GEMET
General
Multilingual
Environmental
Thesaurus
déterioration du sol
Definition

Soil impaired as a consequence of human activity. A study financed by UNEP, reporting in 1992, found that about 10,5% of the world's vegetative surface had been seriously damaged by human activity since 1945. The study found that much of the damage had been masked by a general rise in global agricultural productivity resulting from expanded irrigation, better plant varieties, and greater use of production inputs, such as fertilizers and pesticides. More than 1/3 of the damaged land was in Asia, almost 1/3 in Africa, and 1/4 in Central America. Some land had been damaged beyond restoration. The greatest sources of soil degradation were overgrazing, unsuitable agricultural practices, and deforestation.

Definition is not available for the current language.

Themes:
Other relations
Scope note

Scope note is not available.

Concept URL: http://www.eionet.europa.eu/gemet/concept/7855