You see this on school grounds where large numbers of people follow the same route. They cut a path where no grass grows. The still-barren ruts where the Oregon Trial ran are another example of compaction. Compacted soil has lost desirable structural properties, such as the right-sized pores for storing air and water. Heavy equipment, like the kind used in farming, logging and construction, can compact the soil, especially when it's wet.
Some soil is polluted from human-made or natural substances.
For example, the wrong kind of intensive gardening or farming can deplete the soil of key ingredients, or change its structure. That's the bad news. The good news is that people across America are working to solve soil problems and preserve healthy soil. These range from farmers and foresters to the members of private conservation groups and employees in public agencies and institutions. Many OSU Agricultural Experiment Station and Extension Service personnel are working on this.