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Explain four causes of physical soil degeneration

Explain four causes of physical soil degeneration

Answers

Dana
Overgrazing which leads to removal of vegetation cover exposing soil to agents to erosion which removes the top fertile soil.
Continuous irrigation which causes leaching of soil nutrients making the top soil deficient of soluble minerals or leading to accumulation of dissolved minerals salts which makes the soils saline.
Frequent ploughing which:
Weakens the soil structure and makes it easy for the agents of soil erosion to carry away the fertile top soil.
Leads to increased oxidation which results in loss of organic matter.
Compacts the soil which reduce porosity thus making the soil poor.
Increases water percolation and leaching of minerals making the soil poor.
Ploughing up and down the slopes which creates channels for surface run-off which takes away some nutrients.
Over-use of agro-chemicals which leads to change in soil pH thus making the soils poor.
Mono-culture/over cropping which exhausts the mineral nutrients in the soils thus making the soil to lose fertility.
Burning the crop remains/burning the bush to clear land which destroys the organic matter and micro-organisms thus making the soil to lose fertility.
Shifting cultivation: Which makes the abandoned land open to erosion and loss of fertility.


Dana05 answered the question on August 16, 2019 at 13:25

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