The Effect of Soil Pollution on Biodiversity

Pollution is defined as the introduction of harmful substances into the environment. Soil pollution has many sources including water pollution, acid rain, and nonpoint source pollution. NSP enters an ecosystem through runoff. The source of the pollutants can be far from its point of impact. The result is a disturbance of the soil chemistry. Plants unable to tolerate these imbalances soon perish, resulting in fewer plant species and a decrease in plant biodiversity.

Acidification

• Soil acidification creates ecological dead zones, leaving areas unfit for plant life and the animals that depend upon them.

Soil Chemistry

• Sensitive plant species are especially vulnerable to changes in soil chemistry, causing plant die-offs and lower biodiversity.

Toxic Metals

• Acid rain causes chemical reactions that free toxic metals that are normally insoluble, damaging root systems and preventing plants from taking up adequate moisture.

Agricultural Runoff

• Agricultural runoff introduces high levels of nitrogen, phosphate and phosphorus into waterways, which in turn wash over soils and disrupt the soil's chemical balance.

Monocultures

• A less obvious form of pollution is the introduction of non-native or invasive plants, which can out-compete native species and reduce habitats to monocultures.