Much of the world's planting soil is degrading fast, and people are going hungry. Scientists say starvation is just around the corner. Described in Doomwatch Legacy by Sunstroke author David Kagan.
Sunday May 11, 2008, 2:10 am
A vast amount of once free earth is now being covered by asphalt & cement.
And as much is turning into deserts........
People need to become aware of this.....People need to be made to understand the harm we have & are creating by the lifestyle we have that in affect imposes death to soil.....
Think back to what this land in the U.S. was like before the white man invaded and literally tore down trees by the millions and farmed to death once covered areas protected by natures blanket of leaves.........
"There is nothing
in which the birds differ
more from man than
the way in which they can
build and yet leave a landscape
as it was before." ~ Robert Lynd
I don't like the idea that the "souped up seeds" are "good", so now we need to improve the soil. I think the "souped up seeds" are the GM seeds and may well be the cause behind the Bee's Colony Collapse problems. With that in mind, I don't think I trust the idea of chemical fertilizers. I'd like to see compost and manure used.
Your report has been submitted to Customer service. Thank you.
There was a problem submitting your report. Please try again later.
()
Sunday May 11, 2008, 11:41 am
Man is destroying the earth and whatever comes, we can put the blame on our greedy selves. GM seeds, fertilizers, downing trees, all of it and much more will lead to our destruction. Thank You Dan M.
Monday May 12, 2008, 5:54 am
I also don't like the GM seed propaganda in the article. It's the artificial fertiliser that only contains three elements, while the soil needs about 17, that makes the soil poorer. It's the monocultures who attract monoplagues, who create a need for pesticides to destroy the monoplagues, who on their turn create the need for plants who can withstand the poison sprayed on the food to kill the plagues.
There are better ways to farm. GM is not one of them.
Monday May 12, 2008, 6:08 am
Soil: The Secret Solution to Global Warming - World
World version: Research by the Rodale Institute reveals that sustainably-farmed soil holds up to 30% more carbon than conventional agriculture. Converting all farmland in your country to organic could reduce CO2 emissions by more than 20%. The extra carbon in the soil also increases food nutrients, which could greatly reduce health care costs.
http://www.quantumshift.tv/v/1181025091/
The End of Food.
Thomas Pawlick's new book is full of very scary facts on how modern industrial farming techniques have reduced the available nutrients. For instance, since 1950 supermarket potatoes in Canada no longer contain Vitamin A, their iron quotient has been reduced by 57% along with their Vitamin C. Meanwhile, tomatoes have lost 61.5% of their calcium, 35.5% of their iron and 50% of their Vitamin A while gaining 200% more sodium! The End of Food shows how it's not enough simply to eat a salad, consumers need to think carefully about who grew the ingredients in it and how and where. And that's not even getting into what's put into our livestock. Gremolata's Malcolm Jolley caught up with the author recently in Toronto.
http://gremolata.com/pawlick.htm
- The stuff(more than one) we have,is in the hands of DR. Elaine Ingham,
Dr. Elaine Ingham has dedicated her life, to you, and future generations of the Earth. The founder of the world renowned, Soil Food Web Laboratories, www.soilfoodweb.com, both President and Director of Research at Sustainable Studies Inc. Dr. Ingham is recognized, as the leading soil scientists of our time.
-Genesis, is completely organic, and
.. "Completely Restores Soil to Original Condition".
Monday May 12, 2008, 8:32 am
The American people would love to go organic,... the only thing
stopping them,
is being able to get the stuff(organic fertilizer).
The only thing stopping them from getting organic fertilizer, is the
Patricia Woertz(ADM), owned E.P.A.,
and the Patricia Woertz(ADM), owned AAPFCO (Association of
American Plant Food Control Officials).
No legal jurasdiction what.so.ever, but still able to control, and
Monday May 12, 2008, 8:42 am
... HELP ... "SAVE OUR EARTH" ... "Get Conscious" ... NOW !
Stop this all inclusive program, of the destuction of "Our Earth".
- no toxic chemicals from us,.. no chemicals at all.
We are not in this for the money,.. if we were,..we would have
sold out,... long ago.
... to the "Toxic Chemical Companies",... of couse.
From Scott, Marcy, and Mike, ... at... Agrogreen Canada Inc. ...
and ... Diatomite Canada
, cleaners, antibacterial, kills virus's,
, fertilizer, pest control, soil rejuvinator, water retainer,
, replaces 80% of chlorine, in water treatment,
AGROGREEN® is formulated from natural botanical extracts and contains plant growth stimulating factors, primarily auxins, promoting unparalleled vegetative growth, plant health, plant vitality and higher fruit yields.
AGROGREEN® is completely (100%) biodegradable and it's environmental impact is negligible and hence more predictable. Being non-toxic in nature, leaching of Agrogreen® from soils into water catchment basins and watertable is not harmful.
AGROGREEN® is completely miscible with water at all proportions, extremely easy to apply as a surface foliar spray and/or via the plant root system (drench, systemic). This coupled with its safe operation make it simple to integrate into existing practices. AGROGREEN® offers the most economical solution to maintaining and increasing plant yields.
Non-toxic
Biodegradable
Non-flammable
Non-irritant
Environmentally friendly
Easy to handle and use
Operator friendly
Conditions soil
Increases yield
Shortens harvest cycle
Flexible integration into farming methods
Promotes vegetative growth and robustness
Resistance to low temperatures
Organic Klean is a safe and effective alternative to traditional cleaners. Use in apartment buildings, households, schools, office buildings, and industrial plants for cleaning disinfecting and deodorizing floors, walls, sinks, bathrooms, toilets, urinals, and outhouses.
Contains Pine Oil Extracts, Coconut Extracts, Castor Oil Extracts, Citrus Peel, Rice Husk and Cottonseed Extracts. The primary ingredient Pine Oil is extracted from several species of pine in Europe and the Near East, particularly Pinus sylvestris. Contains alpha-terpineol plus other cyclic terpene alcohols and terpene hydrocarbons. Does not contain phenols, quatemary ammonium chlorides.
Provides superior cleaning and longest lasting pine odour.
Safe natural disinfection and deodorizing.
Safe to use.
Disinfects and deodorizes and cleans in one step/reduces inventory and saves labour costs.
Broad spectrum activity/effective against gram positive and gram negative disease causing bacteria.
Completely biodegradable.
Renewable.
This unique blend of plant extracts, a small amount of alkali, and a wetting agent helps dislodge stubborn surface oil, dirt and microbial contaminants, and the natural fatty acids effectively emulsifies oil based contaminants (i.e. greases) while the wetting agent aids in the effective lifting of these contaminants from a solid surface.
Organic Klean is non-toxic, non corrosive, non-caustic, non-abrasive, non-flammable and 100% bio-degradable. Easy to use and safe for people, pets and the environment. It is biodegradable based on the stringent EUC (European Union Countries) Modified Sturm Test. This test requires that 90% of a cleaner's active chemical ingredients be degraded naturally by microbes within 14 days. In fact, 100% degradation in 6 days was achieved when our general external cleaner was tested. What is important to keep in mind is that our line of cleaning products are NOT traditional soaps or detergents both of which can cause environmental problems in the area of high sudsing, eutrophication of lakes and rivers and poor biodegradation.
Cleans, disinfects, deodorizes, degreases, decarbonizes and destroys germs, fungus, bacteria and viruses. without the harsh odours of chemical based cleaners. Discourages houseflies, ants and cockroaches. Tests found Organic Klean to be over 99% effective in eliminating bacteria and germs which cause food poisoning (i.e. salmonella, staphylococcus, e.coli, bacillus cereus, pseudomonas aer uginosa, coliforms.) (Including escherischia coli)
Highly economical concentrate, can be diluted up to 75 times (75 parts water to 1 part Organic Klean), low sudsing and features self penetrating cleaning action which will continue to clean even if the cloth or mop is heavily soiled.
It is instantly soluble in water forming a milky white emulsion which does not separate on standing.
.. This is NOT A JOKE
Do your part, Plant tree's, Stop using ... "toxic chemicals", (all
of them). .. There are better alternatives. Get more active, and
informed, of what's going on your Earth. Use Compassion, and
Love,.. Always.
.. HELP ... "SAVE OUR EARTH" ... "Get Conscious" ... NOW !
Stop this all inclusive program, of the destuction of "Our Earth".
- no toxic chemicals from us,.. no chemicals at all.
We are not in this for the money,.. if we were,..we would have
sold out,... long ago.
... to the "Toxic Chemical Companies",... of couse.
.. This is NOT A JOKE
-Genesis, is completely organic, and
.. "Completely Restores Soil to Original Condition".
Our Stuff, does a whole lot more, but the "EPA", will not allow me to tell.
Monday May 12, 2008, 10:36 am
In plac of Natural forest our Governemnts are creating Concrete jungles all over the world in the name of development.
When will those in power in all the Governments around the world have some sense?
Here i must tell you my own experience
In the past 25 years I must have Planted over 10,000 trees in various places under different schemes. In the Street where i live I had planted over 200 trees way back in 1984 - 85. The city corporation have been cutting all those trees on some excue or other. Now there are gardly any trees on this road. That is developmet. In India tree Cutting is the hobby of all the Municipalities and Government departments.
Monday May 12, 2008, 4:20 pm
SAVE The Earth, Feed The People With What We ALREADY Have...Find Our Own Resources, Instead of Relying Upon "Them." Thanks, Scott:)
Monday May 12, 2008, 4:32 pm
You are right Tassa we have to rely on our own resouces - we can get how to books -there are plenty available Make your own compost and grow your own stuff as much as possible - we have plenty of food but the food no longer sustains us with the vitamins and minerals they are suppossed to have because it is no longer in the soil and hasn't been for many years now. So we need vitamins supplements to replace it .organic is just a term for dirt and things has they are supposed to be .There is plenty of information for how to enrich the soil and return it to a healthy state and while they most likely will not do this on a large scale we can do enough of our own to make a real difference.
Monday May 12, 2008, 5:06 pm
I wonder if all the earth that is covered now by cement walks, asphalt & cement super highways have good dirt/earth under them?
So much has been covered up with buildings, roads/highways for over a hundred years......Is there any original quality left in the soil underneath???????
"There is nothing
in which the birds differ
more from man than
the way in which they can
build and yet leave a landscape
as it was before." ~ Robert Lynd
Monday May 12, 2008, 5:16 pm
Thank you Scott for that imformation. Some of the things that you had mentioned I had never heard of. i will be looking and probably looking for it for my plant life and gardens. Depending on what part of the world you are from, there is something called co-gardening. I will get to the soil in one minute. Co-gardening with a few familys or how ever you work it, this can mean if 20 familys can grow one thing another 20 can grow something else. All put in enough time, materials working the garden, ect, that is one way of starting off.
Now for the soil part of it. We have lost most of the soil. So we have to think of ways that will not harm anyone or enviroment, that people can use that is not so costly in the region you are in. I have done some natural gardens and wrote a little diary of things that grew well, what ate the pesky bugs and some watering devices and the most natural fertilizers. Most plants need some or less nitrogen. Nitrogen comes also from decomposing organic materials. The compost waste eventually releases nitrogen, produced by a bacteria released from rotted plant life. It is slow but effective. Nitrogen=legumes and bacteria working together. There are nitrogens that come from reefs and salt water decomping fish. My point, it can be done. Why is it that most goverments and scientist do not tell these people in Africa or anywhere else in the world that things can be done? For one instance the over load of corn, which is good, but then it can hurt the soil, you can replenish soil and other things. If it isn't to late. You can use that corn and all its matter could have been rotting with other ingredients to be replenishing the soil instead of killing the soil. You can add almost any decomposing material with a blend of straw, grass, certain animal manure, manure always depends on the animal and health of the animal. Stack it and keep turning it. Then add worms. The more compost the more the worms multiple the richer the compost the richer the soil. Crops can be small, and healthier to the land. Fish oils, some salts, reefs that have been rotting.
Watering. Catus and succulents also live in hot desert areas. A 20ft. catus or succulent can be tapped by a string or a cloth, and it waters plants as nessasary. Collected rain water. Protein of any kind. Tap into roots of plants that might be arid or heat retardent. It will not hurt the plant. There are so many methods. Not saying they all work. Have to put are heads together and fix these problems that already exit.
Pesky bug problem. That one was the most simple. Lady bugs, you can order them so cheap and they multiply very fast. They will eat pesky bugs and then they multiply and they eat more pesky bugs and the lady bugs will never leave unless you have know more bugs. Sets of onoion inbetween rows of plants, merigolds, garlic., anything puncgent. Purple martin birds, that is all they eat are bugs and can survive most climates and conditions around the world. Plant heat retardent bushs and trees. it only takes a few things that can make a garden, small crops, or anything you grow to better the soil, the crop, and the nutients the soil needs. I think now they need to start the right education on all the alternatives. And how to maintain a cycle that would increase the food , crops and pests. All you need is things that you can get so easy. I am sure that it is not that much to educate these people. Or donate time and things that they need to start. it is to late for most of our soil, so now we need to save the starving people and our earths soil. All natural things that belong on it. Sometimes I have even seen governments that take the peoples food that we donate. Even terrorist take advantage. I say lets do something about it. i am going to send over some seeds and a book with gardening solutions.
Sometimes I even have a crazy concotion for a really pretty garden or grass. Pepsi, beer, amonia, natural dish soap, and coffee or tea grinds. It is a quick way that is also harmless to the grass and garden. They all have a natural ingredient that our soil and plants need. We have to fix the solution that is going to destroy us. Hunger, forests, climate, and all the damage that has already occurred. So, if we all help a little, it can go along way. One thing I have noticed in the USA, just over the last several months. The comercials have gone green. Clorox and other cleaners and factorys are becoming smarter and are finally doing something about the chemicals and things that they are producing. They are now going to things that are not hurting the earth and are more natural to people and enviroment. It is a step. So, lets keep doing what we are doing, people are now noticing. Scott has done such a good job, it is these things that he is doing that are making people aware. He does a lot of research and is deeply concerned. Lets listen to Scotts research and findings. Lets plant trees and stop the industries and politcal people who do not care. Lets get green. Thanks Scott.
Monday May 12, 2008, 5:18 pm
Thank you Scott for that imformation. Some of the things that you had mentioned I had never heard of. i will be looking and probably looking for it for my plant life and gardens. Depending on what part of the world you are from, there is something called co-gardening. I will get to the soil in one minute. Co-gardening with a few familys or how ever you work it, this can mean if 20 familys can grow one thing another 20 can grow something else. All put in enough time, materials working the garden, ect, that is one way of starting off.
Now for the soil part of it. We have lost most of the soil. So we have to think of ways that will not harm anyone or enviroment, that people can use that is not so costly in the region you are in. I have done some natural gardens and wrote a little diary of things that grew well, what ate the pesky bugs and some watering devices and the most natural fertilizers. Most plants need some or less nitrogen. Nitrogen comes also from decomposing organic materials. The compost waste eventually releases nitrogen, produced by a bacteria released from rotted plant life. It is slow but effective. Nitrogen=legumes and bacteria working together. There are nitrogens that come from reefs and salt water decomping fish. My point, it can be done. Why is it that most goverments and scientist do not tell these people in Africa or anywhere else in the world that things can be done? For one instance the over load of corn, which is good, but then it can hurt the soil, you can replenish soil and other things. If it isn't to late. You can use that corn and all its matter could have been rotting with other ingredients to be replenishing the soil instead of killing the soil. You can add almost any decomposing material with a blend of straw, grass, certain animal manure, manure always depends on the animal and health of the animal. Stack it and keep turning it. Then add worms. The more compost the more the worms multiple the richer the compost the richer the soil. Crops can be small, and healthier to the land. Fish oils, some salts, reefs that have been rotting.
Watering. Catus and succulents also live in hot desert areas. A 20ft. catus or succulent can be tapped by a string or a cloth, and it waters plants as nessasary. Collected rain water. Protein of any kind. Tap into roots of plants that might be arid or heat retardent. It will not hurt the plant. There are so many methods. Not saying they all work. Have to put are heads together and fix these problems that already exit.
Pesky bug problem. That one was the most simple. Lady bugs, you can order them so cheap and they multiply very fast. They will eat pesky bugs and then they multiply and they eat more pesky bugs and the lady bugs will never leave unless you have know more bugs. Sets of onoion inbetween rows of plants, merigolds, garlic., anything puncgent. Purple martin birds, that is all they eat are bugs and can survive most climates and conditions around the world. Plant heat retardent bushs and trees. it only takes a few things that can make a garden, small crops, or anything you grow to better the soil, the crop, and the nutients the soil needs. I think now they need to start the right education on all the alternatives. And how to maintain a cycle that would increase the food , crops and pests. All you need is things that you can get so easy. I am sure that it is not that much to educate these people. Or donate time and things that they need to start. it is to late for most of our soil, so now we need to save the starving people and our earths soil. All natural things that belong on it. Sometimes I have even seen governments that take the peoples food that we donate. Even terrorist take advantage. I say lets do something about it. i am going to send over some seeds and a book with gardening solutions.
Sometimes I even have a crazy concotion for a really pretty garden or grass. Pepsi, beer, amonia, natural dish soap, and coffee or tea grinds. It is a quick way that is also harmless to the grass and garden. They all have a natural ingredient that our soil and plants need. We have to fix the solution that is going to destroy us. Hunger, forests, climate, and all the damage that has already occurred. So, if we all help a little, it can go along way. One thing I have noticed in the USA, just over the last several months. The comercials have gone green. Clorox and other cleaners and factorys are becoming smarter and are finally doing something about the chemicals and things that they are producing. They are now going to things that are not hurting the earth and are more natural to people and enviroment. It is a step. So, lets keep doing what we are doing, people are now noticing. Scott has done such a good job, it is these things that he is doing that are making people aware. He does a lot of research and is deeply concerned. Lets listen to Scotts research and findings. Lets plant trees and stop the industries and politcal people who do not care. Lets get green. Thanks Scott.
Monday May 12, 2008, 8:41 pm
I'm not saying this story is true or isn't true. As the result of having become educated about many more things than I actually wanted to be, I am very skeptical of anything reported by mainstream media. We no longer watch or listen to mainstream media, but prefer to do our own research and get news from alternative media. My opinion is that it is a mistake to take anything coming out of mainstream media at face value.
Having said that, I can't imagine all the depleted uranium being used by the Us military has helped anyting whatsoever. Depleted uranium has contaminated Iraq for something like 1.6 billions years so it could probably be said trying to plant anything in Iraq would be useless.
Call me paranoid, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to find out somehow Monsanto was behind this CBS story. Monsanto which started out life making weed killer called "Round Up", morphed itself into the largest manufacturer of very dangerous GM seeds which create GM foods. A quick study of Monsanto opens one's eyes to the atrocities Monsanto has perpetrated. It really is appalling what happens to farmers who got suckered into buying seeds from Mansanto and even farmers who don't! And the potential damage to soil from Monsanto seeds alone is appalling. Don't think one will hear anything about that via mainstream news either???????
I believe George Clooney's latest film "Michael Clayton" is actually about Monsanto, although they had to make up a name for the company the movie was about, I believe it was really about Mansanto.
Here are some "possible" reasons for food shortages you will probably NEVER see coming from mainstream media. I say "possible because I don't take any story at face value anymore. I learned the hard way that even what may sound very reasonable and knowledgeable,what could appear as the best intentioned story, could be filled with twisted/distorted facts, lies and propaganda for the purpose of creating more fear mongering. This is from an article titled: "Food Riots are Coming to the U.S. By BINOY KAMPMARK". Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge.:
"Finger pointing is not always instructive. In this case, it may be. The US and various European countries are moving food crops into the bio-fuel business, itself an environmentally unsound business. This, in addition to encouraging developing countries to not merely 'liberalize' their agricultural sectors, but specialize in exporting specific cash crops (cotton, cocoa), has done wonders to precipitate the shortages. Consumption in developing economies, added to the vicissitudes of climate change, water availability, and rising fertilizer costs, are others."
The reason I stated above that even the best intentioned news story can wind up filled with lies and propaganda is the result of getting educated about WHO controls mainstream news. It is controlled by the CIA and the Pentagon. It all started with Operation Mockingbird in 1942. (I think it was 1942).......Operation Mockingbird was all about the "union" of CBS and the CIA. Goggle it. It's a real eye opener.
There is a plethora of truth available about any subject, so everyone can do their own research and come to their own conclusions. As the result of much research I've come to believe that there is even propaganda and lies attached to global warming being "man made". Any scientist who has tried to be heard, dared to question the popular theory, has been ignored. shunned, personally attacked, turned into a pariah, wrongly accused of being in collusion with oil companies, etc. WHY does anyone need to attack anyone for sharing facts they have access to? What and WHO does it serve to attack anyone?
We all MUST think for ourselves and do our best to get ALL the facts about ANY situation before accepting any conclusion as fact/reality. No one who is on the global warming alarmist side has bothered to mention that the ice caps on Mars, Jupiter and Saturn were also melting. WHY???
So I don't mean to throw a monkey wrench into any cause that is worthy. I MUST know without a shadow of a doubt that something is really true before I believe it. To truly be a conscientious person who is doing everything possible to be part of the solution in life requires one to truly become educated on all sides of every issue, researching, studying ALL info available on every issue. It can be time consuming and somewhat daunting to do this, but at the end of the day, it is more than worth it.
Tuesday May 13, 2008, 1:03 am
I want to stress here erozion of soil, CAUSED BY HUMAN IMPACT! AND KEEP IN MIND THAT PROCCES OF FORMING 10 CM OF SOIL FROM PIECES OF ROCKS , ORGANIC MATTERS , WATER, AND NATURAL EROSINON LAST FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS!!!!
The rate of erosion tenses on many factors, including the amount and intensity of precipitation, the texture of the soil, the gradient of the slope, ground cover from vegetation, rocks, land use, how much water there is, and possibility of erosion from speed of a stream. The first factor, rain, is the agent for erosion, but the degree of erosion is governed by other factors.
The first three factors can remain fairly constant over time. In general, given the same kind of vegetative cover, you expect areas with high-intensity precipitation, sandy or silty soils and steep slopes to be the most erosive. Soils with a greater proportion of clay that receive less intense precipitation and are on gentle slopes tend to erode less. But here, the impact of atmospheric sodium on erodibility of clay should be considered (Schmittner and Giresse, 1999).
The factor that is most subject to change is the amount and type of ground cover. In an undisturbed forest, the mineral soil is protected by a litter layer and an organic layer. These two layers protect the soil by absorbing the impact of rain drops. These layers and the underlaying soil in a forest is porous and highly permeable to rainfall. Typically only the most severe rainfall and large hailstorm events will lead to overland flow in a forest. If the trees are removed by fire or logging, infiltration rates remain high and erosion low to the degree the forest floor remains intact. Severe fires can lead to significantly increased erosion if followed by heavy rainfall. In the case of construction or road building when the litter layer is removed or compacted the susceptibility of the soil to erosion is greatly increased.
Roads are especially likely to cause increased rates of erosion because, in addition to removing ground cover, they can significantly change drainage patterns. A road that has a lot of rock and one that is "hydrologically invisible" (that gets the water off the road as quickly as possible, mimicking natural drainage patterns) has the best chance of not causing increased erosion.
Many human activities remove vegetation from an area, making the soil easily eroded. Logging can cause increased erosion rates due to soil compaction, exposure of mineral soil, for example roads and landings. However it is the removal of or compromise to the forest floor not the removal of the canopy that can lead to erosion. This is because rain drops striking tree leaves coalesce with other rain drops creating larger drops. When these larger drops fall (called throughfall) they again may reach terminal velocity and strike the ground with more energy then had they fallen in the open. Terminal velocity of rain drops is reached in about 8 meters. Because forest canopies are usually higher than this, leaf drop can regain terminal velocity. However, the intact forest floor, with its layers of leaf litter and organic matter, absorbs the impact of the rainfall. (Stuart and Edwards)
Heavy grazing can reduce vegetation enough to increase erosion. Changes in the kind of vegetation in an area can also affect erosion rates. Different kinds of vegetation lead to different infiltration rates of rain into the soil. Forested areas have higher infiltration rates, so precipitation will result in less surface runoff, which erodes. Instead much of the water will go in subsurface flows, which are generally less erosive. Leaf litter and low shrubs are an important part of the high infiltration rates of forested systems, the removal of which can increase erosion rates. Leaf litter also shelters the soil from the impact of falling raindrops, which is a significant agent of erosion. Vegetation can also change the speed of surface runoff flows, so grasses and shrubs can also be instrumental in this aspect.
One of the main causes of erosive soil loss in the year 2006 is the result of slash and burn treatment of tropical forest. When the total ground surface is stripped of vegetation and then seared of all living organisms, the upper soils are vulnerable to both wind and water erosion. In a number of regions of the earth, entire sectors of a country have been rendered unproductive. For example, on the Madagascar high central plateau, comprising approximately ten percent of that country's land area, virtually the entire landscape is sterile of vegetation, with gully erosive furrows typically in excess of 50 meters deep and one kilometer wide. Shifting cultivation is a farming system which sometimes incorporates the slash and burn method in some regions of the world.
Bank erosion started by four wheeler all-terrain vehicles, Yauhanna, South CarolinaWhen land is overused by animal activities (including humans), there can be mechanical erosion and also removal of vegetation leading to erosion. In the case of the animal kingdom, this effect would become material primarily with very large animal herds stampeding such as the Blue Wildebeest on the Serengeti plain. Even in this case there are broader material benefits to the ecosystem, such as continuing the survival of grasslands, that are indigenous to this region. This effect may be viewed as anomalous or a problem only when there is a significant imbalance or overpopulation of one species.
In the case of human use, the effects are also generally linked to overpopulation. For when large numbers of hikers use trails or extensive off road vehicle use occurs, erosive effects often follow, arising from vegetation removal and furrowing of foot traffic and off road vehicle tires. These effects can also accumulate from a variety of outdoor human activities, again simply arising from too many people using a finite land resource.
One of the most serious and long-running water erosion problems worldwide is in the People's Republic of China, on the middle reaches of the Yellow River and the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. From the Yellow River, over 1.6 billion tons of sediment flows into the ocean each year. The sediment originates primarily from water erosion in the Loess Plateau region of the northwest.
