(0) Introduction

The term environment means everything external to an organism. The environment of a tree means everything other than the particular tree. Therefore, the environment is the whole sum of the surroundings, external conditions within which an organism, a community, or an object exists.
Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land.
There are three main ways of looking at land degradation and its impact on the environment around it:

  • A temporary or permanent decline in the productive capacity of the land. This can be seen through a loss of biomass, a loss of actual productivity or in potential productivity, or a loss or change in vegetative cover and soil nutrients.
  • Action in the land capacity to provide resources for human livelihood. This can be measured from a baseline of past land use.
  • Loss of biodiversity: a loss of range of species or ecosystem complexity as a decline in the environmental quality.
  • At the end of this module, students will be able to:
  • Apply soil conservation measures
  • Apply waste management procedures
  • Control invasive plants

Definitions of key-terms:

  • Sustainability: it is the ability of a process or human activity to meet present needs but maintain natural resources and leave the environment in good order for future generations.
  • Environmental degradation: the reduction in the quality of the environment
  • Environmental management: the idea of humans interacting with the environment in a responsible and ethically sound way, without sacrificing productivity.
  • Environmental protection: the activity of protecting the environment by regulating the discharge of waste, the emission of pollutants, and other human activities.
  • Soil conservation: the use of a range of methods to prevent soil from being eroded or over-cultivated, by irrigation, mulching, etc.
  • Soil degradation: is the decline in soil quality caused by its improper use, usually for agricultural, pastoral, industrial, or urban purposes. Soil degradation is a serious global environmental problem and may be exacerbated by climate change.
  • Waste: material that is thrown away by people or is an unwanted by-product of a process.
  • Invasive species: a plant or animal that is not native to a specific location (an Introduced species); and has a tendency to spread, which is believed to cause damage to the environment, human economy, and/or human health.
  • Weed(s): plants that grow where they are not wanted. They may include any type of plant-a grass, broadleaved herbaceous plant, or woody brush. Some common weeds are spear grass, witchweed, Datura stramonium, and Eragrostis.