Erosion and Human Impact How do humans effect weathering and erosion?
Erosion
Human intervention can increase and decrease erosion. #33
Human activities, such as reducing forest cover and intensive farming, have changed Earth’s surface #34
One simple way to keep soil healthy is to ensure that the soil is never bare. That means keeping plants in dirt for as long as possible #35
Humans can increase erosion through poor farming practices or disturbing the land through development #36
Man-made structures along the coastline often have the unwanted side effect of enhancing coastal erosion #37
Man-made structures are sometimes built to help control erosion #38
Construction on steep slopes can lead to mass wasting (erosion by gravity), including slumps and landslides #39
Due to misusing soil, desertification, nutrient depletion of soil, and mass wasting can occur #40
Mass movement and mass wasting is the downhill movement of large amounts of surface material caused by gravity #41
Examples of mass movement and mass wasting are creep, rock falls, avalanches, mudslides, mudflow, and rock slides #42 Avalanche Rock Slide
Mud Flow Mudslide
Creep is a very slow mass movement that goes on for years or even centuries. #43
You can't see creep happening but leaning fences and poles and broken retaining walls show where it has taken place. #43
Creep is the slowest type of mass movement #43
Good Farming Techniques can prevent soil erosion.
Shallow tilling farming
Contour Plowing
Contour Plowing
Windbreaks