Erosion is defined as

Erosion is defined as

• A. Nutrient runoff
• B. Water filtration
• C. Plant growth
• D. Loss of soil

Answer: (D)

Erosion is the wearing away and removal of soil from the land surface by forces like water, wind, or tillage. It means the actual loss of soil from the site, which can reduce soil depth and fertility and often leads to sediment in streams and waterways. The other terms describe related ideas but aren’t the process itself: nutrient runoff is nutrients moved by water, not the soil leaving the soil surface; water filtration is a soil function; and plant growth is the result of many factors, not the act of soil being removed.

Erosion is the wearing away and removal of soil from the land surface by forces like water, wind, or tillage. It means the actual loss of soil from the site, which can reduce soil depth and fertility and often leads to sediment in streams and waterways. The other terms describe related ideas but aren’t the process itself: nutrient runoff is nutrients moved by water, not the soil leaving the soil surface; water filtration is a soil function; and plant growth is the result of many factors, not the act of soil being removed.