Soil erosion poses many problems, one of which being topsoil washing away during heavy rain and potentially polluting waterways with fertilizers or pesticides. The loss of topsoil could be catastrophic to agriculture as food crops require nutrient-rich soil (Velasquez, 2018). Moreover, excessive erosion leads to detrimental landslides or mud that damages land. Soil erosion is a problem to all land and life.
Runoff from rain is one of the main causes of soil erosion and occurs when the soil is oversaturated (Soil Conservation Concerns, n.d.). The soil oversaturated from runoff is typically soil of low health as healthy soil has great holding capacity. Healthy soil is alive as it contains microorganisms, insects, and symbiotic associations (Healthy Soils Are the Basis for Healthy Food Production, 2022). Symbiotic associations in soil occur when specimens like fungi and plant roots exchange nutrients. It is vital for crop production to maintain soil health so the nutrients are properly cycled. Soil erosion is caused by humans through land cleaning and farming (Erosion 101: Everything You Need to Know About Soil Erosion, 2021). When land is plowed and left exposed, the soil becomes vulnerable to erosion and loses its health.
