▁ ▁So il ▁er os ion ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁slow ▁process ▁that ▁continues ▁relatively ▁un not iced , ▁or ▁it ▁may ▁occur ▁at ▁an ▁alarm ing ▁rate ▁causing ▁a ▁serious ▁loss ▁of ▁to ps o il . ▁The ▁loss ▁of ▁soil ▁from ▁far ml and ▁may ▁be ▁reflected ▁in ▁reduced ▁c rop ▁production ▁potential , ▁lower ▁surface ▁water ▁quality ▁and ▁dam aged ▁d rain age ▁networks . So il ▁er os ion ▁could ▁also ▁cause ▁sink hol es . ▁▁ ▁Human ▁activities ▁have ▁increased ▁by ▁ 1 0 – 5 0 ▁times ▁the ▁rate ▁at ▁which ▁er os ion ▁is ▁occurr ing ▁glob ally . ▁Ex cess ive ▁( or ▁acceler ated ) ▁er os ion ▁causes ▁both ▁" on - site " ▁and ▁" off - site " ▁problems . ▁On - site ▁impact s ▁include ▁decre ases ▁in ▁agricult ural ▁product ivity ▁and ▁( on ▁natural ▁land sc apes ) ▁e colog ical ▁collapse , ▁both ▁because ▁of ▁loss ▁of ▁the ▁nut ri ent - rich ▁upper ▁soil ▁layers . ▁In ▁some ▁cases , ▁the ▁event ual ▁end ▁result ▁is ▁desert ification . ▁Off - site ▁effects ▁include ▁sed iment ation ▁of ▁water ways ▁and ▁e ut roph ic ation ▁of ▁water ▁bodies , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁sed iment - related ▁damage ▁to ▁roads ▁and ▁houses . ▁Water ▁and ▁wind ▁er os ion ▁are ▁the ▁two ▁primary ▁causes ▁of ▁land ▁de grad ation ; ▁combined , ▁they ▁are ▁responsible ▁for ▁about ▁ 8 4 % ▁of ▁the ▁global ▁extent ▁of ▁de