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 | 2000–3,999 m | 500–1,999 m | 200–499 m | 1–199 m | Below sea level to 0 m | -0.25 to 0.25 | 0.75 to 1.0 | 1.0 to 1.25 | 1.25 to 1.5 | 1.5 to 1.75 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arizona | 30.7% | 40.9% | 28.4% | 4.23% | 75.1% | 13.5% | 0.123% | |||||||
Utah | 13.6% | 86.4% | 28.9% | 4.66% | ||||||||||
Yukon | 100% | 2.03% | 1.62% | 0.171% | 2.08% | |||||||||
Northwest Territories | 3.06% | 0.701% | 1.01% | 0.274% | ||||||||||
District of Columbia | 100% | 100% | ||||||||||||
Idaho | 12.7% | 87.3% | 20.0% | 1.27% | ||||||||||
New Hampshire | 100% | 24.8% | 51.0% | 24.2% | ||||||||||
Vermont | 2.39% | 97.6% | 5.41% | 75.7% | 16.8% | |||||||||
Wyoming | 3.04% | 97.0% | 48.7% | 0.191% | ||||||||||
Montana | 5.14% | 83.8% | 7.68% | 92.3% | ||||||||||
North Dakota | 92.0% | 8.03% | 1.28% | 41.6% | ||||||||||
Kentucky | 1.37% | 98.6% | 2.03% | 67.9% | 1.14% | |||||||||
Saskatchewan | 11.6% | 38.7% | 49.7% | 0.419% | 47.4% | |||||||||
Mississippi | 18.4% | 64.8% | 16.8% | 99.9% | ||||||||||
West Virginia | 26.7% | 73.3% | 41.2% | 57.1% | 1.62% | |||||||||
Nebraska | 94.5% | 5.51% | 80.9% | 19.1% | ||||||||||
Missouri | 53.7% | 46.3% | 86.5% | 13.5% | ||||||||||
Oregon | 0.146% | 13.9% | 59.9% | 81.4% | 2.26% | 0.478% | ||||||||
Alabama | 73.2% | 26.7% | 24.8% | 75.1% | ||||||||||
New Mexico | 5.86% | 92.2% | 1.91% | 28.8% | 69.9% | |||||||||
Kansas | 64.1% | 35.9% | 51.4% | 48.6% | ||||||||||
Wisconsin | 41.4% | 38.2% | 20.4% | 2.16% | 95.2% | 1.75% | ||||||||
South Carolina | 90.8% | 9.02% | 1.04% | 11.8% | 86.6% | 0.391% | ||||||||
Michigan | 70.3% | 29.6% | 0.349% | 83.9% | 12.8% | 0.190% | ||||||||
Alberta | 3.89% | 14.0% | 65.8% | 0.430% | 0.453% | 22.3% | ||||||||
Connecticut | 1.86% | 98.1% | 20.0% | 79.4% | ||||||||||
Pennsylvania | 12.1% | 87.9% | 20.4% | 65.0% | 0.204% | |||||||||
Colorado | 35.4% | 64.6% | 49.6% | 1.04% | ||||||||||
Nevada | 54.5% | 39.8% | 0.655% | 0.567% | 92.4% | |||||||||
Georgia | 64.0% | 35.9% | 3.30% | 26.4% | 69.4% | 0.831% | ||||||||
Québec | 0.218% | 94.2% | 0.242% | 54.2% | 0.385% | |||||||||
Manitoba | 5.67% | 12.3% | 81.9% | 0.246% | 72.5% | 23.3% | ||||||||
Oklahoma | 31.0% | 69.0% | 21.8% | 70.1% | 8.07% | |||||||||
Tennessee | 4.84% | 95.2% | 5.10% | 57.9% | 31.6% | |||||||||
Ontario | 8.22% | 91.7% | 64.3% | 31.1% | ||||||||||
Arkansas | 31.1% | 68.9% | 1.84% | 28.8% | 69.4% | |||||||||
South Dakota | 56.9% | 43.1% | 8.14% | 25.3% | ||||||||||
Ohio | 100% | 96.2% | 3.80% | |||||||||||
Indiana | 2.05% | 97.9% | 71.4% | 0.711% | ||||||||||
Minnesota | 26.5% | 61.6% | 11.9% | 1.27% | 95.8% | |||||||||
Iowa | 99.1% | 0.440% | 99.7% | 0.283% | ||||||||||
Illinois | 96.6% | 3.35% | 42.1% | 1.04% | ||||||||||
Alaska | 0.154% | 0.312% | 0.159% | 3.83% | 0.187% | 0.318% | ||||||||
Florida | 99.0% | 97.2% | 0.723% | 0.596% | ||||||||||
Rhode Island | 95.0% | 91.9% | 4.64% | |||||||||||
Washington | 12.5% | 11.9% | 5.51% | 3.74% | 0.127% | 0.321% | 0.513% | |||||||
Nunavut | 0.587% | 0.590% | 0.103% | 0.752% | 0.352% | |||||||||
Maine | 0.171% | 80.4% | 3.08% | 49.6% | 46.1% | 0.133% | ||||||||
Nova Scotia | 18.4% | 5.47% | 9.63% | 0.847% | ||||||||||
Virginia | 25.7% | 74.1% | 25.3% | 22.3% | 50.6% | 0.126% | ||||||||
Delaware | 99.3% | 97.1% | 0.762% | |||||||||||
Prince Edward Island | 96.6% | 54.6% | 1.25% | 0.264% | ||||||||||
Texas | 13.8% | 77.2% | 8.74% | 45.6% | 17.8% | 36.4% | 0.183% | |||||||
Louisiana | 0.161% | 18.9% | 29.5% | 93.8% | 0.383% | 0.184% | ||||||||
Hawaii | 1.16% | 0.312% | 0.691% | 0.644% | 1.74% | 1.20% | 0.113% | 0.444% | 2.10% | |||||
North Carolina | 99.4% | 15.5% | 22.7% | 59.6% | 0.319% | |||||||||
New Brunswick | 35.3% | 63.9% | 37.0% | 58.8% | 0.522% | |||||||||
British Columbia | 3.99% | 0.242% | 0.679% | 0.195% | 3.52% | 0.563% | 0.126% | |||||||
Newfoundland and Labrador | 24.7% | 1.34% | 39.7% | 2.34% | 0.392% | |||||||||
New Jersey | 99.1% | 16.4% | 80.4% | 0.329% | ||||||||||
Massachusetts | 0.575% | 3.87% | 32.8% | 55.0% | 1.78% | |||||||||
New York | 2.49% | 25.0% | 4.04% | 49.6% | 0.993% | 0.105% | ||||||||
Maryland | 23.5% | 74.6% | 7.33% | 7.75% | 80.9% | 2.82% | 0.874% | |||||||
California | 10.6% | 60.7% | 22.9% | 5.57% | 6.79% | 1.42% | 0.420% | 0.348% | 1.23% | 0.110% | ||||