Editing Erosion (section)

===Soils===
{{further|soil erosion|pedogenesis}}
If the erosion rate exceeds [[soil formation]], erosion destroys the soil.<ref name=Migon>{{cite encyclopedia|last=Lupia-Palmieri|first=Elvidio|editor-last=Goudie|editor-first=A.S.|editor-link=Andrew Goudie (geographer)|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Geomorphology|title=Erosion|year=2004|pages=336}}</ref> Lower rates of erosion can prevent the formation of [[soil morphology|soil features]]  that take time to develop. [[Inceptisol]]s develop on eroded landscapes that, if stable, would have supported the formation of more developed [[Alfisols]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Alexander |first=Earl B. |date=2014 |title=Soils in natural landscapes |publisher=CRC Press |page=108 |isbn=978-1-4665-9436-4}}</ref>

While erosion of soils is a natural process, human activities have increased by 10–40 times the rate at which erosion occurs globally. Excessive (or accelerated) erosion causes both "on-site" and "off-site" problems. On-site impacts include decreases in [[agricultural productivity]] and (on [[natural landscape]]s) [[ecological collapse]], both because of loss of the nutrient-rich upper [[soil horizon|soil layers]]. In some cases, the eventual result is [[desertification]]. Off-site effects include [[Sediment#Erosion and agricultural sediment delivery to rivers|sedimentation of waterways]] and [[eutrophication]] of water bodies, as well as sediment-related damage to roads and houses. Water and wind erosion are the two primary causes of [[land degradation]]; combined, they are responsible for about 84% of the global extent of [[degraded land]], making excessive erosion one of the most significant [[environmental problems]].<ref name="toy-2002-p1" /><ref name="Springer">{{cite book|author=Blanco, Humberto |author2=Lal, Rattan|chapter=Soil and water conservation|title=Principles of Soil Conservation and Management|publisher=Springer|year=2010|isbn=978-90-481-8529-0|page=2|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Wj3690PbDY0C&pg=PA2}}</ref>

Often in the United States, farmers cultivating [[highly erodible land]] must comply with a conservation plan to be eligible for agricultural assistance.<ref>{{cite web|title=Farm and Commodity Policy: Glossary|url=http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/farmpolicy/glossary.htm#conscompliance|publisher=United States Department of Agriculture|access-date=17 July 2011|archive-date=2 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902194840/http://ers.usda.gov/Briefing/FarmPolicy/Glossary.htm#conscompliance|url-status=dead}}</ref>