5.5. Soil Degradation

In simple terms, soil degradation is defined as the decline in the soil quality or the soil fertility. It can happen either by declining share of nutrients or low population of micro-organism in the soil such as earthworms or change in soil structure or change in pH (alkinity) or addition of toxic elements and pollutants etc. For instance, animals walking on the land or human removing upper layers of soil may results into soil degradation. Soil degradation is the main factor leading to the depleting soil resource base in India. The degree of soil degradation varies from region to region according to the topography, wind, precipitation and anthropogenic factors. Soil degradation includes soil erosion, physical deterioration, chemical deterioration and biological deterioration.