Transcript Soil Erosion - University of Connecticut

Soil Erosion
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Photo credit: Norbert Rosing, National Geographic
Essential Questions
• What is soil erosion?
• What causes soil erosion?
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Enduring Understanding
1. Soil erosion is the process of weathering and
transport of solids (sediment, soil, rock and
other particles) in the natural environment or
their source and deposits them elsewhere.
2. Soil erosion usually occurs due to transport by
wind, water, or ice; by down-slope creeping of
soil and other material under the force of
gravity; or by living organisms, such as
burrowing animals.
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How Does Climate Change Impact
Erosion?
• One of the most widespread threats to soil
quality is high winds and water erosion, an everoccurring process that impacts our lives in
numerous ways, the direst of which is lost food
production. It is estimated that soil erosion is
damaging the productivity of 29% (112 million
acres) of U.S. cropland and is adversely
affecting the ecological health of 39% (145
million acres) of rangeland.
Source: http://soils.usda.gov/survey/global_climate_change.html
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