CAUSES AND EFFECT OF EROSION

Code No: 507242

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ABSTRACT

This research work was designed to examine the causes and effect of soil erosion in Ovia North East Local Government Area of Edo State. Five (5) research questions were formulated and questionnaires were administered to one hundred (100) respondents in order to gather data for the research. Results showed that agricultural activities lead to soil erosion, improper soil management cause erosion, deforestation lead to erosion etc. Recommendations were made and it include that;
Sustainable soil management systems must be developed to reduce further degradation and restore the productivity of the eroded land.
The management options to reduce the soil loss are to implement conservation measures and/or to change the crop to be planted.
Soil conservation methods including terraces and bunds as well as semi-permeable structures like grass strips should be used as barriers to holdback runoff and sediment carried with it.
Agronomic measures like contour plowing have the advantage to reduce runoff and soil loss.

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Erosion is recognized as one of the world's most serious environmental problems (Pimentel et al., 2005, Shiferaw and Holden, 2009). Globally, about 80% of the current degradation of agricultural land is caused by soil erosion (Angima et al., 2003). Erosion by water, at a global scale, is the main soil degradation process in agricultural areas (Bewket and Sterk 2002). It generates strong environmental impacts and major economic losses from decreased agricultural production and from off-site effects on infrastructure and water quality by sedimentation processes (Zinabu et al., 2002; Daba, 2003; Haregeweyn et al., 2005; Amsalu et al., 2007).
Erosion creates severe limitations to sustainable agricultural land use, as it reduces on-farm soil productivity and causes food insecurity (Tadesse, 2001; Sonneveld, 2002; Beshah, 2003, Moges and Holden, 2006, Bewket, 2007). In most developing countries human activity triggers these losses (Mohammad et al., 2001, Belyaev et al., 2004, Bewket and Sterk, 2005, Hurni et al., 2005). This is associated with rapid population growth, inadequate attention to the basic natural resources (soils, water and vegetation), and the need to maximize production to meet the needs of the growing population (Shiferaw and Holden, 2009, 2000, Bewket, 2002, Feoli et al., 2002). This situation is more serious in poor developing countries where subsistence production predominates. The average farmer who cultivates one hectare of food crops and keeps some livestock, is nowadays dependent on natural conditions and cannot tolerate further deterioration of soil productivity (Sonneveld and Keyzer, 2003). Increasing population, intense land cultivation, uncontrolled grazing, and deforestation often lead to, or exacerbate, soil erosion (Tadesse, 2001 and Bewket, 2002). These factors undermine agricultural productivity and frustrate economic development efforts, especially in developing countries where there is heavy land dependence (Shiferaw and Holden, 2000) in low external-input farming systems.