摘要
Soils are under threat around the world. Erosion, pollution, salinization and acidification degrade soils irreversibly. Evidently, the rate of soil degradation greatly exceeds the rate of soil formation. In some countries, soil lost is almost 100 times faster than the rate of its formation. Therefore, soil needs to be considered as a nonrenewable resource. Incessant construction activities along with unsustainable mining operations and energy-related undertakings in recent years have accelerated the degradation of soil in Turkey. Highway travellers can witness the mindless plunder all over the land. As one travels smoothly on newly constructed highways, looming along the roads are piles of leftover destruction： heaps of broken asphalt from previous roads; newly excavated topsoil dumped into adjacent streams; eroded hillsides. In the age of global climate change, these so-called development efforts sound incomprehensible since such anthropogenic activities exacerbate the change. Clearly, climate change increases the erosion rates and reduces the soil quality. This fact alone requires each country to adopt and implement sound conservation practices to protect their soils, and hence, social stability and security. The most effective way to conserve soil is to establish and maintain ground cover vegetation. Avoiding unnecessary soil sealing also conserves soil.
