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 | Rural Ethnic European Settlements | Coal (Bituminous, Anthracite) Mines | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Alaska | 0.154% | |||||
Yukon | 100% | |||||
Northwest Territories | 3.06% | |||||
District of Columbia | 100% | |||||
Florida | 99.0% | |||||
New Hampshire | 100% | |||||
Rhode Island | 95.0% | |||||
Vermont | 2.39% | 97.6% | ||||
Washington | 12.5% | 11.9% | 5.51% | |||
Nunavut | 0.587% | |||||
Maine | 0.171% | 80.4% | ||||
Nova Scotia | 18.4% | |||||
Virginia | 25.7% | 74.1% | ||||
Delaware | 99.3% | |||||
Prince Edward Island | 96.6% | |||||
Mississippi | 18.4% | 64.8% | 16.8% | |||
West Virginia | 26.7% | 73.3% | ||||
Louisiana | 0.161% | 18.9% | 29.5% | |||
Hawaii | 1.16% | |||||
North Carolina | 99.4% | |||||
New Brunswick | 35.3% | 63.9% | ||||
New Mexico | 5.86% | 92.2% | 1.91% | |||
Newfoundland and Labrador | 24.7% | |||||
New Jersey | 99.1% | |||||
South Carolina | 90.8% | 9.02% | ||||
Connecticut | 1.86% | 98.1% | ||||
Pennsylvania | 12.1% | 87.9% | ||||
Massachusetts | 0.575% | |||||
Georgia | 64.0% | 35.9% | ||||
New York | 2.49% | 25.0% | ||||
Maryland | 23.5% | 74.6% | ||||
Québec | 0.218% | 94.2% | ||||
Oklahoma | 31.0% | 69.0% | ||||
Tennessee | 4.84% | 95.2% | ||||
Ontario | 8.22% | 91.7% | ||||
Arkansas | 31.1% | 68.9% | ||||
North Dakota | 92.0% | 8.03% | 6 | |||
Saskatchewan | 11.6% | 38.7% | 49.7% | 7 | ||
Nebraska | 94.5% | 5.51% | 3 | |||
Kansas | 64.1% | 35.9% | 3 | |||
Wisconsin | 41.4% | 38.2% | 20.4% | 7 | ||
Michigan | 70.3% | 29.6% | 10 | |||
Manitoba | 5.67% | 12.3% | 81.9% | 6 | ||
South Dakota | 56.9% | 43.1% | 3 | |||
Minnesota | 26.5% | 61.6% | 11.9% | 7 | ||
Iowa | 99.1% | 0.440% | 4 | |||
Illinois | 96.6% | 3.35% | 2 | |||
Arizona | 30.7% | 40.9% | 28.4% | 3 | ||
Utah | 13.6% | 86.4% | 2 | |||
Idaho | 12.7% | 87.3% | 32 | |||
Wyoming | 3.04% | 97.0% | 1 | |||
Montana | 5.14% | 83.8% | 1 | 3 | ||
Kentucky | 1.37% | 98.6% | 2 | |||
Texas | 13.8% | 77.2% | 8.74% | 1 | ||
Missouri | 53.7% | 46.3% | 1 | 25 | ||
Oregon | 0.146% | 13.9% | 59.9% | 3 | ||
Alabama | 73.2% | 26.7% | 1 | |||
British Columbia | 3.99% | 0.242% | 5 | |||
Alberta | 3.89% | 14.0% | 65.8% | 4 | 1 | |
Colorado | 35.4% | 64.6% | 13 | |||
Nevada | 54.5% | 39.8% | 0.655% | 2 | ||
California | 10.6% | 60.7% | 22.9% | 5.57% | 2 | |
Ohio | 100% | 31 | ||||
Indiana | 2.05% | 97.9% | 5 | |||