| Description |
Soil erosion by water is one of the most widespread forms of soil degradation in Europe. The indicator soil erosion estimates the soil loss by water erosion processes (rain splash, sheetwash and rills) for different land cover types which are based on the Corine Land Cover nomenclature: Agricultural areas and natural grassland, split in the latter two land cover types: i) Agricultural areas excluding pastures ii) Pastures and natural grassland The figures of the affected area are shown in percentages which indicate the share of area under severe soil erosion of the selected land cover class. The erosion rate "severe" is defined as the estimated erosion > 10 tonnes/hectares/year. |