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 | Class | Rank | Percent | Regina | Houston | Philadelphia | Oklahoma City | San Antonio | Boulder | Wichita | Portland | Irvine | Minneapolis | Boise | Winnipeg | Spring Hill | Greeley | St. Louis | Detroit | West Palm Beach | Columbus | Augusta | McAllen | Topeka | Las Cruces | Bakersfield | Oceanside | Reno | Indianapolis | Stockton | Baton Rouge | Glendale | Salinas | Trenton | Aurora | Modesto | Nogales | Rock Island | Fresno | Covington | |
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23.0% | 35.0% | 31.0% | 10.1% | 1 | 1 | 1 |