- (from the Greek erodo I corrode), destruction of rocks (weathering), soil and any other formations of the Earth’s surface by natural agents (water, wind, glaciers). As a result of erosion, the fertile layer of soil is destroyed, ravines and gullies appear... ... Ecological dictionary

EROSION, a change in the shape of the landscape as a result of the gradual destruction of the surface of hard rock and soil, accompanied by the removal of the resulting debris (as opposed to WEATHERING). Created under the influence of winds, water, glacier movement and... ... Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary

- [lat. erosio corrosion] gradual destruction, decay. Dictionary of foreign words. Komlev N.G., 2006. erosion (Latin erosio erosion) 1) the process of destruction of rocks, consisting of mechanical erosion, grinding and abrasion of the riverbed... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language

erosion- and, f. erosion f. lat. erodere to corrode. 1. special In geology, destruction (of the earth's surface) by flowing water and ice. Glacial erosion. BAS 1. 2. In technology, destruction of a metal surface by mechanical influences (impacts, friction, etc.) ... Historical Dictionary of Gallicisms of the Russian Language

- (from Latin erosio corrosion) (medical), a superficial defect of the skin or mucous membrane, localized within the epidermis (epithelium) and healing without scar formation. Cervical erosion is one of the forms of precancer... Modern encyclopedia

The process of destruction of g.p. by water flow, which, together with gravitational movements (displacements), leads to the formation of valleys and a decrease in the surface of drainage basins. (see Swimming Pool). The E. process consists of: 1)… … Geological encyclopedia

Deflation, destruction, damage, denudation Dictionary of Russian synonyms. erosion noun, number of synonyms: 10 hydroerosion (1) ... Synonym dictionary

- (erosion) See: soil erosion. Economy. Dictionary. M.: INFRA M, Ves Mir Publishing House. J. Black. General editor: Doctor of Economics Osadchaya I.M.. 2000 ... Economic dictionary

erosion- In geology, a set of physical and chemical processes that contribute to the destruction of rocks by water flows. [Terminological dictionary of construction in 12 languages ​​(VNIIIS Gosstroy USSR)] erosion The process of destruction of rocks by water... ... Technical Translator's Guide

- (from Latin erosio erosion) (in geology) the process of destruction of rocks and soils by a water flow. There are superficial (smoothing out uneven terrain), linear (dismemberment of the relief), lateral (undermining river banks) and deep (cutting into the riverbed... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

Books

• Uterine fibroids, endometriosis and cervical erosion: treatment with natural remedies, Tatyana Vladimirovna Pavlova. This book is about an independent and very real cure for the three most common diseases of women. The importance of this topic lies in the fact that only a healthy person can give birth to a healthy...
• Uterine fibroids, endometriosis and cervical erosion. Treatment with natural remedies, Tatyana Pavlova. This book is about an independent and very real cure for the three most common diseases of women. The importance of this topic lies in the fact that only a healthy person can give birth to a healthy...

The destructive effect of water, wind and anthropogenic factors on the soil and underlying rocks, the removal of the most fertile upper layer or erosion is called erosion. Erosion causes great harm.

As a result of its activity, the humus horizon is washed away, the reserves of energy and nutrients in the soil are depleted, and, consequently, the energy potential decreases and fertility decreases. Suffice it to say that every centimeter of soil washed away is a loss of about 167472 * 10 6 J of energy from 1 hectare of field. These factors lead to disruption of the stability of the ecosystem, and these changes can be profound and even irreversible.

Types of erosion. Based on the rate of manifestation of erosion processes, a distinction is made between normal, or geological, and accelerated, or anthropogenic, erosion.

Normal erosion flows everywhere under forest and grassy vegetation. It manifests itself to a very weak extent; the soil is completely restored within a year thanks to soil-forming processes.

Accelerated erosion develops where natural vegetation is destroyed and the territory is used without taking into account its natural features, as a result of which the process of soil erosion is not covered by the processes of its self-healing. There are ancient and modern soil erosion. The ancient one is represented by a hydrographic network (hollow, ravine, ravine, valley). The ancient erosion has ceased to operate. Modern erosion occurs against the backdrop of ancient erosion; it is caused by both natural factors and human economic activity.

The most common types of soil erosion are: water planar (washout) and linear or vertical (washout);

wind (deflation); irrigation; industrial (technogenic); abrasion (collapse of the banks of reservoirs); grazing (soil destruction by livestock); mechanical (soil destruction by agricultural machinery).

Planar erosion - This is the washing away of the upper soil horizons on slopes when rain or melt water flows down them in a continuous stream or streams. Based on the degree of erosion, soils are classified into weakly, moderately and strongly washed away. Slightly washed away soils include soils in which the upper horizon A has been washed away to half its thickness, moderately washed away - horizon A has been washed away by more than half, heavily washed away - horizon B has been partially washed away. On slightly washed away soils, the grain yield is reduced to 25%, on moderately washed away soils - by 50%, and on heavily washed away soils. - by 70%.

Linear erosion caused by melt and rainwater flowing down in a significant mass, concentrated within the narrow confines of a slope area. As a result, the soil is eroded into depth, deep gullies and potholes are formed, which gradually develop into ravines. Depending on soil and climatic conditions, the growth and formation of a ravine occurs at a rate of 1-3 to 8-25 m per year.

Planar erosion is especially dangerous, giving impetus to the development of ravines, primarily because its manifestation is barely noticeable. If a layer of soil with a thickness of only 1 mm per year is washed away from an arable land of 1 hectare, i.e. approximately 10 tons, this goes unnoticed, although in many cases the natural regeneration of the soil is much lower. Another example is even more clear. If a ravine 100 m long, 5 m wide and 2 m deep has formed on a field of 100 hectares, then the loss of soil and subsoil is 600-800 m 3. The losses from washing away the most fertile top layer 1 cm thick from the same area (100 hectares) are equivalent to the loss of approximately 10,000 m 3 of soil. To more clearly imagine the magnitude of the damage, it should be borne in mind that the permissible level of erosion for thick chernozems is 3 t/ha, for ordinary and southern soils - 2.5, for dark chestnut soils - 2 t/ha. However, actual soil losses often exceed the specified limits of its natural recovery.

With the increase in arable land, the fight against this phenomenon is becoming increasingly important. Therefore, constant attention should be paid to the widespread protection of forests and all vegetation cover, especially in mountainous and hilly areas, and their proper exploitation.

Wind erosion, or deflation, observed on both light and heavy carbonate soils at high wind speeds, low soil moisture and low relative air humidity. Therefore, it predominantly occurs in the arid steppe regions of the country. Plowing light soils and loosening them is especially dangerous in the spring, when they are deprived of a protective green cover, which makes them vulnerable to deflation. Wind erosion manifests itself as daily or local deflation and as dust or black storms.

Dust storms, like winter snowstorms, scatter the loose layer, lift light and small particles and transport them to one or another distance. The lightest soil particles rise high into the air and are carried far beyond their location, while the heavier ones move spasmodically or waddle to the first obstacle. The greatest danger is caused by jumping soil particles. When they hit the soil, they destroy it, increase blowing, and when they encounter fragile crops or perennial grasses, they mark and cover them. In large open spaces, jumping soil particles, like a chain physico-chemical reaction as the hurricane moves forward, cause more and more destruction in the soil. Dust storms along their path partially or completely destroy crops over large areas, fill up roads, irrigation canals, various buildings, and irrevocably demolish the top, most fertile layer of soil. Dust storms, polluting the environment, water, air, negatively affect the health of humans, domestic and wild animals.

Wind erosion due to deforestation and plowing of new lands covers all new areas up to the forest-steppe and even taiga ^Ulyanovsk region, Kazan Trans-Volga region, Lena River basin.

Irrigation erosion often observed in areas of irrigated agriculture; in the zone of its activity, permanent and temporary reclamation networks are disabled. The main reasons for its erosion are weak fixation of the bottom and slopes of canals, an insufficient number of connecting structures when reinforcing them, an increase in slopes, weak infiltration capacity of the soil, subsidence of soil leading to disruption of the normal profile of canals, their clogging, increased water consumption in irrigation furrows or strips. When operating irrigation systems in certain areas, up to 20-45% of water is lost for various reasons due to filtration and leakage, which also contributes to soil erosion. Irrigation erosion manifests itself even in conditions of small slopes with increasing irrigation flow. Irrigation without taking into account irrigation norms and weather conditions of the growing season leads to the accumulation of salts in the topsoil, which sometimes not only reduces soil fertility, but also completely removes such areas from agricultural use.

Industrial erosion arises as a result of mining, especially open-pit mining, construction of residential and industrial buildings, laying highways, gas and oil pipelines.

With erosion, called abrasion(collapse of river banks and other bodies of water), the area of ​​arable land and pastures is reduced, and water bodies become silted.

Due to the overload of pastures with livestock, significant areas are exposed to pasture (trail) erosion. It manifests itself when grazing norms are violated, it is carried out without taking into account the number of livestock, the capacity of pastures and meadows, when cattle are driven through the same areas, without watering the pasture areas with sprinkling in hot weather.

Erosion is the enemy of fertility. It is estimated that every minute on the globe 44 hectares of land go out of agricultural use. More than 3 thousand hectares are irretrievably lost from erosion every day, and in total more than 50 million hectares of fertile land have already been lost. As a result of soil washout, erosion and blowing away, the yield of all agricultural crops is reduced on average by 20-40%. However, the damage caused by erosion does not end there. The formation of gullies, hollows and ravines on the soil surface makes it difficult to cultivate the land and reduces the productivity of tillage and harvesting equipment. Soil erosion, and consequently the destruction of the habitats of plants and animals in biogeocenoses, leads to a disruption of the existing biological balance in natural complexes.

It should be noted, however, that accelerated erosion is not an inevitable process. A high level of agricultural technology ensures timely implementation of comprehensive erosion protection.

Factors of manifestation of erosion processes

relief. Alternation of flat plains and hills as a result of glacial activity.

Novogrudok – 330m, Minsk – 350 m, Grodno region. 200-250m climate

. 3 climatic zones (northern, central and southern)

Soil cover and parent rocks

(flat on loams, wind on peatlands) Northern and Central parts - water erosion, Southern - wind erosion

vegetation,

Fighting soil erosion.

Erosion occurs as a result of irrational economic activities, improper use of land, and poor agricultural practices in some farms. Grazing of animals without observing the norm of grazing and loading livestock on the slopes of gullies and ravines, plowing the soil and inter-row cultivation along the slopes, ill-conceived road construction, etc. Against the background of ancient erosion, they contribute to the emergence and rapid growth of new foci.

The washout and erosion of lands lead to siltation of water bodies, shallowing of rivers, and clogging of the irrigation network. Fishing, transport, and energy sectors also suffer losses. Damage in agriculture from drought, plant and animal diseases, etc. significantly less than from soil erosion.

The fight against this phenomenon is one of the leading links in a high culture of agriculture. For each natural zone, in accordance with its physical and geographical conditions (soil, climate, topography), farming systems have been developed. The success of erosion control depends largely on compliance with the basic agricultural practices applied in a particular area and on the nature of the land use.

In areas where water erosion develops, tillage and sowing of agricultural crops should be carried out across the slope, using contour and ridge plowing, deepening the topsoil, slitting and other methods of treatment that reduce surface water runoff; Soil-protective crop rotations, strip placement of agricultural crops, grassing of steep slopes, fertilization, cultivation of field-protective and anti-erosion forest strips, afforestation of ravines, gullies, sands, banks of rivers and reservoirs, construction of anti-erosion hydraulic structures (changes, ponds, terracing, embankment of the tops of ravines and etc.).

In mountainous areas, anti-mudflow structures, terracing, afforestation and grassing of slopes and alluvial fans, regulation of livestock grazing, and conservation of mountain forests are necessary.

All of the listed activities are usually divided into groups: organizational and economic, agrotechnical, forest reclamation and hydraulic engineering.

For the practical implementation of anti-erosion work, a number of organizational and economic measures are first required. These include proper organization of the territory. On collective farms and state farms, areas are identified that are subject to varying degrees of water and wind erosion, soil erosion plans are drawn up, on which categories of lands subject to water and wind erosion are applied for the differentiated application of anti-erosion measures.

In the United States, in the fight against water erosion, soil cultivation along horizontal lines or contour farming is widely and successfully used, which has increased the productivity of leading crops - corn, cotton, potatoes, etc. Contour farming on slopes of slight steepness ensures the conservation of moisture, the protection of soil from washout, and increased her fertility. In this case, some deviation from the horizontal lines is allowed in case of their strong tortuosity.

The retention of precipitation and the transfer of surface runoff into intrasoil flow is facilitated by the deepening of the arable layer. As a result of this technique, surface runoff in our country was reduced by approximately 25%, which reduced the destructive effect of melt and rainwater.

Vegetation cover plays a particularly important role in protecting the soil from both slope runoff and rainfall.

The high density of vegetation also ensures uniform distribution of snow on the fields. The root system of plants determines erosion resistance and soil structuring. Dead parts of plants and their litter also help reduce runoff and, in addition, improve the vital activity of microflora and mesofauna, and enhance the biological activity of the soil.

Perennial legume-grass grass mixtures stabilize the soil most reliably. They improve the physical properties of the soil and also enrich it with nitrogen, phosphorus, and calcium. Nodule bacteria that develop on the roots of leguminous grasses increase the nitrogen content in the soil by fixing it from the air. At the same time, the importance of annual crops in the fight against erosion cannot be denied, although they are less resistant to it and have less ability to restore the fertility of eroded lands.

All crops can be divided into three groups according to their anti-erosion properties. The first group, which best protects the soil from erosion, includes perennial ladders, the second group includes annual crops, which are significantly inferior to them in this regard. Row crops have the weakest protective effect, and in certain cases, if they are placed along a slope, they can contribute to increased runoff and thereby erosion.

It is generally accepted that, compared with soil washout under perennial grasses, soil washout under grain crops is 4-5 times higher, and under row crops – 25 times higher. Of the annual crops, winter crops protect the soil relatively well, since in spring and autumn they form erosion-resistant vegetation cover. However, row crops in the second half of summer and early autumn provide high projective cover and at this time reliably protect the soil from erosion. On slopes, it is effective to create buffer strips across the slope from the same crop, but with an increased dose of fertilizers and an increased seeding rate, control snowmelt by strip compaction, etc.

Anti-erosion methods also include other methods: non-moldboard tillage with preservation of stubble, embankment and furrowing of plowed land, mole cutting, slicing, mulching with straw at the rate of 1-2 t/ha. For every ton of straw, 10 kg of nitrogen should be applied. Mulching the soil on slopes with substandard straw at a dose of 1-3 t/ha reduces erosion by 3-5 times. Mulch also reduces the depth of soil freezing, which means it promotes early spring runoff absorption, reduced runoff, and increased crop yields.

On erodible soils, the creation of a wind-resistant surface layer is important. For this purpose, special stubble seeders are used, and strip placement of crops and grasses is used.

The use of anti-erosion tools ensures the preservation of stubble on the soil surface, helps retain snow in the fields, improves the soil structure and sharply reduces wind erosion. Blow-resistant soil has 60% particles larger than 1 mm in the top 5 cm layer and persists even at a wind speed of 12.5 m/s at a height of 0.5 m.

On soils subject to deflation (blowing), soil-protective crop rotations with sowing buffer strips of perennial grasses have especially proven their worth. On sandy soils, the area under perennial grasses should be increased to 50%. On less deflated soils, it is advisable to occupy 30% of the arable land with them.

Creating curtains from tall plants (sunflower, corn) improves snow distribution in the fields, reduces the erosive energy of individual streams of water, i.e. reduces soil erosion in general.

In winter, to reduce erosion processes, it is necessary to create snow banks across the slope.

It should also be noted that the application of fertilizers on erodible lands is more effective, since as a result of the application of the entire complex of anti-erosion measures, the loss of soil, and therefore the nutrients added to it, is sharply reduced.

In the fight against water and irrigation erosion, slotting is effective, helping to increase the water permeability of heavy soils. Another way is to use sprinklers with low and medium rain intensity (up to 0.3 mm/min). This makes it possible to increase the irrigation rate to 700-800 m 3 of water per 1 hectare without the formation of surface runoff, save water, avoid salinization and decrease in soil fertility.

Forest reclamation is also an important part of the anti-erosion complex.

PROTECTION OF SOILS FROM SALINIZATION, ACIDIFICATION AND WATERLOGING

These processes contribute to a sharp disruption of the normal functioning of the soil-plant system.

Soil salinization - accumulation of soluble salts and exchangeable sodium in concentrations unacceptable for normal growth and development of plants. Among saline soils, there are solonchak soils with a high concentration of soluble salts; saline, containing more than 5-10% of exchangeable sodium; salt marshes and salt licks. Even with weak salinity, the yield of corn, for example, decreases by 40-50%, wheat - by 50-60%.

Every year around the globe, due to salinization, 200-300 thousand hectares of irrigated land go out of circulation. Saline lands need to be washed with fresh water, but this raises another problem - the discharge of saline rinsing waters, which form huge salty swamps. The discharged waters are saturated with fertilizers, pesticides and defoliants that are toxic to humans and animals.

One of the salinity factors is wind. It captures salty dust and transports it long distances into the interior of the continents. A similar phenomenon is observed in the Aral Sea region, where the wind intensifies the removal of salts and dust from the dried seabed and their transfer to the region.

Soil salinization is possible due to improper agricultural practices, turning saline layers to the surface, and excessive livestock load on pastures. The cause of soil salinization may be the irrigation water itself if it contains elevated concentrations of soluble salts.

There have been cases of accumulation of easily soluble salts (up to 500 kg per 1 ha) under the influence of halophytic vegetation.

Most often, salinization occurs due to the enrichment of the soil with salts contained in groundwater. Simultaneously with the increase in their level, moisture rises through the capillaries into the rhizosphere zone, where salts accumulate as the water in it evaporates. The drier the climate and the heavier the soil in granulometric composition, the more pronounced this process is, the more pronounced the toxicity of salts to plants. An increased content of salts in the soil causes an increase in the osmotic pressure of the soil solution, which complicates the water supply of plants, they are chronically starved, and their growth is weakened. This primarily affects the root system, which loses turgor and dies. Sodium carbonate is especially dangerous for plants. If the soil contains 10-15% of the exchangeable sodium absorption capacity, the state of the plants is depressed; when its content is within 20-35%, the inhibition is very strong.

With increased irrigation rates and losses of irrigation water from canals, the groundwater level also increases. The process when salt accumulation in the soil occurs as a result of disruption of the irrigation regime and water filtration in irrigation canals is called secondary salinization.

As a preventive measure to combat secondary salinization, it is necessary to drain the area using pottery, plastic and other pipes laid to a depth of 1.0-1.8 m with a distance between drains of 5 to 15 m. Irrigation by sprinklers with low to medium rainfall intensity (up to 0.3 mm/min) is also safe in this regard. Subsoil, drip, fine and pulse irrigation are promising. The common advantage of these methods is water saving. Thus, with subsurface irrigation, the irrigation rate can be reduced to 100-300 m 3 /ha. The water flow rate for pulse sprinkling is only 0.01 mm/min. Due to low irrigation rates, the likelihood of salinization and waterlogging decreases. An important advantage of new irrigation methods is the reduction of evaporation from the soil surface, and, in the case of fine irrigation, transpiration. With drip irrigation, water in the form of a drop is supplied directly to the roots. The use of these irrigation methods prevents irrigation erosion, so they can be used on slopes.

The creation of forest belts along canals also ensures a constant groundwater level, as trees intercept and transpire filtered water, acting as biological drainage. To remove salts from the soil, flushing with fresh water is used.

With an increase in soil acidity (pH below 7), its productivity also decreases: the concentration of mobile aluminum increases and at the same time the nutrient content decreases. Acidification depends on the absorption capacity, particle size distribution, water permeability, biological activity of the soil and the humus content in it. Physiologically acidic nitrogen fertilizers increase soil acidity. Therefore, liming and the application of fertilizers rich in calcium are recommended on such lands. Without the use of lime, the effectiveness of fertilizers decreases.

Waterlogging of the soil, leading to waterlogging, is widespread in a number of areas of the Non-Chernozem Zone, and is also observed in other areas near canals, reservoirs and undamped artesian wells. About 8% of the world's land is subject to waterlogging and flooding.

To drain wetlands, slot drains are installed, cut into the ground. On heavy soils, drains are created using mole plows. In the Far East, complex drainage is used, which is a combination of tubular drains with a network of molehills. Other preventive measures are effective: the optimal method of watering and strict adherence to the irrigation regime for crops. Closed drainage has an advantage over an open drainage network, since in this case the usable area is not lost.

However, drainage should be carried out within reasonable limits. A decrease in the groundwater level when draining swamps more than 1.5 m from the soil surface contributes to the rapid oxidation of peat and the removal of nutrients into drainage ditches. With a further decrease in their level, the root horizon becomes detached from the capillary fringe, which leads to the death of forests.

The development of new lands must be carried out taking into account nature protection. Sometimes there is still an opinion that swamps cause great harm, so they need to be drained. However, it should be remembered that swamps perform an important water management function, feeding rivers and groundwater, and purifying polluted atmospheric precipitation.

Reclamation of wetlands must be carried out taking into account the protection of natural resources from depletion and undesirable impacts on the nature of the Non-Black Earth Zone. In this regard, great attention should be paid to environmental control and broad discussion of projects.

Types of erosion processes

The erosion processes that are studied during geological surveys include the following types:

• planar erosion;
• gully;
• linear.

Planar erosion implies the washing away of the top layer of soil on the slopes by streams of melt (rain) water. The actions of this type of erosion processes do not significantly bring catastrophic consequences, since they are small in scale. Of course, when designing a building (house, cottage, structure) in an area prone to this type of erosion, it is worth taking this nuance into account and promptly implementing protective measures (strengthening slopes, for example). Because this threatens to undermine the foundation, as well as deformation of the entire structure. The consequences of planar erosion are partial washout of soil in a specific area, as well as its alluvium in another part of the area.

Gully erosion accompanied by temporary flows of water, which are concentrated in furrows and other depressions that have a linearly elongated shape (beam, slope, etc.). Geological surveys study in as much detail as possible areas prone to the formation of gully erosion processes, since the damage they cause can reach enormous proportions. With an intense flow of rainwater along the slope, the consequence is the formation of ravines up to 20 meters deep. Such situations can lead to global consequences during construction. The formation of ravines of such depth on a construction site in some cases leads to a complete stop in construction.

Linear erosion acts mainly in small areas and leads to the dismemberment of the earth's surface. This process is also called “river erosion” because it operates mainly in river valleys. This leads to the destruction (washing away) of the banks. In this case, the soil layer and its basic physical and mechanical properties are damaged. In development areas located near rivers, a mandatory measure is to conduct hydrogeological research, study the properties of soils, study in detail the geology of the site as a whole, as well as the geological conditions of the adjacent territory.

It is important to take into account erosion-accumulation processes in the development area, as well as during the operation of construction projects, because the consequences may simply be irreparable. Timely inspection of the territory can significantly reduce the damage caused by erosion processes. The study of archival materials, determination of the strength characteristics of soils in laboratory conditions, and field geological studies provide detailed information on a specific area and make it possible to predict changes in geological conditions, in particular, the occurrence of dangerous geological processes (erosion). If erosion is detected in the study area, design organizations, based on the geological report, will be able to establish protective safety measures or carry out special measures to prevent destructive erosion consequences.

Erosion- destruction of rocks and soils by surface water flows and wind, including the separation and removal of fragments of material and accompanied by their deposition.

There are water and wind erosion.

Types of water erosion: gully (linear, streamy), planar and irrigation (irrigation).

Drip erosion

Destruction of soil by impacts of raindrops. Structural elements (lumps) of soil are destroyed under the influence of the kinetic energy of raindrops and are scattered to the sides. On slopes, downward movement occurs over a greater distance. When falling, soil particles fall on the film of water, which facilitates their further movement. This type of water erosion is of particular importance in the humid tropics and subtropics

Planar erosion

Planar (surface) erosion is understood as the uniform washout of material from slopes, leading to their flattening. With some degree of abstraction, it is imagined that this process is carried out by a continuous moving layer of water, but in reality it is produced by a network of small temporary water flows.

Surface erosion leads to the formation of washed away and reclaimed soils, and on a larger scale - colluvial deposits.

Linear erosion

Unlike surface erosion, linear erosion occurs in small areas of the surface and leads to the dismemberment of the earth's surface and the formation of various erosion forms (gulleys, ravines, beams, valleys). This also includes river erosion caused by constant flows of water.

Causes of soil erosion.

• Climate influences the development of erosion processes as a result of fluctuations in temperature, amount and intensity of precipitation, and wind force.
• wind. The erosive force of the wind begins to manifest itself at a speed of 8-12 m/s at a height of 10 m from the soil surface, it becomes significant at 12-15 m/s, and strong at 16-25 m/s.
• Relief is the main cause of water erosion. The length and steepness of the slope, the size of the watershed, and the shape of the slope surface determine the degree of development of erosion processes. The longer the slope and the greater its steepness, the larger the area and with greater intensity the erosion develops.
• Intensity Soil loss depends on the shape of the slope. On convex slopes it is greater, on concave slopes it is less. Often slopes have a complex shape: convex in one place, straight or concave in another.
• Condition and characteristics of soils Thus, well-structured, humus-rich soils of light and medium loamy mechanical composition are characterized by looseness and good water permeability, and therefore washout and erosion on them are sharply reduced. On the contrary, on destructured, sprayed, compacted soils of heavy mechanical composition, water is slowly absorbed, accumulates on the surface and flows into low areas of the relief, causing washout and erosion of the soil.
• The occurrence and development of erosion is largely determined mechanical composition of the soil. Under natural conditions, soils of light mechanical composition - sandy and sandy loam - are more susceptible to deflation. Heavy (clayey) soils are susceptible to air erosion only in a loosened, sprayed state or after the destruction of the top layer as a result of grazing. Calcareous soils - chernozem and chestnut - are easily destroyed by wind. Solonetz soils and solonetzes are wind-resistant.
• Destruction of woody vegetation
• Overgrazing

Soil protective crop rotations

To protect soils from destruction, it is necessary to correctly determine the composition of cultivated crops, their rotation and agricultural practices. In soil-protective crop rotations, row crops are excluded (since they poorly protect the soil from being washed away, especially in spring and early summer) and the crops of perennial grasses and intermediate subsowing crops are increased, which protect the soil well from destruction during erosion-hazardous periods and serve as one of the best ways to cultivate eroded soils.

Agrotechnical anti-erosion measures.

The simplest measures to regulate the surface runoff of melt water are plowing, cultivation and row sowing of crops across the slope, if possible parallel to the main direction of the horizontal lines. One of the most effective soil protection techniques on sloping lands is the replacement of moldboard plowing with tillage without soil rotation.

Forest reclamation measures

They include planting forests and creating protective forest strips for various purposes:

• wind-protective, created along the boundaries of crop rotation fields;
• field protection, laid across slopes to retain surface runoff of colluvial waters;
• ravine and ravine; forest plantations along slopes and bottoms of beams and ravines; water-protective forest plantations around reservoirs, lakes, canals;
• forest plantations for general environmental purposes on lands unsuitable for agriculture.