Why is erosion good

If nothing is done to protect the soil, losses can be very high. Soil erosion has been so severe that some areas of Queensland are now unsuitable for cropping.

Soil losses from unprotected cultivation in upland cropping areas of the Darling Downs can average between 20 and 60 tonnes per hectare per year. Steep, unprotected cropping lands in tropical areas can lose up to tonnes of soil per hectare per year. Eroded soil, which can contain nutrients, fertilisers and herbicides or pesticides, can be deposited where there is a reduction in the slope of the land. This can be in sediment traps, along contour banks, or in grassed waterways, dams or wetlands.

Heavier soil particles are the first to be deposited, while finer colloidal clay particles may remain in suspension. Soil removed by gully erosion especially finer colloidal clay may be transported directly to creeks or rivers. The quality of water flowing from the land into the reef lagoon has deteriorated over the past years. The soil from a construction site, for instance, might contain paint, solvent or adhesive residues.

These pollutants can diminish the water quality, affix themselves to the soil in other areas, stunt vegetation and poison local wildlife. Using erosion control blankets decreases these harmful effects. As erosion sweeps more and more sediment away, it can erode significant chunks of land over time, causing habitat loss for the wildlife species that live there.

Using erosion control blankets keeps soil in place to preserve habitats and help various species flourish. Though they do have applications for residential properties, most erosion control products find use in commercial or industrial applications:. When farmers till their fields, they loosen the soil, and when these lands lie fallow, they lack the root systems that otherwise hold the dirt in place. Both scenarios raise the threat of erosion significantly.

When topsoil erodes, it carries away many of the nutrients needed to grow abundant, healthy crops. Agricultural runoff is also particularly insidious because it usually contains excessive nutrients like phosphates and nitrates from fertilizer and manure.

When these nutrients run off into local water supplies, they can cause algae overgrowth, oxygen depletion, reduced water quality and the eventual death of many aquatic species.

Erosion control measures preserve the nutrient-rich topsoil, help agricultural operations thrive and prevent nutrient pollution. When construction companies cut down trees and clear land for new projects, they also increase the risk of erosion.

Using erosion control blankets contains the soil and reduces environmental disruption during construction. It also makes the construction project more efficient because construction companies will not have to replace eroded soil or remove sediment from sewers or stormwater basins.

Erosion control blankets reduce the likelihood that erosion from land development will cause pollution and displace native species. In conservation work, erosion control also has particular benefits for shoreline preservation and stream restoration. Homeowners, businesses and municipal governments along a bank or coast often want to preserve the shoreline, both to protect the rich aquatic environment and to secure property and infrastructure against encroaching waters.

Many properties near shorelines install rip-rap — large rocks intended to hold soil in place. However, rip-rap has a few disadvantages. It is more expensive than vegetated alternatives, it is often less aesthetically appealing and it does not provide the habitat enhancements of vegetated solutions.

Erosion control blankets are often much more practical and cost-effective. Conservation efforts aimed at stream restoration often find erosion control blankets to be appealing options. The blankets blend into the natural environment much more convincingly than other solutions like rip-rap. They also hold their shape much better than straw, which can blow away in heavy winds and pollute the streams it was designed to protect.

The erosion also helped cleanse the soil of any useless materials, such as rotting tree matter or nutrient-less dirt from the area. The replaced soil can often become nutrient-rich and help plant life thrive. Ultimately, soil erosion helps change the landscape of any geographic area. Many landscapes across the world are formed from the rapid rushing of water. Many sites, such as the Grand Canyon, are the result of thousands of years of erosion from rushing waters. Rocks that are across the Earth are formed from the immense power of rushing water erosion; the rocks are known as sedimentary rocks.

What is now a smooth canyon could have been a lush forest thousands of years ago, all because of soil erosion. Mark Fitzpatrick began writing professionally in He has written in literary journals such as Read Herrings and provides written online guides for towns ranging from Seymour, Connecticut to Haines, Alaska. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Massachusetts.

Related Articles Types of Soil Degradation. Soil Erosion Due to Rainforest Deforestation. Solutions for Soil Pollution. How Does Erosion Affect the Earth? The Effects of Mining on the Ecosystem.