Definitions [2]
Definition: Soil Erosion
The loss of soil or disturbance of the soil structure is called soil erosion.
Define
Disaster Risk Reduction.
Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) According to United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction is “the concept and practice of reducing disaster risks through systematic efforts to analyses and reduce the causal factors of disasters”. This includes reducing exposure to hazards, lessening the vulnerability of people and property, wise management of land and environment and early warning for adverse events.
Key Points
Key Points: Soil Erosion
- Soil erosion is the removal of the top fertile layer of soil by water, wind, and human activities.
- Soil erosion by water includes sheet erosion, rill erosion, gully erosion, leaching, sea erosion, and stream-bank erosion.
- Wind erosion occurs in dry and semi-arid regions where loose soil is carried away by strong winds, reducing soil fertility.
- Human activities such as deforestation, overgrazing, improper farming, and shifting cultivation greatly increase soil erosion.
- Soil erosion reduces agricultural productivity, leads to land degradation, and creates a cycle of poverty.
Key Points: Introduction of Natural Vegetation
- Natural vegetation refers to plants that grow naturally without human help and remain undisturbed for a long time.
- It includes trees, shrubs, grasses, climbers, and creepers that adjust to the climate and soil of the region.
- Climate factors like temperature and rainfall determine the type of natural vegetation in an area.
- The Tropic of Cancer divides India into tropical (south) and temperate (north) regions, affecting vegetation patterns.
- Flora means plant species of a region, vegetation means plant communities, and a forest is a large area covered with trees and undergrowth.
