The indicator intends to measure the amount of land affected. The definition implies that land cannot be used for the 6 main functions it performs human and natural. Land degradation can be observed when the potential productivity associated with a landuse system becomes nonsustainable, or when the land within an ecosystem is no longer able to perform its environmental regulatory function of accepting, storing, and. Land is a vital resource to humankind, like air and water. This focus on structure, processes, functions and interactions is consistent with the definition of ecosystem provided in article. Global assessments of soil and land degradation began more than 35 years ago, but have. Poor land management practices include grazing of stock that has hard hooves, growing of crops that require large amounts of fertilisers and pesticides especially superphosphate and nitrogen. On land degradation environmental degradation erosion. Pdf land degradation control and its global environmental.
A more specific definition states that land degradation is. Because of the complex nature of land degradation processes it is essentially a geographical subject matt er. Thus, arthur and jeanette conacher defined land degradation as alterations to all aspects of the biophysical environment by human actions to the. The human dimension of land degradation and forest degradation. Land degradation as the land use section earlier in this chapter shows, demands on the land for economic development and pressures from a burgeoning population are leading to unprecedented land use change. In his book coming famine, julian cribb points out that of the 1. The soil integrates a variety of important processes involving vegetation growth, overland flow of water, infiltration, land use and land management. It is a complex process involving various causal factors, among which climate changes, land usecover changes and human dominated land management play a dominant role barbier 1997.
United nations conference on environment and development. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable. Pollution of water resources from the contamination of. Information and translations of land degradation in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web. Land resources and degradation introduction land is one of the most precious natural resources on the planet. This set of harmonized tools and methods to assess and quantify the nature, extent, severity and impacts of land degradation has. Searching for the guilty is a familiar occupation of all who seek to divert blame from themselves. In drylands, land degradation is known as desertification. On land degradation free download as powerpoint presentation.
Report prepared for rural industries research and development corporation. Brought to you by john allan yayen reynold christian zuniga maria angelika villegas karen see ps. Land degradation is a global issue for a number of reasons but most significantly because productive land is one of several resources where a reducing supply threatens our capacity to feed a growing world population estimated to be over 9 billion by 2050. A general definition of land degradation is presented by wasson 1987 as.
An economic perspective on land degradation issues john d. The condition of the soil is one of the best indicators of land degradation. Soil degradation is, in itself, an indicator of land degradation. The emphasis on land, rather than soil, broadens the focus to include.
They cover over 40% of the earths land surface, and are home to more than two billion people. Economics of land degradation in china springerlink. This link between degradation which is often caused by land use practices and its effect on land use is central to nearly all published definitions of land degradation. Land degradation means a significant reduction of the productive capacity of land. This section describes land degradation trends in kenya as an introduction to the following. Degraded soils have a health status such, that they do not provide the normal goods and services of the particular soil in its ecosystem these definitions, which follow largely the lada definition of land degradation, are. Drylands are areas which face great water scarcity. Degraded land is land that has lost some degree of its natural productivity due to humancaused processes.
Notable examples include the larger grain borer prostephanus truncatus. The indicator intends to measure the amount of land affected by degradation and its proportion of national territory. Desertification has been defined as land degradation in arid, semiarid, and dry subhumid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities11. Mullen principal research scientist nsw agriculture, orange, nsw. Deterioration in soil and plant cover has adversely affected nearly 70% of the drylands. Any change that decreases productivity of the land land clearing poor land management practices 2 3. Unep 1992 definition emphasized the reduction of the potential of natural. Stocking and murnaghan demonstrate these by using indicators that are relevant and applicable to real farming situations.
Deforestation is the conversion of forest to nonforest land and can result in land degradation. Land degradation is the reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of rainfed cropland, irrigated cropland, or range, pasture, forest or woodlands resulting from natural processes, land uses or other human activities and habitation patterns such as land contamination, soil erosion and the destruction of the vegetation cover. Answers to answers to preventative measures can often be found within the causes of land degradation. This degradation may be the result of numerous factors or a combination thereof, including anthropogenic humanrelated activities such as unsustainable land management practices and climatic variations. Land degradation affects the value of land which is often determined by its capacity to provide goods, such as food, fuel and fiber. This practical handbook sets out rapid and nontechnical methods for measuring and assessing land degradation in the field. Desertification affects as much as onesixth of the worlds population, seventy percent of all. Land degradation intruduction land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of humaninduced processes acting upon the land. However, there is no single internationallyapproved definition of degraded land.
It is well known that environmental factors contribute to land degradation. Land degradation development is an international journal which seeks to promote rational study of the recognition, monitoring, control and rehabilitation of degradation in terrestrial environments. Land degradation is the major consequences of direct interference of human activities in the natural phenomenon. Forest degradation is land degradation that occurs in forest land. The decline in the overall quality of soil, water or vegetation condition commonly caused by human activities land degradation meaning. Land degradationthe deterioration or loss of the productive capacity of the soils for present and futureis a global challenge that affects everyone through food insecurity, higher food prices, climate change, environmental hazards, and the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Land degradation food and agriculture organization of the united. The following is a list of the most cited articles based on citations published in the last three years, according to crossref. The result is a loss of land productivity with impacts on livelihoods and.
In turn, unsustainable land use is driving land degradation. The global problem of land degradation and desertification. Land degradation is a change to land that makes it less useful for human beings. Underlying causative factors of land degradation, and environmental mismanagement in general, are poverty and undervaluing of natural resources. The emphasis on land, rather than soil, broadens the focus to include natural resources, such as climate, water, landforms and vegetation. The concept of land degradation as mentioned above, land degradation means much more than the degradation of the landsoil. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of humaninduced processes acting upon the land. Oecd glossary of statistical terms land degradation. There is therefore complete compatibility between the bacterial floral and oxobiodegradable degradation pathways.
Loss of natural fertility of soil because of loss of nutrients. Desertification includes land degradation in arid, semiarid and dry sub humid areas resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities. Biodegradation is the process by which organic substances are broken down by living organisms 96% of bacteria are aerobic active in the presence of oxygen. Desertification is a land degradation problem of major importance in the arid regions of the world. Land degradation can be defined in several ways depending upon the subject that needs to be emphasized. Land degradation has a direct bearing on the productivity of soil, its vulnerability to rainfall variations, scarcity of. Soil degradation is defined as a change in the soil health status resulting in a diminished capacity of the ecosystem to provide goods and services for its beneficiaries. Land degradation is a concept in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by one or more combinations of human induced processes acting upon the land. An introduction towards one of the massive soil issues. In this report, land degradation is defined as a negative trend 4 in land condition, caused by direct or indirect humaninduced processes. Deterioration in the quality of land, its topsoil, vegetation, andor water resources, caused usually by excessive or inappropriate exploitation.
It is defined as a reduction or loss of the biological or economic productivity and complexity of land. Land degradation is a process in which the value of the physical environment is affected by a. Pdf land degradation can be described as an environmental phenomenon affecting dry lands, a longterm decline in ecosystem function and productivity. They are highly adapted to climatic variability and water stress, but also extremely vulnerable to damaging human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing and unsustainable agricultural practices, which cause land degradation. In this paper, land degradation will be discussed from the perspective of physical geography. History, nature, causes, consequences, and solutions conacher, arthur encyclopedia of life support systems eolss above. Land degradation involves change in the properties of land and soil texture, color, grain size and its functions water holding capacity, infiltration, supporting plant life. A pure anthropogenic definition of land degradation is the loss of a sustained economic, cultural, or ecological function. This section describes land degradation trends in kenya as an introduction to the following pairs of. Causes and impacts of land degradation and desertification. Land degradation is defined as the temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity of the land, and the diminution of the productive potential, including its major land uses e. Unesco eolss sample chapters water resources management vol.
121 1222 1260 1463 956 236 543 210 1215 1497 650 775 790 279 1320 1263 352 691 1159 931 1412 1243 390 170 1332 1210 287 275 344 528