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1. SEMINAR
ON
SOIL EROSION AND CONSERVATION
WELCOME

2. SUBMITTED BY
DAMINI SAHA
M.Sc GEOGRAPHY
COOCHBEHAR PANCHANAN
BARMA UNIVERSITY
PAPER NAME: CLIMATOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
PAPER CODE: C-2
UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF SAMRAT PODDAR
FACULTY OF GEOGRAPHY
POST GRADUATION DEPARTMENT
COOCHBEHAR COLLEGE

3. What is soil?
Technically, the soil is a mixture that
contains minerals, organic matter,
and living organisms. But broadly
speaking, soil can refer to any loose
sediment.

4. Importance of Soil_
• The fertile soil helps in the growth and development of the plants.
• When there is rain, the soil absorbs water. This water goes into a deeper layer of soil and is available
for Plants and forests to grow.
• It supports many life forms including bacteria, fungi, algae, etc.
• The topsoil supports certain life activities such as reproduction, hatching, nesting, breeding, etc. of a
few organisms.
• Soil is used for making cups, utensils, tiles, etc. The contents in the soil such as gravel, clay and sand
are used in the construction of homes, roads, buildings, etc.
• Useful mineral medicines such as calcium, iron, and other substances such as petroleum jelly for
cosmetics are extracted from the soil.
• The soil absorbs the rainwater. This water is evaporated and released into the air during sunny days,
making the atmosphere cooler.
• Soil layers promote the decay of waste and pollutants by microbes. The decay of organic matter
converts to petroleum and other essential resources.

5. What is Soil Erosion?
“Soil erosion is the natural process in which the topsoil
of a field is carried away by physical sources such as
wind and water.”
In this process, the soil particles are loosened or washed
away in the valleys, oceans, rivers, streams or faraway lands.
This has been worsening due to human activities such as
agriculture and deforestation.
Soil erosion is a continuous process that occurs either
slowly or at an alarming rate. It results in a continuous loss
of topsoil, ecological degradation, soil collapse, etc.

6. Types of Soil
Erosion
1. •SHEET EROSION
2. •WIND EROSION
3. •RAINDROP EROSION
4. •GULLY EROSION

7. SHEET EROSION
• In sheet erosion, a large wave
of water flows as a sheet over
large areas down a slope.
• It usually takes place on
level lands after a heavy shower
where the soil removal is not
easily noticeable.
• Sheet erosion is more harmful
since it removes the finer and
more fertile topsoil.

8. WIND EROSION
• When strong winds blow, the
topsoil along with the organic
matter is carried away by the
wind.
• This happens more often when
the land is not covered with
grass or plants. Such conditions
are very common in desert and
semi-desert regions where strong
winds blow very frequently.

9. RAINDROP EROSION
• It is now established that collision of
rain drops on bare soil and resulting
splash is the major cause of soil erosion
by water.
• About 95% of soil is splashed by falling
rain drops and runoff water erodes less
than 5% of the soil.
• From the mechanical point of view,
work must be done to erode soil and the
source of energy to perform this work
must be from rain drop impact and
runoff in the water erosion process.

10. GULLY EROSION
• Gully erosion occurs when water is
channelled across unprotected land and
washes away the soil along the drainage
lines. Under natural conditions, runoff is
moderated by vegetation, which holds
the soil together, protecting it from
excessive runoff and direct rainfall.
• In gully erosion, gullies which
deepen due to rainfall cut the land into
small fragments and make it unfit
for cultivation. It is usually common
on steep slopes.

11. CAUSES OF SOIL EROSION
Loss of
Vegetation
Wind Water
Defective
Methods of
Farming
Overgrazing
Increasing
Population

12. 1. Loss of Vegetation :
The roots of plants are firmly bound to the soil.
But due to the absence of vegetation on the soil, it
can be moved by wind and flowing water. Thus, soil
erosion is more severe in areas with little or no
surface vegetation, such as deserts or bare lands.
2. Wind :
Wind is a powerful natural process which causes
soil erosion because of its ability to remove soil and
transport it. Erosion due to the wind is significant in
arid and semi-arid regions.

13. 3. Water :
Erosion due to running water is significant in
regions with heavy rainfall and steep slopes. Water
erosion is more serious and occurs extensively in
different parts of India, taking place mainly in the
form of sheet and gully erosion.
4. Defective Methods of Farming :
Improper methods of farming such as ploughing in the wrong way i.e. up
and down the slope form channels for the quick flow of water leading to
soil erosion.

14. 5. Overgrazing :
When cattle are allowed to graze on the same
field repeatedly, all the available grass, including
the roots are eaten by them. This makes the
topsoil vulnerable to wind and flowing water,
leading to soil erosion.
6. Increasing population :
Due to the increasing human population the demand for land also
increases. Forest and other natural vegetation are removed for human
settlement, cultivation, grazing animals and for various other needs. Thus,
this is also a significant cause of soil erosion.

15. • Soil erosion destroys the most
fertile section of the soil, which
contains the majority of the nutrients
and organic matter required by plants,
leaving behind the less fertile subsoil.
• As a result of the removal of seeds
or seedlings, the soil becomes bare,
making it more susceptible to
erosion.
• It also decreases the soil’s ability to
hold water.
IMPACT OF SOIL
EROSION

16. IMPACT OF SOIL EROSION IN INDIA
• Soil erosion has a serious impact on Indian agriculture and its negative effects are seen in
other spheres also.
• There are large areas of arable land in the irrigated zones of India that are becoming
saline because of over-irrigation. The salt lodged in the lower profiles of the soil comes
up to the surface and destroys its fertility.
• Chemical fertilisers in the absence of organic manures are also harmful to the soil as
unless the soil gets enough humus, chemicals harden it and reduce its fertility. This
problem is very common in all the areas of the river valley projects, which were the first
beneficiaries of the Green Revolution.
• According to estimates, about half of the total land of India is under some degree of
degradation. Every year, India loses millions of amounts of soil and its nutrients to the
agents of its degradation, which adversely affects our national productivity.

17. SOIL
CONSERVATION
PREVENTION OF SOIL EROSION

18. 1. Afforestation:
Planting new trees and plants is afforestation. We live
because plants live. If the plants die, all living things will also
die. Thus, whenever trees are cut down new trees should be
planted. Planting trees in hilly areas are most effective for
conservation.
2. Crop Rotation:
Between harvesting one crop and planting the next crop, the
fields lie bare; there is a time period when the farmland does
not have any crops. During this period, the farmer either grows
grass or grows other crops to prevent soil from erosion. This
helps the soil to regain the lost minerals.
Soil erosion can be prevented in the following ways:

19. 3. TERRECE FARMING:
In hilly areas, farming is done by cutting steps on the
slopes of the hills. This slows down the flow of water
and soil removed from one step is deposited on the next
step. Thus, the soil is never completely lost. This
is terrace farming.
4. Building Dams:
Dams are built to prevent floods, which not only damage the crops but also wash away the
topsoil.
5. Shelterbelts:
The cover of plants and trees around the field
also breaks the speed of strong winds and
protects the soil from being blown away.

20. 6. Embankments:
Bib strong structure called embankments along the
banks of the river can protect fields from the floods.
These embankments prevent the fast overflowing rivers
and rainwater from washing away a huge amount of rich
fertile soil.
8. Van Mahotsav:
It is an annual tree planting festival started by the
Government of India. The aim of this programme is to
create awareness about the need for conservation of
forest and soil.
7. Mulching:
In the mulching method, bare ground between plants is covered with a layer of organic
matter like straw which helps to retain soil moisture.

21. It is our basic needs of soil conservation to enhance and maintain agricultural
productivity in a cycle with the general agro-socio-economic practices in the
respective region. It is our job to help teach and encourage others who do not
know how to take care of their resources efficiently so that they can learn. Soil
erosion has many effects on everyday life and by creating new plans for the way
we use resources, we can prevent soil erosion from happening in the future as
well as fixing the problem currently. By creating new laws and
restricting companies who want to take advantage of these. We are able not
only to help repair the damage that has already been done, but we are able to
prevent the problems and consequences so we can all live in a happy, safe
environment.
CONCLUSION

22. It may not be too late in
every case!
THANK YOU!