ABSTRACT
Few ecosystems globally escape the impact of human activity, and one pervasive influence is agricultural activity, which necessarily involves gross changes to the local ecosystem, and may have more wide-reaching effects. Good soil produces good vegetation which provides food and habitat for animals. Most agricultural systems are based on short-term economic gain and as soil erosion occurs so gradually that it is almost imperceptible it may not, in the short-term, appear serious. Eroded soil is not simply a loss of a valuable resource, it can cause air, water and land pollution. The problem of soil erosion is greatest in the Third World where extensive areas of land are cleared for food production. Soil erosion from forest removal and cultivation on slopes are major problems both in Latin America and Africa. The practices of both agriculture and forestry necessarily involve the removal of biomass, and with it the removal of minerals.
