▁and ▁the ▁soil . ▁It ▁increases ▁the ▁per me ability ▁of ▁the ▁soil ▁to ▁rain water , ▁thus ▁decre asing ▁run off . ▁It ▁sh el ters ▁the ▁soil ▁from ▁wind s , ▁which ▁results ▁in ▁decre ased ▁wind ▁er os ion , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁advantage ous ▁changes ▁in ▁micro cl imate . ▁The ▁roots ▁of ▁the ▁plants ▁bind ▁the ▁soil ▁together , ▁and ▁inter we ave ▁with ▁other ▁roots , ▁forming ▁a ▁more ▁solid ▁mass ▁that ▁is ▁less ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁both ▁water ▁and ▁wind ▁er os ion . ▁The ▁removal ▁of ▁veget ation ▁increases ▁the ▁rate ▁of ▁surface ▁er os ion . ▁ ▁Top ography ▁The ▁top ography ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁determ ines ▁the ▁velocity ▁at ▁which ▁surface ▁run off ▁will ▁flow , ▁which ▁in ▁turn ▁determ ines ▁the ▁er os ivity ▁of ▁the ▁run off . ▁Long er , ▁ste eper ▁s lop es ▁( es pecially ▁those ▁without ▁ade qu ate ▁veget ative ▁cover ) ▁are ▁more ▁sus cept ible ▁to ▁very ▁high ▁rates ▁of ▁er os ion ▁during ▁heavy ▁ra ins ▁than ▁shorter , ▁less ▁ste ep ▁s lop es . ▁Ste eper ▁terrain ▁is ▁also ▁more ▁pr one ▁to ▁mud sl ides , ▁land sl ides , ▁and ▁other ▁forms ▁of ▁gravit ational ▁er os ion ▁processes . ▁ ▁Human ▁activities ▁that ▁increase ▁soil ▁er os ion ▁ ▁Agricult ural ▁practices ▁ ▁Un s ust ain able ▁agricult ural ▁practices ▁increase ▁rates ▁of ▁er os ion ▁by ▁one ▁to ▁two ▁orders ▁of ▁magnitude ▁over ▁the