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Causes of Soil Erosion

There are various factors which cause soil erosion, they are;-

1) Water: -When it rains in the hilly areas, the soil gets washed away towards the plains. The
running water deposits the mineral-rich soil in the riverbed and over the years this deposition
of soil can change the course of the river. This can lead to floods which cause the destruction of

life and property. In plain lands also the running water washes the mineral-rich top soil and the
upper layer of soil becomes infertile. Water erosion leads to loss of agriculture potential.

2) Wind:-When strong winds blow, the topsoil along with the organic matter is carried away by
the wind. When the fertile layer of the soil is gone new plants cannot grow and if the wind is

strong then the erosion blows the deeper layer of soil causing the exposure of roots of the
plants and plants die. This happens more often when the land is not much covered with grass
or plants. Such conditions are very common in desert and semi-desert regions where strong

winds blow very frequently.

3)Human activities: -Humans have taken land from the forest to cultivate in order to feed the
ever-increasing population and to build houses, industries, etc. Cutting down of trees on a large

scale for these purposes is deforestation. The roots of trees hold the soil together, thus