It should not be inferred from these estimates that, during the 
base period, soil deterioration was occurring on the entire acreage 
of cropland. Actually, millions of acres in the slight-to-none 
category were being maintained and even improved through sound 
management practices, including soil conservation. 
Economic Losses 
Although there is no completely satisfactory method for the economic 
interpretation of physical soil deterioration on cropland on a 
national scale, various estimates have been made. The annual losses 
from erosion alone, in terms of the cost of replacing, through com- 
nercisl fertilizers, the major nutrient elements removed through 
soil erosion have been estimated at several billion dollars. The 
cost (at 197 prices) of replecing only the nitrogen and phosphorus 
is estimated by investigators of the Department at $4.3 billion, 
and of replacing the nitrogen, phosphorus, and one-feurth of the 
potassium at $7.75 billion. This does not take account, however, 
of large supplies of these nutrients uncovered in many soils by 
both natural and accelerated erosion. The effects on the physical 
properties of the soils are more important than the effects on 
their chemical composition. Another estimate in 1917, based upon 
the decrease in value cf cropland from soil detericration, placed 
the annual loss for the base period in the order of $1 to $1.5 
billion (Hearings before the Subcommittee of the Committee on 
Appropriations, House of Representatives, 80th Congress, First 
Session, April 8, 1917). 
Assuming that the figures given for the various degress of de- 
terioration in 1948 applied throughout the base pericd, and that 
soil deterioration losses were capitalized into decreased cropland 
velue, on the basis of an average cropland value ef $75 per acre, 
the estimated annual loss fivure is about $750 million. This 
estimate is merely a suggested central value in a probable range 
of 60 to 200 percent. If the equally rough estimates of $280 
million for such losses on grazing land and $25 million on forest 
land are included, the total apprcaches #1 billicn. 
The total value of farm real estete ranged from $38 billion in 
19h2 to $86 billien in 1951, with an average valve of about $65 
billion. 2/ Against this figure the soi] deterioration estimates 
represent a loss of 1 to 2 percent. (Some of the losses on range 
and timber lands occurred on areas not in farms and hence, not 
included in the $65 billion.) 
It should not. bs inferred, however, that such losses of 1 to 2 
percent of the dollar value of farm real estate imply that another 
5G or 100 years will see the value apprcaching zero. 
2/ Current Developments in the Farm Real Estate Market U. S. Bureau 
of Agricultural Economics, July 1953. 
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