Water, land and atmosphere degradation. by https://padlet.com/steph_parmar/degradation Based on Oxford Chapter 2.2, 2.3 and 2.4 en-us 2022-02-09 03:14:21 UTC 2022-02-09 03:39:25 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet.net/icons/png/1f333.png degrading the land steph_parmar https://padlet.com/steph_parmar/degradation/wish/2037014928 Degrading the land is the loss of productivity and decline in fertility of land-based environments as a result of human activity.

There are 3 types of land degradation: soil degredation, soil erosion and ecosystem decline.

1) Soil degradation
= refers to the loss of soil fertility, often due to a chemical change.
  • One of the greatest problems for Australia is the buildup of salt in the topsoil (salinity)
  • Caused by being compacted by machinery or animals, or becoming acidic due to a buildup of soil fertiliser or a loss of nutrients caused by farming the land.

2) Soil erosion
= when soil is gradually worn away by natural phenomena like wind, rain, etc
  • human activities like clearing trees accelerate this
  • cleared land is more vulnerable to wind, gully and sheet erosion
  • much of Aus is at risk from these types of erosion

3) Ecosystem decline
= when the natural ecosystems in an area are degraded, they decline. 
  • may be caused by loss of vegetation, alien plants and animals invading, and decline in the quality of rivers and streams 
  • degradation of ecosystems --> decline --> desertification (which is particularly concerning in areas close to existing deserts)

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