Erosion Essay

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Can different types of plants prevent soil erosion? Erosion is the wearing away of land by wind and water. It can be caused by frequent and intense rain, high river levels, strong storms and fast moving streams. Erosion can also lead to a variety of environmental issues. Plants are a natural way to help prevent erosion and other environmental issues caused by erosion.
There are two main types of erosion, wind erosion and water erosion. Both these types of erosion include soil detachment, soil movement and soil deposition. Also, these types of erosion can happen rapidly or slowly. Wind erosion is caused by soil erodibility, soil surface roughness, climate, unsheltered distance and vegetation coverage. This means that when soil surfaces are …show more content…

It can cause natural disasters such as landslides. Landslides can be deadly, and they can alter the landscape of the Earth. In the 20th century there were at least seven catastrophic landslides caused by heavy rain, leading to erosion. For example, in Brazil in 1967, 1,700 people were reported dead due to landslides and flooding. Erosion can also cause other problems such as soil degradation. Soil degradation is the decline of soil condition. An example of a natural cause of soil erosion and degradation is the flow of rivers. Soil erosion from some agricultural areas may be as large as 300 tons per hectare per year (Earth Science for Students). This leads to soil degradation which can then lead to large economic losses. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S can spend as much as 10 billion dollars a year due to erosion. Soil degradation is also a problem in developing nations. The loss of soil can lead to desertification, the spread of desert conditions. A third problem that can be caused by erosion is water pollution leading to the death of aquatic life. Eroded soil can contain pesticides and fertilizer that can be deposited into rivers, dams, wetlands and other waterways, causing pollution. Also, the soil that erodes will then change into sediment. Sediment is matter that settles at the bottom of liquid. The chemicals that erode into the water can cause excessive algae to grow, while the sediment makes it difficult for aquatic plants to perform photosynthesis. Both chemicals and sediment cause the death of aquatic life, including fish, invertebrates and

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