Core - Chapter 3

Question 0

What types of water erosion are there?

Answer 0

Surface erosion
Gully erosion
Rill erosion
Tunnel erosion

Question 1

What types of soil degradations are there?

Answer 1

Biological degradation
- loss of humans and plant/animal life
Physical degradation
- loss of structure, changes in permeability
Chemical degradation
- acidification, declining fertility, changes in pH, salinization and chemical toxicity

Question 2

How much does wind and water erosion account for?

Answer 2

More than 80% of the 20 million km2 of degrades land worldwide

Question 3

What is acidification?

Answer 3

Change in chemical composition of the soil, which may trigger the circulation if toxic metals

Question 4

Salinization

Answer 4

Typically found in marine-derived sediments, costal locations and hot arid areas
Where capillary action brings salts up to the upper part of the soil
Major problem (in Australia) following removal of vegetation in dry land farming

Question 5

Universal soil loss equation

Answer 5

A = RKLSCP
R - erosivity of soil
K - erodibility
LS - length-slope factor 
C - crop management 
P - soil conservation