What is topsoil loss?

Topsoil is the thin surface of the ground which acts as the skin of our earth. It is a complex system comprised of organisms, nutrients, and a delicate balance which creates the vital life force for just about everything on our planet. It is also, probably the most precious resource to humans, and one that is hardly talked about or even considered.

Natural landscapes such as forests, meadows, and biodiverse regions nurture the soil, as it nurtures them in return, however, humanities dependence on agriculture has caused many vast expanses of land to be converted into farm fields and pastures.

Eliminating the balance of diverse plants and replacing them with items such as coffee, cotton, palm oil, soybeans, and wheat coupled with modern agricultural methods decreases the integrity and structure of the soil. Rains and irrigation, therefore, wash away the loose soil no longer being held by deep roots of natural ecosystems.

How much topsoil have we lost?

Current estimations show that the planet has lost 50% of the fertile top soil in the last 150 years . This is not only due to erosion, but also the decrease of soil quality due to compaction, loss of soil structure, nutrient degradation, and soil solidity.

What does topsoil loss mean?

Losing fertile topsoil does not only direct the mass of soil where food can be grown for the continually increasing population, but the projections are also that there will be 9.6 billion people on the planet by 2050 . Soil erosion has an impact on biodiversity, carbon loss, disaster resilience along with food production. At the current rate, predictions show that there are only 60 years of farming left if soil degradation continues .

According to the Joint Research Centre  decreasing productivity on farmland has been observed in 20% of world’s cropland, 16% of forest land, 19% on grassland and 27% of rangeland. This is mostly because industrial agriculture is excellent at feeding populations  by extracting nutrients and resources from the earth, but not so good at returning them back in. See how organic farming works to counteract that.

It also impacts the amount of pollution and sedimentation which washes into streams and rivers leading into the ocean. Just have a look at our article about the farming and run off into the Great Barrier Reef. Degraded land also loses the ability to hold onto more water, increasing drought severity along with worsening flooding dependant on the situation.

How to Slow Topsoil loss?

One of the biggest things you can do to protect the topsoil is to purchase your produce from organic farmers. This is because organic farming goes beyond just not using chemical pesticides but aims to nurture the land. Here are several ways that farmers or anyone can conserve topsoil. Check out what Organic Farming Standards are in Australia, and how farmers work to protect our natural environment.

In your own garden, you can:

• 1. Plant native grass and trees, especially on slopes. 
• 2. Add mulch and rocks on top of your soil
• 3. Put down fiber logs
• 4. Build retaining walls
• 5. Improve drainage in your garden
• 6. Reduce watering to minimise run off
• 7. Avoid soil compaction by putting heavy machinery on your plants.

Conclusion

If you want to help effects of soil degradation, spend the extra money, and invest in organic foods. This way you are helping your body and the environment.

If you liked this article please share and leave a comment down below.