Question.
Write any two reasons for land degradation today.
( Chapter - 2 Land-Soil-Water-Natural Vegetation and Wildlife Resources, Cass 8 NCERT Resources and Development ( Geography) )
Answer.
The decrease in the quality of land is called land degradation. Land degradation is the loss of biological or economic productivity of the land. Most of the land degradation is due to the increasing pressure of population on the land.
There are two reasons for land degradation today - deforestation and excessive use of chemical fertilizers.
Forests enrich the soil with humus and prevent soil erosion. Deforestation reduces the humus and micro-organisms in the soil and also accelerates the process of soil erosion. In India, the main reason for land degradation in the plateau region and the Western Ghats is deforestation due to mining.
Excessive use of chemicals in fertilization makes the soil acidic and reduces the biological productivity of the land. Land degradation occurs due to the excessive use of chemical fertilizers during agriculture in plain areas of India such as northern plains and coastal areas.
Apart from deforestation and excessive use of chemical fertilizers, other causes of land degradation are landslides, rainwash, desertification, floods, soil erosion, and overgrazing.
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