causes of soil erosion

• Wind erosion (aeolian action) - kinetic energy of the wind blows soil particles away. 
• Rain splash erosion - impact of rain drops dislodge soil particles, and blasts it away. This is more destructive on slopes. 
• Surface runoff erosion - flow of water downhill can carry surface soil particles away with it. 
• Soil formation is greater than natural soil erosion. Vegetation intercepts rainfall, reducing the velocity of the raindrops and binds the soil together. Natural addition of DOM that binds the soil together making bigger peds, helps to retain moisture. A high infiltration rate means that water doesn’t runoff the surface. 
• Leaving soils without vegetation, this means there is no interception from rain and wind and no roots to bind the peds together. 
• Ploughing loosens soil by breaking apart the peds, less energy is required for the particles to eroded by wind increasing erosion. 
• Overgrazing with too much livestock, animals eat lots of vegetation and expose the soil which increases erosion from splash and runoff. 
• Reduced soil biota, pesticides are toxic to biota, ploughing damages biota and exposes them to predators and a lack of DOM from not returning DOM so less food for biota. This reduces aeration, reduces breakdown of DOM and recycling of nutrients and reduced nitrification. 
• Soil compaction from heavy machinery and livestock, this poaches the land and reducing infiltration, increases soil runoff and reduces aeration. 
• Cultivation of steep slopes because surface runoff more rapidly down slope, increases kinetic energy to transport soil, increasing surface runoff.