Earth Materials and

Resources - Soil Resources

Group Game Activity – 5
Minutes
List down all human
activities that may affect the
quality and quantity of soil.
1.Agricultural Depletion
2.Overgrazing Animals
3.Deforestation
4.Mining
5.Development and Expansion
6.Recreational activities, like
driving vehicles off-road or hiking
 Soil is especially vulnerable
to erosion if it is bare or
exposed.
Plants therefore serve a
tremendous role in
preventing soil erosion
If the soil is covered with
plants, erosion is slowed
down.
But when soil is bare, the
rate of erosion speeds up
tremendously.
Here are some human
activities that leave the soil
exposed and speed up
erosion. We speed up erosion
through the following
actions..
1. Agricultural Depletion -
Farming can degrade the
topsoil and lead to an
increase in erosion.
2. Overgrazing Animals -
Grazing animals are animals
that live on large areas of
grassland. They wander over
the area and eat grasses and
shrubs.
3. Deforestation -
Deforestation is another
practice that can greatly
increase the rate of erosion
in a region.
Timber companies utilize a
variety of different
techniques, such as partial
clearing and replanting, to
prevent soil degradation and
erosion in their work zones.
4. Mining operations are
major contributors to
erosion.
5. Development and
Expansion - Urban and
suburban development can
also exacerbate erosion,
especially if the developers
ignore the natural state of the
land.
6. Recreational activities,
like driving vehicles off-road
or hiking
 Humans also cause erosion
through recreational
activities, like hiking and
riding off-road vehicles.
In the Philippines, only 41%
of the total land area is
suited for agriculture.
18.2% is arable
17.8% is dedicated to
permanent crops
5% is permanent pasture
Arable land are land under
temporary crops, temporary
meadows for mowing or
pasture, land under market or
kitchen gardens, and land
temporarily fallow.
Land that was abandoned as
a result of shifting
cultivation is not included.
Urban areas have less arable
land because most of the
land is being used for
building homes, factories,
and roads.
Industrialization has changed
the conventional methods of
farming.
Where soils are not naturally
arable, land is used for other
purposes such as pasturing,
grazing, and other industrial
uses.