How Does Heavy Rainfall Affect The Soil And Animals?

The land across our planet is covered by loose, solid material known as soil. It comprises inorganic and organic particles varying in size and properties. Due to this, soil has a composition that varies as per the region. It plays a vital role in the ecosystem as it is the stratum that holds the plant’s roots, supplies them with nutrients and water, and is also home to many small organisms.

This Story also Contains

1. Impact Of Water On Soil Health
2. How Does Rainfall Affect The Soil?
3. Heavy Rains And Their Effect On Soil Quality
4. How Heavy Rainfall Affects Life?

Soil texture and colour vary as per the composition. It can have solid particles like stones that are held by smooth-textured particles like clay and silt. The organic matter also acts like cement to hold the soil aggregates.

Soil is essential for the decomposition of dead and decayed matter too. This matter, containing nutrients, assimilates in the soil and is required for healthy soil life. Similarly, there are other factors as well that influence soil health. These include water (from rain, rivers, households, irrigation, and more), sunlight, chemicals (fertilisers, pesticides, etc., used in agriculture), and so on.

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Impact Of Water On Soil Health

One cannot ignore the impact of water. Water causes the weathering of rocks. This means that the flow of water interacts with the rocks and causes them to weather, resulting in the formation of soil. Hence, variations in the water flow will lead to different types of soil formation. Along with this, water flows continuously, taking the soil with it that is deposited elsewhere.

Water also regulates the multiple domains of soil, like its physical, biological, and chemical activities. It also regulates structural and tillage operations.

How Does Rainfall Affect The Soil?

The underground water is replenished through rainfall, so optimum levels of rain are necessary. As we know, there are many varieties of soil, each of which supports multiple types of vegetation and hence demands water accordingly. So, it is notable that lower or higher rains than the optimal limits will degrade the soil quality and ultimately the other factors dependent on it.

The absorption of rainwater on the soil surface also enhances the mixing of nutrients and minerals and thus frees them so that they can be readily taken by the roots of the plants. This helps the plant grow faster.

The rainwater also takes the soil with it and helps in the regeneration of barren land by depositing the soil there. However, it must be noted that high or low rainfall depletes the soil's quality.

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Heavy Rains And Their Effect On Soil Quality

If there is heavy rainfall on barren land, it could be destructive because the raindrops fall directly on the soil and erode it. In heavy rainfall, the raindrops fall continuously and roughly, leading to the dislodging of the soil particles and ultimately destroying the barren cropland.

The top layer or the most fertile layer of the soil, can be easily washed away due to heavy rainfall, due to which the nutrients are washed away. It leads to soil erosion, which can convert fertile land into barren land.

In a fully established cropland, heavy and continuous raindrops destroy the crops by weighing them down or uprooting them from the soil. The fruits, flowers, and vegetables are also lost because of the rough hitting by the raindrops, leading to the loss of vegetation.

When millions of raindrops hit the soil, soil is displaced from its original place, thus reducing the fertility of the soil. It has been estimated that approximately 90 tonnes of soil per acre can be displaced by 3-5 feet due to hail storms and heavy rainfall.

How Heavy Rainfall Affects Life?

As we have read, soil is the basis of life, as it supports agriculture. Depletion of soil quality will affect not only the crops but also the animals living inside. Ours is an ecosystem where everything is interdependent, so changes in the properties of one factor will influence the entire ecosystem.

Worms are the tiniest but most underrated organisms on the planet. They live in the soil and are ugly, but they are of great importance as they enhance the soil's properties like increased water circulation, aeration, and more. Heavy rainfall washing away the soil will disrupt their population and functioning.

Since the soil’s properties will be compromised, it will be unable to support animals and humans at total capacity. Diversity, productivity, various nutrient cycles like carbon and nitrogen, recycling, reabsorption, and so many other things will be impacted, leading to the degrading quality of life of animals. Animals are directly dependent on plants, but poor soil wouldn’t yield great results, and thus animals' nutrition would be affected.

It is important that preventive measures are adopted to protect and maintain the soil quality from heavy rains, as it will ultimately support all the components of the ecosystem.

Also, read: Scarcity Of Water And Its Impact On Crop Production