Final answer:
Artificial erosion is a significant concern because it happens at a faster rate than natural erosion, which can lead to severe ecological impacts, loss of soil productivity, and increased sediment in bodies of water. Human activities, like deforestation and improper farming techniques, are major contributors to this type of soil erosion, which can exceed the natural recovery ability of ecosystems.
Step-by-step explanation:
Artificial erosion is a significant concern compared to natural erosion because it occurs at a much faster rate than natural processes of erosion. While natural erosion contributes to the slow and gradual change of landscapes, providing time for ecosystems to adapt, artificial or human-induced erosion, such as that caused by deforestation, agriculture, or construction, can strip away the soil at accelerated rates. This rapid loss of soil can lead to a decline in soil productivity, loss of arable land, and severe ecological impacts like desertification and sediment increase in bodies of water, negatively affecting coral reefs and other aquatic life.
Human activities like overgrazing, deforestation, and improper agricultural practices lead to soil being exposed to the elements, which greatly increases the rates of erosion. For example, the clear-cutting of forests removes the protective layer of vegetation that would normally absorb rainfall and anchor the soil, making the land more susceptible to erosion. Similarly, practices such as over-irrigation can lead to salinization and decline in soil quality. The consequences of these actions are profound and long-lasting, impacting food security, livelihoods, and the overall health of ecosystems.
Conservationists are concerned with both natural and artificial disturbances because they can alter ecosystems. However, while ecosystems can often recover from natural disturbances, the rate and scale of human-caused disturbances frequently exceed the ecosystem's ability to recover, leading to a rapid decline in environmental health and biodiversity.