• Soil erosion is common in sandy soil.badlands image by rikkidegraz from Fotolia.com
  
  Soil erosion refers to the process of soil being removed from its natural location by the effect of wind, water or gravitational force. Although some levels of soil erosion are expected and have been in effect ever since there has been evidence of soil on earth, increased incidences of accelerated soil erosion are a recent problem. Erosion occurs when soil is lost at a faster rate than it is formed. Among other factors, this commonly occurs due to overgrazing and other careless cultivation practices, which make lands vulnerable to damage. Accelerated soil erosion is considered among the most critical present-day environmental problems.
  
  

Mass Movement Soil Erosion

• Mass movement soil erosion occurs with the downward movement of rock and soil due to gravity. The different forms of mass movement soil erosion include earth flow, where entire slabs of soil become liquid and start to flow downhill; soil creep, which is characterized by a slow downhill rolling and creeping of soil particles; slumps and landslips, which are commonly caused by the rotational failure of the subsoil layer; rock avalanches, which are the collapse of the rock structures in soil; and landslides, which are commonly triggered by soil erosion at the base of slopes.
  
  

Water Erosion

• As the name suggests, water erosion of soil is caused by the effect of water. This is basically a two-part process which involves the separation and transportation of soil particles. There are different ways in which water erosion takes place. Splash erosion is characterized by raindrops falling on the soil surface and displacing the soil; sheet erosion happens when water is lost with the shallow sheets of water flowing over the ground; rill erosion is a concentrated form of sheet erosion; gully erosion is a more advanced stage of rill erosion; and tunnel erosion results from the movement of excessive amounts of water through the subsoil.
  
  

Wind Erosion

• Wind erosion is the soil erosion that occurs with the action of wind on soil, where soil particles are detached from their original location and transported to other areas. Wind erosion commonly occurs on the bare, flat lands with sandy soil or where soil is loose and fine grained. Clay soils, which have been overworked by excessive tilling, are also highly susceptible to wind erosion. Wind erosion leads to the removal of the nutrient-rich soil particles and fertile organic matter, leaving behind the mostly inert matter.