Jodhpur, March 25 -- Rapid urban expansion and large-scale changes in land use are worsening soil erosion within the Aravalli Mountain System (AMS), according to a recent study conducted jointly by researchers from the Jindal School of Environment and Sustainability at OP Jindal Global University and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur. The study covers a period between 2000 and 2024, and reveals that the average annual rate of soil erosion in the Aravalli range rose by approximately 13.8% between 2017 and 2024, at a rate of 1.59 tonnes per hectare per year to 1.81 tonnes per hectare per year. The study was published in the latest issue of the journal Geographies. The study area represents the core region of the Aravalli Mountain System in north India. A detailed analysis covering the period from 2001 to 2020 was carried out using moderate-resolution data to identify long-term trends, while high-resolution data for the years 2017 and 2024 were used to measure recent erosion patterns under differing meteorological conditions. According to researchers. dorest cover increased from 30.62 to 264.62 square kilometres in the period covered under the study. At the same time, shrubland decreased by 2911.19 square kilometres, which may indicate either classification issues or the transformation of open natural habitats. The area under cropland increased by 2508 square kilometres, while urban areas expanded steadily. This suggests possible land conversion and a reduction in barren land, the research paper said. According to researchers, the most remarkable change was the accelerated growth of the built-up category by 2644.32 square kilometres (53 percent growth), directly at the expense of natural and semi-natural lands. At the same time, rangeland (natural grasslands and shrublands) decreased by 1349.30 square kilometres, indicating massive land transformation. Bare land decreased by 101.76 square kilometres, which could be attributed to the conversion of land to other uses, according to the researchers. One of the oldest mountain systems in the world, the Aravalli Mountains are experiencing land degradation mainly due to land use and land cover (LULC) modification coupled with soil erosion processes, according to the research paper. The fragile soils and ecosystems of the region maintain a delicate ecological balance that is highly vulnerable to anthropogenic stress. Major LULC changes, particularly urban growth, mining, deforestation, and agricultural intensification, have significantly affected the natural landscape, the research paper said. The terrestrial degradation observed in the Aravalli Mountain System over the past two decades is largely driven by extensive land use and land cover change along with increased soil erosion influenced by climatic and topographic conditions, according to the researchers. As one of the oldest mountain systems, the fragile soils and ecosystems of the Aravalli are highly exposed to human disturbances, particularly urban growth and land conversion, which have increased erosion risks and ecological vulnerability, according to the research paper....