soildamage

Soil damage, or soil degradation, is the deterioration of soil quality that undermines its ability to support plant growth, regulate water, and host soil life. It involves physical, chemical, and biological changes that reduce productivity and ecosystem services.

Causes include natural processes such as erosion and drought, and human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, intensive farming, improper irrigation, mining, and urban development. Physical damage includes compaction, crusting, sealing, and surface disruption that reduce porosity and infiltration. Chemical damage encompasses pH shifts, salinity, nutrient imbalance, and pollutant contamination. Biological damage involves loss of organic matter and soil biota, diminishing nutrient cycling and disease suppression.

Consequences include lower crop yields, poorer water filtration and infiltration, increased runoff and erosion, degraded soil structure, loss of biodiversity, and reduced capacity to store carbon and regulate climate.

Assessment uses soil surveys and indicators such as organic matter, bulk density, infiltration rate, aggregate stability, pH, salinity (electrical conductivity), and contaminant levels. Management emphasizes prevention and restoration: reduced tillage, cover crops, organic amendments, balanced irrigation, drainage improvements, erosion control, and vegetation buffers. For polluted soils, remediation may include phytoremediation, soil washing, stabilization, or capping. Rehabilitating degraded mine lands or urban soils often requires re-vegetation and ongoing monitoring.

Examples of soil damage include desertification in dry regions, irrigation-induced salinization, and urban soil sealing that impairs infiltration and biodiversity. Addressing soil damage is central to sustainable agriculture, water management, and climate resilience.