Introduction

LUZ

The most important features of the degradation and erosion of degradable

polymers in vitro are discussed. Parameters of chemical degradation, which is the
scission of the polymer backbone, are described such as the type of polymer bond,
pH and copolymer composition. Examples are given how these parameters can be
used to control degradation rates. Degradation leads finally to polymer erosion, the
loss of material from the polymer bulk. The resulting changes in morphology, pH,
oligomer and monomer properties as well as crystallinity are illustrated with
selected examples. Finally, a brief survey on approaches to polymer degradation
and erosion is given.

Causes ALEJA
Mother Nature works in mysterious ways. One of the most natural causes of
erosion is rainfall. Rainfall can be devastating to soil because of the force and
impact in which it hits the topsoil with. These splashing affects cause soil to lose
particles and shift and move around into unknown places. When the eroded area
(which has been caused by water) dries up it is known to form gullies and large
cracks in the surface which can be so damaging to rural and farming properties.
Human activity on and around the earths surface whether it is in your backyard or
down the park are known to cause erosion 10 times more than naturally occurring
processes. Human life has been the number on cause of erosion dating back to the
first millennium. Agriculture and construction are the 2 ways in which humans
cause erosion. Construction when unnecessarily conducted can be quite damaging
to soil and dirt. Vegetation and agriculture are also 2 human causes of erosion
because humans move the top soil and make it prone to erosion.

Consequences
Impacts of erosion LUZ
All soils can suffer erosion but some are more vulnerable than others. Soils
with dispersible subsoils, for example, are subject to serious erosion
by tunnelling and gully formation.
Understanding the type of soil and how prone it is to erosion can help avoid
problems in agriculture and on waterways and infrastructure.

Agriculture ALEJA
Soil erosion removes valuable top soil which is the most productive part of the soil
profile for agricultural purposes. The loss of this top soil results in lower yields and
higher production costs.
When top soil is gone, erosion can cause rills and gullies that make the cultivation
of paddocks impossible.
The impacts of erosion on cropping lands include:

reduced ability of the soil to store water and nutrients

exposure of subsoil, which often has poor physical and chemical properties

higher rates of runoff, shedding water and nutrients otherwise used for crop
growth

loss of newly planted crops

deposits of silt in low-lying areas.

Erosion has created a gully in this paddock, exposing the subsoil (lighter coloured
soil), and making it difficult to cultivate.

In Queensland LUZ
Queensland farmers have been cultivating the land since the 1850s. However,
early farmers were not aware that some of their farming practices were causing
erosion.

By the 1950s, soil erosion was seriously threatening the productivity of fertile
cropping areas such as the Darling Downs and the Inland Burnett.
Around 3 million hectares or 2% of Queensland is now used for growing crops.
Our principal cropping areas are the Western Downs, Darling Downs, Inland
Burnett, DawsonCallide, Central Highlands, Atherton Tablelands and the
horticulture and sugarcane areas along the east coast.
Around 80% of the states cultivated area is vulnerable to soil erosion. If nothing is
done to protect the soil, losses can be very high. Soil erosion has been so severe
that some areas of Queensland are now unsuitable for cropping.
Soil losses from unprotected cultivation in upland cropping areas of the Darling
Downs can average between 20 and 60 tonnes per hectare per year. Steep,
unprotected cropping lands in tropical areas can lose up to 400 tonnes of soil per
hectare per year.

Waterways ALEJA
Downstream effects of soil erosion include:

siltation of watercourses and water storages

reduction in water quality of creeks, rivers and coastal areas.

Eroded soil, which can contain nutrients, fertilisers and herbicides or pesticides,
can be deposited where there is a reduction in the slope of the land. This can be in
sediment traps, along contour banks, or in grassed waterways, dams or wetlands.
Heavier soil particles are the first to be deposited, while finer colloidal clay particles
may remain in suspension. Soil removed by gully erosion (especially finer colloidal
clay) may be transported directly to creeks or rivers.

Reef water quality LUZ

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef in the world.
The quality of water flowing from the land into the reef lagoon has deteriorated over
the past 150 years.

Major floods deliver large levels of pollutants (including eroded soil) from river
catchments onto the reef.
Read more about reef water quality.
Infrastructure ALEJA

Erosion causing serious damage to a road

Erosion on the driveway of an urban development

Almost 45% of Queensland has soils with some sodic properties. These soils are
especially vulnerable to most forms of soil erosion and can affect infrastructure
projects such as:

dams and embankmentsif dispersible soils are not compacted properly

during construction, air voids occur. Water can easily get into these void
spaces and cause dispersion of the surrounding soil. Small pipes can form
which quickly develop into tunnels. This has been known to cause piping
and bank failure within a few hours when a new dam is filled for the first
time.

road and tracksbitumen and concrete readily produce runoff. To build

roads, the land has to be disturbed, so erosion and siltation can occur if
special stabilising techniques are not used.

urban developmentscan cause severe soil erosion if the land is unsuitable

to be built on and developments run through existing drainage lines.

mining and exploration activitiesinterfere with the natural drainage of the

landscape which can cause erosion and siltation of waterways. Mining
exploration requires the development of hundreds of kilometres of tracks
and roads from which vegetation is cleared, leaving the soil more vulnerable
to erosion.

Possibility solutions LUZ

Good vegetation cover

Reduced tillage

Balanced rotation (with grassland or green-manure catch crops or

intercroping)

forage crops, reduced tillage or direct seeding, cross slope cropping, selective
reforestation upstream from the field, levelling
Grassed (or rip-rapped) watercourse
Inlet well and berm
If the depression is small: Levelling
If the depression is too large and/or too deep to be levelled: Infiltration well or
permeable trench
Grassed waterway
Interceptor drain
Infiltration well or permeable trench
Drainage ditch
Rock chute with berm