Human impact on soils(Please, please help)

estebancambias

Ok so this question is tipped for geocology, so can you help me with an other 2 points. Ive got this point , can someone tell me if it will get near full marks.
Please just give me 2 points it would be much appreciated.

In the Mezzogiorno soils are thin and exhausted, this is mainly down to Human activity. For centuries Humans have damaged the soil of the region.
Due to the high population pressures that have existed over the centuries, much of the region has expierenced deforestation. This led to soils being washed from the uplands during winter rain accumulating in river beds, thus blocking waterways
The Mezziogiorno was and remains heavily dependant on agriculture. Because of this overgrazing has had an impact on soil fertility. Increased amount of animal numblers namely goats and sheep have caused vegetation to be lost on the hillsides, due to the grazing itself and these animals trampling it. As a result soil is depleted of it's nutrients. Increased amounts of moisture is evaporated on soil which results in soil being exposed to wind, example the sirocco which blows in from the Sahara and rain during the winter months. These factors have combined to lead to soil erosion. So it is evident that in the Mezzogiorno human impact has had an adverse effect on soils.

sternn

In the Mezzogiorno soils are thin and exhausted, this is mainly down to Human activity. For centuries Humans have damaged the soil of the region. (1)
Due to the high population pressures that have existed over the centuries, much of the region has expierenced deforestation. This led to soils being washed from the uplands during winter rain accumulating in river beds, thus blocking waterways. (1)
The Mezziogiorno was and remains heavily dependant on agriculture. Because of this overgrazing has had an impact on soil fertility. (1)
Increased amount of animal numbers namely goats and sheep have caused vegetation to be lost on the hillsides, due to the grazing itself and these animals trampling it. As a result soil is depleted of it's nutrients. (1)

I thing, you have not related this point below to how humans have made this happen. So that does not count as an SRP.

Increased amounts of moisture is evaporated on soil which results in soil being exposed to wind, example the sirocco which blows in from the Sahara and rain during the winter months. These factors have combined to lead to soil erosion. So it is evident that in the Mezzogiorno human impact has had an adverse effect on soils.

From my opinion, I think you have 4 SRP's here... if someone disagrees please let me know.
I hope this helps somewhat:D

estebancambias

Would it not be an srp for saying mezzogiorno and then 1 or 2 if i say soils are thin and exhausted?

I hope I dont get a stringent marker like you for the lc. I thought that answer was good. LOL-That probably wasnt funny but the lol was needed.

sternn

estebancambias wrote:

Would it not be an srp for saying mezzogiorno and then 1 or 2 if i say soils are thin and exhausted?

You will get an SRP for saying Mezzogiorno
BUT
Being thin and exhausted is a characteristic of a soil, and you have shown how it has become that further on in the question...which is what you will get the marks for.

(This is how our teacher usually marks our papers, being VERY strict, this is the reason why NONE of our class got over 80%)

estebancambias

This is very long. please just grade my answer, it would be much appreciated.

It is estimated that Humans cause 10 times more soil erosion than any other process.

Point 1 : In the Mezzogiorno soils are thin and exhausted, this is mainly down to Human activity. For centuries Humans have damaged the soil of the region.
Due to the high population pressures that have existed over the centuries, much of the region has expierenced deforestation. This led to soils being washed from the uplands during winter rain accumulating in river beds, thus blocking waterways
The Mezziogiorno was and remains heavily dependant on agriculture. Because of this overgrazing has had an impact on soil fertility. Increased amount of animal numblers namely goats and sheep have caused vegetation to be lost on the hillsides, due to the grazing itself and these animals trampling it. As a result soil is depleted of it's nutrients. Increased amounts of moisture is evaporated on soil which results in soil being exposed to wind, example the sirocco which blows in from the Sahara and rain during the winter months. These factors have combined to lead to soil erosion. So it is evident that in the Mezzogiorno human impact has had an adverse effect on soils.

Point 2: In the Sahel human activity has been detrimnetal to the soil. Human impact on the soils began to have a negative impact on the soils when the population of the Sahel began to increase greatly. Because of this drastic increase in population farmers were forced to change their farming methods as land became more sparse. Farmers were forced to grow crops on more marginal lands. As a result of this increase in population, more food had to be produced and so the ''fallow year'' was abandoned. This led to overcropping, and eventually the soils became sapped of it's nutrients. Due to this human activity of overgrazing the land became very sterile.

In the sahel owning cattle was a sign of prestige, this led to the large ownership of cattle. Boreholes were created to water their animals. Eventually these boreholes led to soil salinisation.

So it is evident that in the Sahel, that human activity has sped up soil erosion. This is because vegetation cover has been removed by human activities meaning the less humus was added to the soil. The long term effect has been desertification.

Point 3: In the Amazonia Rainforest in Brazil, they are expierencing the same problem as the Sahel. Rapid population growth over the last 40 years meant that the rainforests were felled for settlement. Deforestation and overcropping have led to large scale losses of soil in the amazonia basin.
The damage of the soil is mainly caused due to the human removal of the canapy of vegetatiob. This means theres is no replacement humus to keep soil fertile. Existing nutrients are quicky leached of their soils, leaving it infertile and exposed to terrential downpours in the basin. This is all a result of human activity.

In the basin, substince farming is persued. Farmers adopt the ''slash and burn method'' cutting down trees. The ash does make the soil fertile for a short time but eventually rainfall washes away topsoil.


The extent of soil erosion by human activity can be seen in the fact that 400 million tonnes of soil is eroded in Africa every year alone. If something is not done, and soil conservation is not put in place then then human safety is at risk.