Large-scale floods, which affect entire regions and countries today, are directly linked to soil degradation and human-induced disruption of healthy ecosystems. Compacted soil absorbs rainfall poorly. Instead of seeping into the ground, water runs off the surface, forming powerful streams that erode the soil, wash away the fertile soil layer, and increase the risk of flooding in populated areas.
The root cause of this issue is the flawed approach to agriculture, which must be changed as soon as possible. Intensive land cultivation, relying on chemical fertilizers, destroys the natural porous soil structure, creating a plow sole that prevents effective water absorption. Instead of replenishing groundwater, rainwater flows off the surface, causing erosion, loss of the fertile soil layer, and, ultimately, flooding. Compacted soil retains moisture poorly, its pores shrink, disrupting the natural water cycle and making the land drier and less productive.
This process is further aggravated by the removal of vegetation, which plays a key role in maintaining the hydrological balance. The roots of trees and perennial grasses create pathways for water infiltration, strengthen the soil structure, protect it from erosion, and help retain moisture. The loss of vegetation, especially due to deforestation and the destruction of steppe plants, leads to soil desiccation. The renowned Russian soil scientist V.V. Dokuchaev warned as early as the 19th century that excessive plowing of the steppes and deforestation disrupt the natural landscape, reducing the ability of chernozem soils to retain moisture. His contemporary, A.A. Izmailsky, in his work How Our Steppe Dried Up, emphasized that soil moisture depends not so much on the amount of atmospheric precipitation as on the condition and structure of the soil itself. With the same level of rainfall, soils with a damaged structure dry out faster than healthy soils rich in organic matter and with well-developed porous soil structure.
Natural landscapes have the capacity to absorb vast amounts of water due to their structure. Compacted soils, on the other hand, contribute to catastrophic runoff, which not only causes flooding but also deprives the soil of much-needed moisture. The loss of the fertile soil layer due to erosion exacerbates soil desiccation. This is why monitoring soil health indicators is crucial.
Healthy soil has a high ability to absorb and retain moisture. This is achieved through its porous soil structure, the presence of diverse microorganisms, and the activity of soil organisms such as earthworms.
The porous soil structure of healthy soil is formed by a combination of mineral particles of different sizes (sand, silt, clay) and organic matter, which binds these particles into aggregates. These aggregates create pores—spaces through which water and air can move into the soil. Large pores allow water to percolate quickly into deeper layers, preventing surface runoff, while small pores retain water that remains available to plant roots. In healthy soil, the structure is approximately 50% solid particles, 30% water, and 20% air. This allows water to infiltrate deep into the soil and be retained, providing plants with the necessary moisture.
The activity of earthworms and other soil organisms also plays a significant role in shaping this structure. Worms create numerous tunnels and channels, allowing water to reach deeper layers quickly. These channels remain stable due to organic matter and plant roots that reinforce their walls. According to estimates, earthworms can create up to 2 million tunnels per hectare, facilitating the infiltration of up to 200 cubic meters of water per hectare during heavy rainfall. These natural drainage systems prevent surface water stagnation and contribute to deep soil hydration.
In addition to earthworms, bacteria and fungi transform organic residues into humus, a vital component that enhances the soil’s water-holding capacity. The more humus present in the soil, the better it retains moisture, preventing its evaporation.
Healthy soil is also rich in microorganisms, which help maintain its resilience against external stressors. A single gram of healthy soil contains between 100 million and 1 billion microorganisms. This astonishing number includes bacteria, archaea, fungi, algae, and protozoa, each playing a crucial role in sustaining the ecosystem’s health. Bacteria, whose populations can reach hundreds of millions or even billions of cells per gram, decompose organic matter, fix atmospheric nitrogen, and process nutrients, making them accessible to plants. Fungi, with populations reaching up to a million spores and strands of mycelium per gram, play a key role in forming soil aggregates and maintaining symbiotic relationships with plant roots, thereby improving their access to water and nutrients. Protozoa and microscopic algae, numbering from tens to hundreds of thousands per gram of soil, also make significant contributions by breaking down organic matter and participating in photosynthesis. All these microorganisms form complex food chains and interact with each other, preserving soil fertility, structure, and stability.
Microorganisms create a delicate network of exopolysaccharides and other compounds that further strengthen soil aggregates, maintaining their porous soil structure even during heavy rainfall. This allows the soil to not only absorb moisture but also filter it, removing contaminants before the water reaches groundwater.
Thanks to these unique properties, healthy soil prevents erosion and preserves its fertile soil layer. Unlike compacted or degraded soils, where water accumulates on the surface and causes runoff, healthy soil acts as a natural sponge, capable of absorbing and retaining water even during heavy rains. This not only reduces the risk of flooding but also supplies plants with moisture during drought periods, ensuring a stable water cycle.
The primary cause of soil desiccation is the disruption of the natural cycle of four forms of organic matter (Fig. 1): biota, vegetation, animals, and their metabolic byproducts. This cycle is further disrupted in agricultural systems, where fresh organic matter from animal and plant residues is removed from the soil. The loss of this cycle leads to soil compaction, reduced porosity, and, as a result, diminished water retention capacity.r
Traditionally, agricultural fields were surrounded by forest belts, which absorbed moisture instantly thanks to their well-developed root systems and the loose structure of the forest litter. Tree roots penetrate deep into the soil, creating an extensive network of channels through which water can infiltrate freely, replenishing groundwater reserves. The forest litter, consisting of fallen leaves, branches, and organic material, acts as a sponge, holding moisture and preventing its rapid evaporation. This natural barrier helped regulate the water balance, protecting fields from soil desiccation during drought periods and reducing the risk of flooding during heavy rains.
Deforestation for the expansion of arable land has disrupted this delicate system. Without the protective forest cover, fields have become vulnerable to wind and water erosion, and the soil has started drying out. Water now accumulates on the surface of compacted land and evaporates quickly, without penetrating deeper layers. Moreover, deforestation negatively affects the local climate by reducing precipitation and increasing temperature fluctuations, further worsening the problem. (For more on this topic, see the article: “Biotic Pump: Rainfall Continues as Long as Forests Exist.”) Forests, once natural regulators of moisture, are now a disappearing element in agricultural landscapes, threatening the long-term fertility of farmlands.
Today, the restoration of forest belts around fields and the adoption of agroforestry practices are becoming increasingly relevant. Forest belts not only prevent moisture loss but also reduce wind speed, prevent erosion, and create a favorable microclimate. This is a critical measure in combating soil desiccation and ensuring the sustainability of agriculture in the face of a changing climate.
The root cause of most modern environmental crises lies in the widespread flawed approach to agriculture. These mistakes include large-scale plowing of steppes, which destroys the natural soil structure and deprives it of its ability to retain moisture, leading to soil desiccation and erosion; Deforestation, which once surrounded agricultural fields, disrupting the hydrological balance, increasing horizontal water runoff, and worsening soil degradation; Soil compaction caused by improper land management methods, such as the use of moldboard plows/deep tillage and excessive use of heavy agricultural machinery, which reduces soil porosity and worsens its ability to absorb rainfall.
Compacted soils absorb rainfall poorly, which has already led to large-scale flooding in various regions. Instead of seeping into the ground, water rushes across the surface, forming powerful streams that erode the soil, wash away the fertile soil layer, and increase the risk of flooding in populated areas.
Additionally, compacted soils retain almost no moisture, which leads to catastrophic crop losses during drought periods. Instead of nourishing plant roots, the remaining moisture evaporates quickly, leaving the soil dry and barren. The so-called “mechanical soil degradation” is directly linked to the use of modern tractors and agricultural machinery, which exert high pressure on the soil. Particularly harmful are wheeled tractors with narrow tires, which, during sowing and harvesting, leave tracks on up to 80% of the field’s surface. A deep layer of compacted soil prevents root systems from developing properly, while also obstructing aeration and water infiltration.
Experts note that when heavy tractors are used, soil damage can extend up to one meter deep and persist throughout the following growing season. Restoring densely compacted soil requires not only time but also significant resources, including additional treatments and fertilizer applications.
As these machines move across the field, the soil structure is disrupted: large pores that would allow water to infiltrate are destroyed, and soil particles are tightly compressed. Compaction occurs especially quickly in wet soils, where machinery leaves deep ruts that not only prevent even moisture distribution but also cause water stagnation, further intensifying erosion. Moreover, during drought periods, such soil is nearly incapable of retaining moisture, leading to significant yield reductions. Studies indicate that soil compaction can decrease crop yields by up to 30% (equivalent to 30 million tons annually). This results not only in financial losses for farmers but also in increased fuel and fertilizer consumption, which are used to counteract the effects of soil degradation.
This practice, entrenched over decades of intensive agriculture, has long-term consequences. Compacted soils lose their biological activity: microorganisms and earthworms, which are responsible for restoring porosity, either die off or migrate to less damaged areas. This further reduces the soil’s ability to recover and accelerates its degradation.
Additionally, insufficient use of organic fertilizers and the absence of crop rotation lead to soil depletion, a decline in humus content, and reduced biological activity. The loss of vegetation cover, caused by monoculture farming and intensive land exploitation, makes soil vulnerable to wind and water erosion. These mistakes contribute to soil degradation, reduced agricultural productivity, and the deepening of the environmental crisis.
Supporters of the agrochemical approach defend these flawed practices—an example of rigid thinking trapped in outdated and ineffective paradigms. This is further exacerbated by aggressive lobbying from chemical fertilizer and pesticide manufacturers. Today, agriculture, once based on harmony with nature and the sustainable use of resources, has been almost entirely replaced by agrochemistry, which prioritizes the interests of the chemical industry over soil and ecosystem health.
Instead of focusing on restoring the soil’s natural fertility and its ability to self-regulate, agrochemistry offers only temporary solutions in the form of chemical supplements. This creates a vicious cycle: the more chemicals are applied, the faster the soil degrades, losing its structure, biodiversity, and ability to retain moisture. As a result, farmers are forced to increase fertilizer doses to compensate for declining yields, which only worsens the problem. This approach ignores long-term consequences, reducing agriculture to an industrial process with minimal concern for nature.
The use of mineral fertilizers alone does not restore soil biota. Experiments with organomineral fertilizers, developed by L.S. Tarkhanova, have shown that soils treated with these fertilizers retain moisture more effectively, even under drought conditions. This is because such fertilizers provide essential nutrients for biota, promote the formation of a porous soil structure, and improve nutrient availability, including nitrogen—unlike mineral fertilizers, which only accelerate soil degradation.
Moreover, the agrochemical approach pollutes the environment. Chemical residues seep into rivers, lakes, and groundwater, causing contamination and the destruction of aquatic ecosystems. The quality of food deteriorates as agricultural crops absorb chemical residues, posing a threat to human health. Natural ecosystems surrounding agricultural land also suffer, as agrochemicals eliminate beneficial insects, disrupt food chains, and contribute to land desertification.
We must urgently change this approach. Since human health is directly linked to healthy food, ministries of health and agriculture in different countries should prioritize soil restoration and quality improvement by implementing practices that ensure long-term soil sustainability and fertility. Their task is to ensure that land conditions not only do not worsen but improve steadily each year. This requires not only revising current policies but also creating conditions in which farmers are incentivized to care for soil health rather than seeking short-term profits at the expense of soil depletion.
The first step must be the mandatory adoption of soil-conserving agriculture practices. Approaches such as no-till farming, the use of cover crops, and the restoration of forest belts can not only prevent land degradation but also restore its natural fertility. Addressing this issue also requires a shift to more careful soil management technologies. The use of tractors with wide tires that exert lower ground pressure (up to 0.15 kg/cm²) or tracked machinery can significantly reduce the level of soil compaction.
Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) is another effective approach, which limits the area affected by machinery movement, thereby minimizing soil damage. Establishing designated traffic lanes for machinery further reduces soil disturbance. In countries where controlled traffic farming systems have been implemented—such as Australia—crop losses due to soil compaction have decreased significantly. Applying this practice could also be beneficial for Russian farmers, particularly in arid regions, where yield losses due to soil compaction are most severe.
Governments must incentivize the use of organic fertilizers and the return of plant residues to the soil instead of burning or removing them. These measures will help maintain humus levels, improve the soil’s water-holding capacity, and restore its porous soil structure.
A strict land monitoring system must also be implemented. Agricultural land should be regularly assessed based on key soil health indicators, such as organic matter content, density, porosity, and biological activity. This data will help detect early signs of degradation and allow for preventive action before problems become irreversible. Government support should be directed primarily to farmers who actively implement soil restoration and conservation methods.
Education plays a crucial role in this process. Farmers need access to up-to-date knowledge about soil-conserving technologies and sustainable farming practices. This can be achieved through training programs, advisory centers, and exposure to best practices already successfully applied in other regions. At the same time, financial support is essential to ensure that the transition to environmentally friendly technologies does not negatively impact farmers’ incomes.
If we fail to act now, the consequences will be catastrophic. Depleted and degraded soils will no longer be able to sustain stable yields, threatening food security. Moreover, soil destruction will inevitably accelerate climate change, increasing droughts and floods. Only by recognizing the vital role of soil as the foundation of entire ecosystems and protecting it at the national level can we reverse this crisis trend.
Source:
Tarkhanov O.V., Cand.Tech.Sci., Academician of the International Engineering Academy, e-mail: gelo-t@yandex.ru
Tarkhanov A.O., Director of ICC “Systems and Technologies”
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