Desertification of the arable land in the world is increasingly becoming a problem. Soil conservation must be incorporated into land use plans and into best practices for agriculture.

For example, in some areas where rain forests exist cutting down the forest for lumber, fuel, or to create farm land exposes the soil to erosion, by water and by wind.

Part of the issue is related to climate change; for example with increased rainfall there can be increased soil erosion if the rainfall is sustained and occurs at a time of year when vegetation is dormant and not able to utilize the extra moisture.

Conserving the soil involves several steps:

• making sure there is vegetation and organic matter in the soil to retain moisture.

• make sure that runoff from impermeable surfaces can be contained so that water can percolate into the soil rather than washing it away.

• making sure there are vegetative barriers around intensive farming to reduce the drying effects of wind across stetches of land and reduce wind erosion of the soil.

See alsoEdit

• Soil contamination
• Land Pollution