Humans and soil formation
The human factor
On arable land human disturbance can be visible as a distinct line between topsoil and subsoil – evidence of repetitive ploughing. Or sometimes past human activities might remain invisible, as when antibiotics and other contaminants pollute the soil body.
The human impact on soil began with the transition from gathering and hunting to agriculture around 5,000 years ago1. Forests were logged and land was turned into crops and pasture. More and more soils got worked on, while settlements sealed the ground within them.
Since the early days human activities have altered land cover and soil, but it was not until last century that the change of the land and its soils accelerated. Migration and population growth demanded an increasing amount of food, shelter, raw materials and space. The pressure on soil resources intensified, and it is estimated that human activities have by now modified 50% of the current ice-free land area2.
Nowadays the impact of human activities on soil is considered a sixth factor in soil formation, in addition to CLORPT. Many soils are subject to human disturbances – disturbances that are capable of inhibiting or accelerating soil formation, or even channelling it in a completely new direction. The influence of human activities on soil often affects other soil-forming factors, but it operates at different scales and intensities.
