According to Ojebor (1996), land erosion is the removal of uppermost layer of the earth surface. This process is carried out by agent of denudation e.g. water, wind, wave etc.
Erosion refers to the breaking up and wearing away of exposed rock by moving water (rivers and waves) the wind moving ice (Bunnet and Okunrotifa, 2004)
Thomas (2004), pointed out that the destructive process of desertification, deforestation and soil erosion are continuing and the situation is getting increasingly critical.
Carla (2008), states that soil erosion is a part of the process of weathering and transport of solid (sediments, soil, rock and other particles) in the natural environmental or other sources and deposits them elsewhere. It usually occur due to transportation by wind water or ice, by down-slope creep of soil and other materials under the force of gravity, or by living organism such as burrowing animals in case of bioerosion. Erosion is a natural process but has been increases by human land use especially agriculture, deforestation and urban sprawl. Excessive erosion causes serious problem such as receiving water sedimentation, ecosystem damage and outright loss of soil.
Man due to his activities such as industrialization, urbanization, deforestation/causing desertification and land erosion and other activities on the land have polluted and degraded the environment.
References
Ojobor (2006): Comprehensive Geography for Senior Secondary School; Johnson A. Publishers, Benin. Pp 155, 188.
Bunnet, R.B. and Okunrotifa, P. O. (2003): Geography in Diagrams for West African 8th ed., Longman Group Limited, pp 35, 63, 84.
Thomas, I. (2004): “What is happening to Weather?” Awake Aug. 8 pp 3-8
Carla, W. (2008): Environmental Geology 5th ed, McGraw-Hill Inc. USA pp 20-22.
No comments:
Post a Comment