Soil Erosion and Conservation

Denudation of soil cover & washing down of soil is called soil erosion

Causes

Human Activities

Overgrazing

Construction

Mining

Defective farming methods

Natural Factors

Wind

Glacier

Water

Cuts through clayey soil and makes deep channels called gullies

This land is called bad land and is unfit for cultivation

Water also flows as a sheet and erodes topsoil which is called sheet erosion

Ploughing along contour lines decelerates flow of water down the slopes called contour ploughing

Steps can be cut out on slope, making terraces. This restricts erosion

Strips of grass left to grow b/w crops breaks up force of wind

Planting trees to create shelter also works in the same way, which are called shelter belts

Western and Central Himalayas have well developed terrace farming

Shelter belts stabilize sand dunes and desert in western India