Keywords
Geomorphology
Anthropogeomorphology
Colombian Central Cordillera
Anthrosols
Ethnoecology
Environmental degradation
How to Cite
Abstract
Written by a geologist pursuing a PhD at the University of Florida and an agronomic engineer, this article analyzes soil erosion as a natural geomorphological phenomenon intensified by human activity. The authors present thermochronology findings applied to the Central Antioquian Massif, according to which modern erosion could be three orders of magnitude greater than the average geological erosion of the Neogene, and cite estimates that humanity mobilizes about 50 gigatons of earth annually, compared to the 14 gigatons moved by the world's rivers. The text contextualizes the problem in the Colombian Andes, where the Magdalena and Cauca rivers carry sediment loads comparable to the Ganges, and concludes with a call to incorporate ethnoecology into academic curricula, noting the existence of anthrosols such as Amazonian terra preta.
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Copyright (c) 2006 Sergio Restrepo; Miguel Restrepo