soil erosion

• what are the three types of soil erosion?

  wind, water and tillage
• wind erosion


  -loose dry soil is blown away

  -can lead to soil loss or too much soil depostion
• water erosion


  soil particles are detached, transported and deposited elsewhere due to rain or surface run-off
• forms of water erosion

  -rain splash

  -surface run-off

  -slumping and landslides
• rain splash erosion


  soil particles are dislodged by the splash of a raindrop, particles are dispersed in all directions
• surface run-off


  when infiltration capacity of soil has been exceeded and water just runs-off
• slumping and landslides


  water retention making sediment heavier and it falling or sliding
• tillage erosion


  takes place due to the downhill displacement of soil during ploughing or tillage
• the universal soil loss equation (USLE)


  used to estimate soil loss rates and assess the impact of changes in farming techniques
• FORMULA OF USLE


  A = R x K x L x S x C x P
• meaning of equation letters

  A -rate of erosion

  R -rainfall erosivity factor

  K -soil erodibility

  L -slope length factor

  S -slope gradient factor

  C -cropping management factor

  P -erosion control factor
• soil erosion class


  very low- <0.5

  low- 5.0-10.0

  moderate- 10.0-20.0

  high- 20.0-30.0

  severe- >30.0