Soil Degradation in the United States: Extent, Severity, and Trends

by Lal; Rattan

• ISBN13: 9781566705349
• ISBN10: 1566705347
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-09-25
• Publisher: CRC Press

Summary

The magnitude and severity of soil degradation in the U.S. are examined in this ready reference and data source. Topics include water erosion, wind erosion, soil compaction, salt build-up, and soil contamination, as well as policy issues.

Table of Contents

Basic Processes
Soil Degradation
Soil	p. 3
Soil Degradation	p. 4
Soil Physical Degradation	p. 5
Soil Chemical Degradation	p. 8
Soil Biological Degradation	p. 9
Factors of Soil Degradation	p. 10
Causes of Soil Degradation	p. 11
Land vs. Soil Degradation	p. 14
Soil Degradation vs. Soil Formation	p. 18
Soil Quality	p. 18
Soil Exhaustion vs. Soil Degradation	p. 18
Soil Resilience	p. 19
Soil Degradation and Desertification	p. 19
Conclusion	p. 19
References	p. 20
Global Extent of Soil Degradation and Desertification
Background	p. 23
Database, Methodology, and Extrapolation	p. 23
GLASOD Methodology	p. 25
Desertification Assessment	p. 26
The Need for a Strong and Credible Database	p. 28
References	p. 28
Land Use in the U.S.
Definitions	p. 31
Land Use Classes	p. 32
Forestland	p. 32
Grazing Land	p. 32
Cropland	p. 32
CRP Land	p. 33
Other Lands	p. 34
Database	p. 34
Land Use in the U.S.	p. 34
Trends in Cropland	p. 37
Trends in Grazing Land	p. 40
Conclusions	p. 41
References	p. 44
Soil Degradation Category Indicators Methodology
Soil Degradation	p. 45
Land Degradation Severity Classes--Definitions	p. 46
Class Criteria	p. 46
Water Erosion, Sheet and Rill (E)--Degradation of Land through the Process of Sheet and Rill Soil Erosion by Water	p. 47
Water Erosion, Concentrated Flow (E)--Degradation of Land Through the Process of Concentrated Flow Erosion (i.e., Gullying, Streambank Erosion, etc.) (Applied Only to the Broad Land Cover and Use Categories of Rangeland)	p. 47
Wind Erosion (E)--Degradation of Land through Soil Erosion by Wind	p. 47
Salinization (S)--Degradation of Land through Salt Accumulation	p. 48
Mining or Other Soil Removal/Destruction (M)--Degradation of Land through Soil Destruction	p. 49
Vegetative Condition/Status (V)--Degradation of Land through Degradation of the Quantity, Quality, or Ecological Status of Vegetative Land Cover (Applied Only to the Broad Land Cover/Use Category of Rangeland)	p. 49
References	p. 49
Water and Wind Erosion
Soil Erosion by Water from Croplands
Cropland Area Affected by Water Erosion	p. 53
Severity of Sheet and Rill Erosion on U.S. Cropland	p. 57
Magnitude of Soil Erosion on U.S. Cropland	p. 61
Rate of Soil Erosion on U.S. Cropland	p. 61
Prime Cropland and Severity of Sheet and Rill Erosion	p. 64
Erosion Rate on Highly Erodible Cropland	p. 67
Distribution of Eroded Cropland in the U.S.	p. 69
Conclusions	p. 75
References	p. 81
Soil Erosion by Water from Grazing, CRP, and Minor Lands
Pastureland Area Affected by Water Erosion	p. 85
Severity of Soil Erosion on Pastureland	p. 85
Magnitude and Rate of Soil Erosion on Pastureland	p. 88
Soil Erosion on CRP Land	p. 88
Minor Land Affected by Water Erosion	p. 89
Total Land Area Affected by Water Erosion on Private U.S. Land	p. 91
Conclusion	p. 92
References	p. 93
Wind Erosion on Private Lands in the U.S.
Cropland Area Affected by Wind Erosion	p. 95
Wind Erosion on Irrigated and Nonirrigated Cropland	p. 98
Severity of Wind Erosion on U.S. Cropland	p. 99
Wind Erosion on U.S. Cropland for Different Severity Classes	p. 101
Wind Erosion on Grazing Land	p. 101
Wind Erosion on CRP Land	p. 103
Wind Erosion on Minor Miscellaneous Land	p. 103
Comparison of Wind Erosion Hazard among Predominant Land Uses	p. 103
Total Land Area on U.S. Private Land Affected by Wind Erosion	p. 103
Conclusions	p. 108
References	p. 108
Water and Wind Erosion on U.S. Cropland
The Extent of Sheet, Rill, and Wind Erosion on Cropland	p. 110
Total Cropland	p. 110
Total Cultivated Land	p. 110
Prime Land	p. 110
The Magnitude of Sheet, Rill, and Wind Erosion	p. 115
Total Cropland	p. 116
Cultivated Cropland	p. 116
Prime Land	p. 119
The Rate of Sheet, Rill, and Wind Erosion	p. 123
Total Cropland	p. 125
Cultivated Cropland	p. 126
Prime Land	p. 126
Conclusions	p. 127
References	p. 129
Total Erosion, Wind Erosion, and Erosion on Pasture and CRP Lands
Total Erosion on Pastureland	p. 131
Total Erosion on CRP Land	p. 133
Wind Erosion in the U.S.	p. 138
Total Wind and Water Erosion in the U.S.	p. 139
Sediment Load in U.S. Rivers	p. 143
Conclusions	p. 143
References	p. 144
Other Forms of Degradation
Desertification
Arid Lands in the U.S.	p. 150
The Extent and Severity of Desertification	p. 150
Degradation of Rangeland Vegetation	p. 151
Rangeland Degradation by Concentrated Flow and Wind Erosion	p. 153
Desertification Control	p. 153
References	p. 154
Salinization
Irrigated Land Area in the U.S.	p. 156
Cropland Affected by Salinization	p. 158
Grazing Land Affected by Salinization	p. 158
Other Lands Affected by Salinization	p. 158
Conclusions	p. 161
References	p. 161
Soil Degradation by Mining and Other Disturbance
Historic Records of Soil Disturbance by Mining	p. 163
Soil Degradation by Mining	p. 165
Soil Disturbance by Mining on Cropland	p. 167
Soil Disturbance by Mining on Grazing Land	p. 169
Total Soil Disturbance by Mining	p. 169
Conclusion	p. 171
References	p. 171
Wetland Degradation
Types of Wetlands	p. 173
Wetland Soils	p. 175
Historic Loss of Wetlands	p. 176
Consequences of Wetland Loss	p. 177
References	p. 179
Policy and Conservation Programs
Policy Options
History of Soil Conservation Programs in the U.S.	p. 185
Food Security Act of 1985	p. 186
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)	p. 186
Federal Agricultural Improvement and Reform (FAIR) Act of 1996	p. 186
The Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQUIP)	p. 186
Environmental Conservation Acreage Reserve Program (ECARP)	p. 187
Impact of Conservation Policies in the U.S.	p. 187
Future Policy Options	p. 188
Emphasis on Water Quality and Soil C Sequestration	p. 188
Private Sector Involvement	p. 189
Recycling Biosolids	p. 189
Holistic Planning	p. 189
Protecting HEL and Restoring Degraded Soils	p. 189
Long-Term Perspective	p. 190
Conclusions	p. 190
References	p. 190
Appendices	p. 193
Index	p. 199
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