Erosion has some very important benefits.
Soil erosion occurs naturally, and can help distribute nutrients across a landscape. It can also improve soil texture, reduce the risk of runoff, and protect against landslides.
Advantages of erosion include; Nutrient distribution, vegetation stabilization, soil detoxification, landform modification, and geochemical cycling.
Water erosion happens when raindrops hit the ground and break up soil particles. Streams and rivers transport the eroded materials to lower elevations, often through runoff.
Bare soil is especially prone to erosion. Since there’s no plant life to absorb the water or hold dirt in place, a rainstorm can cause more runoff.
Trees and shrubs keep bare soil from eroding, and they can help protect against landslides. The roots of these plants also help hold the soil in place.
Climate change can worsen the effects of erosion by increasing extreme weather events like floods and droughts. The more frequent and intense rains, and the warmer days, can lead to more sediment washing into rivers and streams.
Many human activities have increased the rate of erosion, including farming and ranching, cutting down forests, and mining. Deforestation and other forms of land use change can increase the erosion rate, resulting in fewer living trees to stabilize the soil, which leads to nutrient loss. In addition, many agricultural commodities, such as coffee, cotton, palm oil, soybean, and wheat, are unable to sustain themselves in natural environments, so they can cause soil erosion to a greater extent than the soil is able to resist.