Soil erosion is a process that occurs naturally at a slow rate.
The average natural geologic rate of soil erosion is approximately 0.2 tons per acre per year. This is approximately equal to the average rate at which soil is being produced from parent rock and organic materials. Man's utilization and disturbance of the land has increased the rate of soil loss significantly. The soil in managed forests erodes at an average rate of 0.5 tons per acre per year. The erosion rates from agricultural lands, such as pastures and cultivated fields are 1.5 and 20 tons per acre per year, respectively.