
the available soil water for forest
growth and through loss of nutrients
in eroded sediment.
 SILVICULTURE

It is the practice of controlling the growth,

composition, health, and quality of forests to
meet diverse needs and values. The soil
conservation had explicit a mainstream of its
sustainability through forest management
[where silviculture involves]. This activity will
enable the forest adapt on climate change
brought by human activities and minimize risk
on soil erosion vis-à-vis. As value of trees
increases (or develop a task for reforestation),
it leads to more intact soil that holds water
eliminating the risk or erosion.
 Following are forest land
management practices to prevent
soil erosion:

 Crop Rotation: Rotating in high-residue

crops — such as corn, hay, and small
grain — can reduce erosion as the layer
of residue protects topsoil from being
carried away by wind and water.
 Conservation Tillage:
Conventional tillage
produces a smooth
surface that leaves soil
vulnerable to erosion.
Conservation tillage
methods such as no-till
planting, strip rotary
tillage, chiseling, and
disking leave more of
the field surface
covered with crop
residue that protects
the soil from eroding
forces.
 Contour Farming:
Planting in row
patterns that run
level around a hill —
instead of up and
down the slope —
has been shown to
reduce runoff and
decrease the risk of
water erosion.
 Strip Farming:
 In areas where a slope is
particularly steep or there is no
alternative method of
preventing erosion, planting
fields in long strips alternated
in a crop rotation system (strip
farming) has proven effective.
 Terrace Farming: Many
farmers have successfully
combated erosion by
planting in flat areas
created on hillsides in a
step-like formation
(terrace farming).
 Grass Waterways: By planting grass in areas of
concentrated water flow, farmers can prevent much of
the soil erosion that results from runoff, as the grass
stabilizes the soil while still providing an outlet for
drainage.

 Diversion Structures: Used often for gully control,

diversion structures cause water to flow along a desired
path and away from areas at high risk for erosion.
I. CONCLUSION

Soil is one of the most important assets of your

farming or ranching operation, and losing it
through erosion can seriously impact your bottom
line. The time, effort, and resources you spend on
erosion prevention today is a valuable investment
in the future.

Based upon the discussion, it was possible to

draw the following conclusion, the agricultural
areas generated high rates of surface runoff than
in the natural vegetation.
 RECOMMENDATIONS

The ongoing rapid land-use change and

expansion of agricultural area will have
negative impacts/ effect to environment
(run-off and soil properties) as well as to
human. To reduce the rapid land use
change, a better forestland management is
required, which can impede the unregulated
conversion of forest for agriculture use. To
avoid future catastrophes (flood, soil
erosion), effective management and
mitigation plans are able to be responded.
REFERENCES:

https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/soil-erosion-and-
degradation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_erosion
https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/s/
Soil_structure.htm
https://www.britannica.com/science/soil
https://www.eartheclipse.com/environment/causes-and-
effects-of-soil-erosion.html
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/engineer/facts/12-
053.htm
https://heritagelandbank.com/announcements/news-
events/how-prevent-soil-erosion
THANK YOU!! 