Threats to Soils by

Leaving fields to fallow in between growing cycles (no cover crops)

sophia02doyle — 2025-02-03 21:20:26 UTC

Leaving soil bare allows for more erosion of the topsoil. Negligent farming practices are actually the cause of the Dust Bowl in the 1930's.

Land Conversion

2025-02-03 21:21:56 UTC

Soil carbon loss. Page 6-8. Top soil holds tons of soil organic carbon. Land use change is the top reason for loss of soil organic carbon. Agriculture is typically the reason for change in usage.

Soil erosion

2025-02-03 21:23:15 UTC

Due to the loss of topsoil through major climate events such as flooding. This is becoming more of a problem as climate change and climate events increase.

Chemical Soil Contamination

2025-02-03 21:23:44 UTC

Reduces soil fertility, has harmful effects on the growth of plants, contamination of groundwater by harmful chemicals, and changes the soil structure.

Soil Contamination

2025-02-03 21:23:44 UTC

Pg. 14. High concentration of substances found in soil. Common soil contaminants would include heavy metals, trace elements, radionuclides, pesticides, plant nutrients, fuels, solvents, crude oil, other organic substances, pharmaceuticals, and personal care products.

compaction

2025-02-03 21:23:52 UTC

flooding risk, plants have a tougher time growing roots

Salinization

2025-02-03 21:23:55 UTC

water table rises when convert to crops = salt now in root zone; adding salty irrigation water makes salt buildup worse. Most problematic in arid CZs.

Loss of soil organic carbon due to agriculture.

2025-02-03 21:23:59 UTC

So much of the worlds carbon is stored in the top layer of soils. With an increase in tilling as well as soil usage, we are losing the deposits of carbon that were being stored in the upper layers of soil. This not only increases the amount of carbon dioxide we are putting into the atmosphere, but also depletes the soil of carbon it was using in it's own carbon cycle.

Tilling

sophia02doyle — 2025-02-03 21:24:11 UTC

Over tillage of agricultural fields breaks up the soil and can affect microbe activities.

Land Management

2025-02-03 21:24:52 UTC

Overuse of land, including agriculture and over grazing by animals on farms. (Also can cause compaction)

Misuse of land

2025-02-03 21:24:56 UTC

Using very fertile land for construction instead of crops

Loss of biodiversity in soil. Page 11 of the United Nations "Threats to Soil"

2025-02-03 21:25:02 UTC

Biodiversity in soil, especially that of microbes and plant roots, is essential for nutrient transfer and chemical cycling required for plant growth and soil quality. An increase in pesticides and herbicides is reducing biodiversity in soils, leaving the plants more susceptible to disease and malnourishment. Microbes and plant roots have a symbiotic relationship. Plants give off excess sugars that microbes use to survive, while the microbes help make nitrogen bioavailable for plants. Any impact in this cycle can be detrimental not only to the plants but to the microbes available in the soil.

Loss of biodiversity.

2025-02-03 21:25:12 UTC

Loss of biodiversity with pesticides, fertilizers and soil contamination and tillage.

Threats to Soils: 6.2. pg 13.

https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/2018-06/17.%20Threats%2Bto%2BSoils__Pierzynski_Brajendra.pdf

Land Management

2025-02-03 21:25:15 UTC

Not rotating crops causes specific nutrients to be depleted from the soil.

Overgrazing due to herbivores

2025-02-03 21:26:43 UTC

How Does Overgrazing Impact Soil Health? - The Environmental Literacy Council

Causes loss of biodiversity, reduction in soil stability due to root loss, reduction in nutrient cycling, and reducing soil microbial community, altering soil biology.

topsoil translocation

2025-02-03 21:27:34 UTC

fertile soils moving from where they were originally and can no longer exist because of excessive erosion

Soil Sealing

2025-02-03 21:28:14 UTC

Pg 20-22, Urban Sprawl. With a growing population, urbanization is happening at significant rates. This causes fertile soil to be sealed under buildings. Issues such as lack of land to grow food for the increasing population arise.

Acidity

sophia02doyle — 2025-02-03 21:30:10 UTC

Can be dangerous for plants, which have a optimal pH range of 5.5 to 7.5. It can also affect the availability of nutrients for plants.

Soil Disturbance

2025-02-03 21:31:30 UTC

Increasing soil disturbance impedes the soils natural biological cycle, negatively impacts structure and makes the soil more susceptible to erosion.

slope undercutting and failure

2025-02-03 21:32:03 UTC

"oh no, the slope we carved the base off of to make room for the road cause a landslide. I wonder why that happened"

Soil Erosion

2025-02-03 21:33:04 UTC

Soil erosion is still a major concern, even with the progress we've made over the last 40 years it is still eroding at an average of 4.42 T/A/yr (tolerable soil loss per acre per year)

Land Use: Soil Sealing

2025-02-03 21:33:09 UTC

Soil sealing, where buildings and other human made structures cover soil, which may make it slowly permeable to water, degrades its quality, and cuts contact with other "spheres" of the earth.

Topsoil Erosion

2025-02-03 21:33:20 UTC

The amount of soil erosion is causing a major issue with sustainable crop production in the U.S.

Oversaturation of nutrients, such as nitrogen

2025-02-03 21:35:45 UTC

The Impacts Of Excess Nitrogen In Soil And Effective Reduction Methods - Rustic Roots Living

Excess nitrogen can cause reduced plant growth, nutrient imbalances, increased weed growth, groundwater contamination, and altering of soil ph.

The fundamental miscommunication of soil erosion to the public

2025-02-03 21:36:16 UTC

'soil erosion' does not fit neatly into any one definition or solution

soil vs dirt- what really is the difference and why are they used interchangeably?

Oversaturation of Nutrients, such as phosphorus

2025-02-03 21:38:13 UTC

Phosphorus-Too Much and Plants May Suffer - Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service

Reduces plant's ability to take up micronutrients such as iron and zinc

Fertilizer overuse

2025-02-03 21:42:32 UTC

adding too many toxic short term resources to land where they could naturally replenish over a longer period of time. Also nitrogen in drinking water slowly poisoning people

Forest Fires

2025-02-03 21:43:27 UTC

Not necessarily from one of the chosen websites, but I found it interesting to research. Forest fires reduce the total amount of nutrients present in soils. Depending on the severity of the fire, it determines how much and what type of nutrients lost. But low level fires can actually increase fertility in soils! So there's a plus side!

Grass lawns

2025-02-03 21:47:53 UTC

Require a great deal of resources and upkeep to maintain with very little pay off [if any]. Everywhere across the world and always in an environment not built for them to thrive in

deforestation [and removal of native biota]

2025-02-03 21:51:44 UTC

promotes erosion of all varieties while simultaneously increasing carbon saturation in the atmosphere

Grazing and Pugging in wet soil

2025-02-03 21:52:03 UTC

When the soils wet and animal hooves penetrate the soil this causes physical damage to the soil.

https://extension.colostate.edu/topic-areas/agriculture/managing-cattle-impacts-when-grazing-on-wet-soils-1-634/

Soil acidification

2025-02-03 21:53:19 UTC

Acidification can occur from many things, including the combustion of fossil fuels, poor practices using fertilizers or pesticides, and intensive livestock management. Plants can't take in nutrients from soil that is too acidic. It also causes too much soluble Al and Mn in soil which is toxic.

Compaction

2025-02-03 21:53:38 UTC

According to the United Nations, compaction is one of the most prevalent and irreversible detriments to soil health. It prevents water absorption and leads to increases in surface erosion and water erosion. It changes the pore functions of the soil, which are changes that cannot be reversed for decades into centuries. https://www.unccd.int/sites/default/files/2018-06/17.%20Threats%2Bto%2BSoils__Pierzynski_Brajendra.pdf

desertification

2025-02-03 21:55:09 UTC

Courtesy of climate change of course. A decrease in soil moisture saturation dominoes the need for more irrigation and furthers soil erosion.

Micro-organisms

2025-02-03 21:56:55 UTC

"The acidic leachate formed due to production of organic acids liberated by the degradation of waste, leads to the acidic surroundings that destroys micro-organisms, which are helpful in improving the composition of the soil."

Slash and Burn Cultivation

2025-02-03 21:58:45 UTC

Cutting and burning trees lead to no cover for the soil. When heavy tropic weather comes the water saturates the soil leading to damage by becoming free water on the surface and making the soil more susceptible to erosion.

Third paragraph from the Introduction.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5528233/#:~:text=Also%2C%20by%20cutting%20and%20burning,even%20on%20slightly%20sloping%20terrains.

Brownfield Development

2025-02-03 22:00:33 UTC

Building on land that was previous industrial sites. Without proper care for soil, it will increase pollutants in soil. This lowers soil fertility. This also causes soil compaction.

Invasive Species

2025-02-03 22:20:35 UTC