I need some info on land degradation?

Question

Hi. I am currently working on a geography assignment. I havem to create a slide show on Global issues (I have a list of certain ones) and am nearly finished, but can not find much information on the net about land degradation or terrorism. Can you please help me? Any info will be greatly appreaciated. Thanx.

Answer 1

as defined by the Vegetation Management Act 1999 this includes soil erosion, rising water tables, the expression of salinity, mass movement by gravity of soil or rock, stream bank instability, and a process that results in declining water quality. It is also considered to include a change in the ground cover to less palatable species, or a change from predominantly perennial grasses to predominantly annual grasses (Tothill and Gillies 1992).

Or A decline in the overall quality of soil, water or vegetation condition commonly caused by human activities.

Answer 2

Land degradation is a human induced or natural process which negatively affects the capacity of land to function effectively within an ecosystem by accepting, storing and recycling water, energy, and nutrients.

Desertification is land degradation occurring in arid, semiarid and dry subhumid areas of the world. These susceptible drylands cover 40 percent of the earth's surface and puts at risk more than 1 billion people who are dependent on these lands for survival.

Land degradation causes losses to agricultural productivity in many parts of the world.

The causes of land degradation are mainly anthropogenic and mainly agriculture related. The major causes include:
* Land clearing and deforestation
* Agricultural depletion soil nutrients
* Urban conversion
* Irrigation
* Pollution

The major stresses on vulnerable land include:
* Accelerated soil erosion by wind and water
* Soil acidification or alkalinisation
* Salination
* Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter

Severe land degradation affects a significant portion of the earth's arable lands, decreasing the wealth and economic development of nations. Land degradation cancels out gains advanced by improved crop yields and reduced population growth. As the land resource base becomes less productive, food security is compromised and competition for dwindling resources increases, the seeds of potential conflict are sown.

Thus a downward eco-social spiral is created when marginal lands are nutrient depleted by unsustainable land management practices resulting in lost soil stability leading to permanent damage.

We often assume that land degradation only affects soil productivity. However, the effects of land degradation often have more significant impacts on receiving water courses (rivers, wetlands and lakes) since soil, along with nutrients and contaminants associated with soil, are delivered in large quantities to environments that respond detrimentally to their input. Land degradation therefore has potentially disastrous impacts on lakes and reservoirs that are designed to alleviate flooding, provide irrigation, and generate Hydro-Power.

You could get more information from the link below...

Answer 3

Hi. Did you try here : http://soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/papers/land-degradation-overview.html