Soil degradation

Text 15D

Among the land used for agriculture and forestry, soil is an important component. The intense and increased pressure on land leads to its degradation and pollution, which may result in a partial or complete loss of its productive capacity. Soil degradation can be described as a process by which one or more of the potential ecological functions of the soil are harmed. These functions relate to bio-mass production (nutrient, air and water supply, root support for plants) to filtering, buffering, storage and transformation (e.g. water, nutrient, pollutants). Soil degradation is defined as a process that lowers the current and/or future capacity of the soil to produce goods and services. Two categories of a soil degradation process are recognized, displacement of soil material (e.g., soil erosion by water forces or by wind forces) and soil deterioration covering chemical or physical soil degradation.

Soil degradation is on the increase worldwide, especially in the countries within the tropics. Mismanagement of arable areas by farmers and grazing areas by livestock owners is one of the major causes of soil degradation. More sustainable management of lands would reduce environmental pressures. Conservation tillage, i.e. reduced or no tillage, is the key to sustainable arable land management as it protects the soil resources, increases the efficiency of water use and, of special importance in semi-arid areas, reduces the effects of droughts.

Land/soil degradation can either be as a result of natural hazards or due to unsuitable land use and inappropriate land management practices. Natural hazards include land topography and climatic factors such as steep slopes, frequent floods and tornadoes, blowing of high velocity wind, rains of high intensity, strong leaching in humid regions and drought conditions in dry regions. Deforestation of fragile land, over cutting of vegetation, shifting cultivation, overgrazing, unbalanced fertilizer use and non-adoption of soil conservation management practices, over-pumping of ground water are some of the factors which comes under human intervention resulting in soil erosion.

The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) formulated a project proposal for Global Assessment of the Status of Human Induces Soil Degradation. This was achieved with the help of more than 200 soil scientists and environmental experts worldwide. The project also received active advice from the International Society of Soil Science. Regional cooperators were asked to delineate on a standard topographic base map units showing a certain homogeneity of physiography, climate, vegetation, geology, soil and land use. Within each delineated map unit, soil degradation, its relative extent within the unit and the type of human intervention that has resulted in soil degradation during the post-war period were also indicated. The regional results were then generalized and compiled as a world map.

The program developed methodologies to create soil and terrain databases. The main objective of the program was to strengthen global awareness of policy-makers and decision makers of the danger resulting from inappropriate land and soil management.

Lesson 16. EFFICIENCY AND EFFECTIVENESS IN SOIL REMEDIATION

1. Прочтите следующие слова:

Combustion, ignition, explosion, implicit, attenuation, hamper, priority, contamination, chemical, remediation, highlight, pollution, constraint, probability, delay, representation, cleaning-up, multifunctionality.

2. Прочтите и переведите следующие группы слов:

Remediation strategy; pose no harm to humans; a growing awareness; chemical properties; planning constraint; dispersion of pollution; due to air emission; to restore multifunctionality; industrialized countries; increase in productivity; may hinder; specific developments; economic burden; environmental balance.

3. Запомните следующие слова и словосочетания:

acceptability (n.) – допустимость

additive (adj.) – добавочный, дополнительный

aggregating (n.) – сбор, совокупление

ambiguity (n.) – неопределённость, двусмысленность

attenuation (n.) – уменьшение, истощение

burden (n.) – бремя, груз, ноша

challenge (v.) – вызывать, оспаривать, подвергать сомнению

chemical properties – химические свойства

combustion (n.) – окисление, сгорание

compartment (n.) – отделение

contaminated sites – загрязненные участки

discretionary (adj.) – предоставленный на собственное усмотрение

dispersion (n.) – разбросанность, рассеяние

environmental performance – характеристика окружающей среды

excavate-pumb-and-treat – помповые раскопки и обработка

explosion (n.) – взрыв, вспышка

exposure (n.) – подверженность (риску)

fossil fuels – допотопное (неочищенное) горючее

grasp (v.) – схватывать, понимать, воспринимать

hamper (v.) – препятствовать

ignition (n.) – воспламенение

implicit (adj.) – безоговорочный, подразумеваемый

indices (pl.) –(index) – показатели

in terms of environmentаl merit – в смысле качества окружающей среды

internalization of the values – (зд.) внутренняя стоимость

issues (n.) – спорные вопросы

merit (n.) – качество, существо

net environmental benefit – чистая выгода для окружающей среды

outcome (n.) – результат, выход, последствие

performance (n.) – 1. характеристика, производительность; 2. коэффициент полезного действия; 3. выполнение

publicly owner sites – участки, которыми владеет государство или общественность

remediation (n.) – восстановление, лечение

risk attenuation process – процесс уменьшения риска

time-dependent profile – профиль, зависимый от времени

wait-and-see attitude – выжидательная позиция

4. Прочтите и переведите следующий текст:

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