Nutrient availability can be influenced by several factors and these include:
1. Soil Ph: The relative concentration of the hydrogen irons and or hydroxyl irons may either increase or decrease nutrient availability.
2. The Presence of Other Nutrients: The essence of the various mineral salts will either increase or decrease the other mineral salts in the soil.
3. Leaching: This encourages the draining of mineral salts from the topsoil to subsoil thereby depriving plants of such nutrients.
4. Crop Removal: This may be in form of clean clearing, deforestation or cutting down of harvested crops which lead to loss of nutrients in the soil.
5. Oxidation and Reduction: This is a form of chemical reaction in which the electron(s) is or are either lost or gained thereby changing the state of the mineral salts. In such a changed state, the mineral salts may be washed away.
6. Burning: This kills soil organisms, destroys the texture and structure of the soil and finally reduces plant nutrients.
7. Erosion: This helps in washing away of soil nutrients from one place to another, and may occur under the influence of heavy rain or wind storm.
Erosion
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of primarily mineral constituents, which differ from the parent materials in their texture, structure, consistence, color, chemical, biological and other physical characteristics. Plants and crops need soil to live and grow on; they are important for the environment, animals, and human beings as they release oxygen into the environment during photosynthesis, and are sources of food for omnivores, and herbivores. Therefore, soil erosion, which is the deterioration of soil by the physical movement of soil particles from a given site, can damage the environment; destroy the human beings and animals’ food sources. In this research paper, I will discuss about the causes, effects and the solutions for the soil erosion.
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