Land degradation is a human induced or natural process which negatively affects the capacity of land to function effectively within an ecosystem. Desertification is land degradation occurring in arid, semiarid and dry subhumid areas of the world.

Land degradaion causes losses to agricultural productivity in many parts of the world.

The causes of land degradation are mainly anthropogenic and mainly agriculture related. The major causes include:

• Land clearing and deforestation
• Agricultural depletion soil nutrients
• Urban conversion
• Irrigation
• Pollution

The major stresses on vunerable land include:

• Erosion by wind and water
• Soil acidification or alkalinization
• Salination
• Destruction of soil structure including loss of organic matter

Severe land degradation affects a significant portion of the earth's arable lands, decreasing the wealth and economic development of nations. Land degradation cancels out gains advanced by improved crop yields and reduced population growth. As the land resource base becomes less productive, food security is compromised and competition for dwindling resources increases, the seeds of potential conflict are sown.

Thus a downward eco-social spiral is created when marginal lands are nutrient depleted by unsustainable land management practices resulting in lost soil stability leading to permanent damage.

External link

• Eswaran, H. Lal, R., and Reich, P.F.Land Degradation: An overview (http://soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/papers/land-degradation-overview.html), 2001

This article incorporates text in the public domain produced by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (http://soils.usda.gov/)