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 | Rice Production (U.S.) | Rice Production (U.S.) | Rice Production (U.S.) | Rice Production (U.S.) | Rice Production (U.S.) | Rice Production (U.S.) | Rice Production (U.S.) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yukon | 100% | ||||||||||
Northwest Territories | 3.06% | ||||||||||
Nunavut | 0.587% | ||||||||||
Nova Scotia | 18.4% | ||||||||||
Prince Edward Island | 96.6% | ||||||||||
Saskatchewan | 11.6% | 38.7% | 49.7% | ||||||||
New Brunswick | 35.3% | 63.9% | |||||||||
British Columbia | 3.99% | 0.242% | |||||||||
Newfoundland and Labrador | 24.7% | ||||||||||
Alberta | 3.89% | 14.0% | 65.8% | ||||||||
Québec | 0.218% | 94.2% | |||||||||
Manitoba | 5.67% | 12.3% | 81.9% | ||||||||
Ontario | 8.22% | 91.7% | |||||||||
Alaska | 0.154% | ||||||||||
Arizona | 30.7% | 40.9% | 28.4% | ||||||||
Utah | 13.6% | 86.4% | |||||||||
District of Columbia | 100% | ||||||||||
Florida | 99.0% | ||||||||||
Idaho | 12.7% | 87.3% | |||||||||
New Hampshire | 100% | ||||||||||
Rhode Island | 95.0% | ||||||||||
Vermont | 2.39% | 97.6% | |||||||||
Washington | 12.5% | 11.9% | 5.51% | ||||||||
Wyoming | 3.04% | 97.0% | |||||||||
Montana | 5.14% | 83.8% | |||||||||
Maine | 0.171% | 80.4% | |||||||||
North Dakota | 92.0% | 8.03% | |||||||||
Kentucky | 1.37% | 98.6% | |||||||||
Virginia | 25.7% | 74.1% | |||||||||
Delaware | 99.3% | ||||||||||
Mississippi | 18.4% | 64.8% | 16.8% | ||||||||
West Virginia | 26.7% | 73.3% | |||||||||
Nebraska | 94.5% | 5.51% | |||||||||
Texas | 13.8% | 77.2% | 8.74% | ||||||||
Missouri | 53.7% | 46.3% | |||||||||
Louisiana | 0.161% | 18.9% | 29.5% | ||||||||
Hawaii | 1.16% | ||||||||||
North Carolina | 99.4% | ||||||||||
Oregon | 0.146% | 13.9% | 59.9% | ||||||||
Alabama | 73.2% | 26.7% | |||||||||
New Mexico | 5.86% | 92.2% | 1.91% | ||||||||
Kansas | 64.1% | 35.9% | |||||||||
Wisconsin | 41.4% | 38.2% | 20.4% | ||||||||
New Jersey | 99.1% | ||||||||||
South Carolina | 90.8% | 9.02% | |||||||||
Michigan | 70.3% | 29.6% | |||||||||
Connecticut | 1.86% | 98.1% | |||||||||
Pennsylvania | 12.1% | 87.9% | |||||||||
Colorado | 35.4% | 64.6% | |||||||||
Nevada | 54.5% | 39.8% | 0.655% | ||||||||
Massachusetts | 0.575% | ||||||||||
Georgia | 64.0% | 35.9% | |||||||||
New York | 2.49% | 25.0% | |||||||||
Maryland | 23.5% | 74.6% | |||||||||
Oklahoma | 31.0% | 69.0% | |||||||||
Tennessee | 4.84% | 95.2% | |||||||||
California | 10.6% | 60.7% | 22.9% | 5.57% | |||||||
Arkansas | 31.1% | 68.9% | |||||||||
South Dakota | 56.9% | 43.1% | |||||||||
Ohio | 100% | ||||||||||
Indiana | 2.05% | 97.9% | |||||||||
Minnesota | 26.5% | 61.6% | 11.9% | ||||||||
Iowa | 99.1% | 0.440% | |||||||||
Illinois | 96.6% | 3.35% | |||||||||