Areas at Risk of Soil Degradation
WorldPhysical EnvironmentLevels of concern for there to be a decline in soil quality caused by its improper use, usually for agricultural, pastoral, industrial, or urban purposes.
Geosystems: Intro to Physical Geography
A map illustrates areas at risk of soil degradation worldwide, categorized by serious concern, some concern, stable terrain, and non-vegetated land.
The map shows areas at risk of soil degradation using different colors. Areas of Serious Concern (light pink): North America: Great Plains, southwestern deserts, and Mississippi Valley. Central America: Most of the land. South America: Lands along the Andes mountains, parts of interior and coastal Brazil. Europe: Mostly in Eastern Europe. Africa: Near the Mediterranean in North Africa; lands of the Sahel along the southern border of the Sahara; in and around Nigeria in West Africa; the island of Madagascar; smaller patches in East Africa and southern Africa. Asia: Central and eastern China, much of mainland Southeast Asia, the islands of Borneo, and the Philippines. Australia: Southeast Australia has a small area of serious concern. Areas of Some Concern (light purple): Found in scattered regions across North America, South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. Stable Terrain (light blue): These areas include parts of North America mostly in Canada, South America in parts of Brazil, and in parts of Europe, Africa, and Asia. Nonvegetated Land (dark blue): Predominantly in desert regions such as the Sahara, Central Asia, and parts of Australia.
Areas of serious concern | Areas of some concern | Stable terrain | Nonvegetated land | High Pressure | Sea-Level Rise Vulnerability (2 m) | 0 to 2°C | 3 to 5°C | 6 to 8°C | 9 to 11°C | 12 to 14°C | 15 to 17°C | 18 to 20°C | 21 to 23°C | 24 to 26°C | 27 to 29°C | over 30°C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska | 0.154% | 0.253% | 2.07% | 0.102% | 1.55% | 61.7% | |||||||||||
Arizona | 30.7% | 40.9% | 28.4% | 31.1% | 44.3% | 24.6% | |||||||||||
Utah | 13.6% | 86.4% | 22.4% | 10.2% | 31.4% | ||||||||||||
Yukon | 100% | 1.02% | 5.15% | 93.8% | |||||||||||||
Northwest Territories | 3.06% | 0.135% | 0.878% | 21.6% | 7.94% | 10.5% | 59.1% | ||||||||||
District of Columbia | 100% | 7.08% | 100% | ||||||||||||||
Florida | 99.0% | 1.05% | 84.0% | 16.0% | |||||||||||||
Idaho | 12.7% | 87.3% | 52.5% | 45.2% | 2.21% | ||||||||||||
New Hampshire | 100% | 100% | |||||||||||||||
Rhode Island | 95.0% | 2.37% | 62.8% | 37.2% | |||||||||||||
Vermont | 2.39% | 97.6% | 100% | ||||||||||||||
Washington | 12.5% | 11.9% | 5.51% | 23.4% | 27.9% | 35.5% | |||||||||||
Wyoming | 3.04% | 97.0% | 57.2% | 36.6% | 6.22% | ||||||||||||
Nunavut | 0.587% | 0.130% | 22.1% | 39.9% | 23.5% | 12.2% | 2.23% | ||||||||||
Montana | 5.14% | 83.8% | 56.5% | 21.6% | 21.8% | ||||||||||||
Maine | 0.171% | 80.4% | 0.141% | 21.3% | 78.7% | ||||||||||||
North Dakota | 92.0% | 8.03% | 37.6% | 62.4% | |||||||||||||
Kentucky | 1.37% | 98.6% | 100% | ||||||||||||||
Nova Scotia | 18.4% | 0.109% | 100% | ||||||||||||||
Virginia | 25.7% | 74.1% | 0.110% | 48.6% | 51.4% | ||||||||||||
Delaware | 99.3% | 4.34% | 43.6% | 56.4% | |||||||||||||
Prince Edward Island | 96.6% | 100% | |||||||||||||||
Saskatchewan | 11.6% | 38.7% | 49.7% | 1.64% | 24.6% | 49.4% | 17.2% | 1.04% | |||||||||
Mississippi | 18.4% | 64.8% | 16.8% | 100% | |||||||||||||
West Virginia | 26.7% | 73.3% | 11.9% | 88.1% | |||||||||||||
Nebraska | 94.5% | 5.51% | 1.32% | 35.2% | 63.5% | ||||||||||||
Texas | 13.8% | 77.2% | 8.74% | 0.135% | 7.04% | 70.2% | 22.7% | ||||||||||
Missouri | 53.7% | 46.3% | 100% | ||||||||||||||
Louisiana | 0.161% | 18.9% | 29.5% | 12.6% | 100% | ||||||||||||
Hawaii | 1.16% | 1.13% | 97.3% | 2.67% | |||||||||||||
North Carolina | 99.4% | 0.192% | 26.8% | 73.2% | |||||||||||||
Oregon | 0.146% | 13.9% | 59.9% | 0.125% | 11.6% | 83.6% | 4.75% | ||||||||||
New Brunswick | 35.3% | 63.9% | 73.4% | 26.6% | |||||||||||||
Alabama | 73.2% | 26.7% | 0.218% | 100% | |||||||||||||
New Mexico | 5.86% | 92.2% | 1.91% | 0.149% | 84.2% | 15.7% | |||||||||||
Kansas | 64.1% | 35.9% | 6.28% | 93.7% | |||||||||||||
Wisconsin | 41.4% | 38.2% | 20.4% | 1.04% | 35.2% | 63.8% | |||||||||||
British Columbia | 3.99% | 0.242% | 1 | 85.4% | 13.9% | 0.706% | |||||||||||
Newfoundland and Labrador | 24.7% | 4.91% | 37.1% | 57.9% | |||||||||||||
New Jersey | 99.1% | 0.136% | 95.6% | 4.35% | |||||||||||||
South Carolina | 90.8% | 9.02% | 3.75% | 2.93% | 97.1% | ||||||||||||
Michigan | 70.3% | 29.6% | 12.8% | 28.4% | 58.8% | ||||||||||||
Alberta | 3.89% | 14.0% | 65.8% | 50.7% | 34.5% | 14.8% | |||||||||||
Connecticut | 1.86% | 98.1% | 6.03% | 94.0% | |||||||||||||
Pennsylvania | 12.1% | 87.9% | 99.0% | 1.04% | |||||||||||||
Colorado | 35.4% | 64.6% | 14.4% | 39.4% | 44.0% | 2.22% | |||||||||||
Nevada | 54.5% | 39.8% | 0.655% | 15.3% | 31.5% | 45.5% | 7.66% | ||||||||||
Massachusetts | 0.575% | 0.226% | 98.7% | 1.07% | 0.220% | ||||||||||||
Georgia | 64.0% | 35.9% | 0.512% | 100% | |||||||||||||
New York | 2.49% | 25.0% | 0.143% | 60.0% | 40.0% | ||||||||||||
Maryland | 23.5% | 74.6% | 0.387% | 74.4% | 25.6% | ||||||||||||
Québec | 0.218% | 94.2% | 1 | 1.08% | 22.4% | 41.4% | 22.6% | 3.88% | |||||||||
Manitoba | 5.67% | 12.3% | 81.9% | 32.7% | 26.1% | 29.9% | 11.4% | ||||||||||
Oklahoma | 31.0% | 69.0% | 100% | ||||||||||||||
Tennessee | 4.84% | 95.2% | 100% | ||||||||||||||
Ontario | 8.22% | 91.7% | 10.3% | 11.0% | 55.9% | 3.50% | 2.10% | ||||||||||
California | 10.6% | 60.7% | 22.9% | 5.57% | 0.575% | 0.261% | 27.4% | 0.828% | 11.3% | 14.3% | 0.918% | ||||||
Arkansas | 31.1% | 68.9% | 100% | ||||||||||||||
South Dakota | 56.9% | 43.1% | 75.3% | 24.7% | |||||||||||||
Ohio | 100% | 58.5% | 41.5% | ||||||||||||||
Indiana | 2.05% | 97.9% | 29.9% | 70.1% | |||||||||||||
Minnesota | 26.5% | 61.6% | 11.9% | 4.10% | 41.1% | 46.2% | 8.52% | ||||||||||
Iowa | 99.1% | 0.440% | 11.6% | 88.4% | |||||||||||||
Illinois | 96.6% | 3.35% | 23.5% | 76.5% | |||||||||||||