what is meant by unsustainable in this context

[noha]

Hello,

I want to know what is meant by unsustainable in the following context from a book called Microbiology: a very short introduction.

 

Soils exposed by deforestation lack the physical structure, chemical composition, and indigenous populations of microbes needed to cultivate consecutive harvests of cereals and other food crops.
Intensive grazing of cattle on deforested land is similarly unsustainable.
Even in areas where soils are exceedingly rich, crop productivity falls without soil amendment with organic matter and inorganic fertilizers.
 

is it related to the continuity Intensive grazing?

[paulsutton]

29 minutes ago, noha said:

Hello,

I want to know what is meant by unsustainable in the following context from a book called Microbiology: a very short introduction.

 

Soils exposed by deforestation lack the physical structure, chemical composition, and indigenous populations of microbes needed to cultivate consecutive harvests of cereals and other food crops.
Intensive grazing of cattle on deforested land is similarly unsustainable.
Even in areas where soils are exceedingly rich, crop productivity falls without soil amendment with organic matter and inorganic fertilizers.
 

is it related to the continuity Intensive grazing?

I would guess that growing crops remove nutrients from the soil,  but this can't simply be replaced  the soil is a living organism in a way full of microbes,bacteria  essential compounds, so a very find balance.

[noha]

13 minutes ago, paulsutton said:

I would guess that growing crops remove nutrients from the soil,  but this can't simply be replaced  the soil is a living organism in a way full of microbes,bacteria  essential compounds, so a very find balance.

I can't get your point, could you please clarify this? you mean that unsustainable refers to the imbalance?

 

[paulsutton]

7 minutes ago, noha said:

I can't get your point, could you please clarify this? you mean that unsustainable refers to the imbalance?

 

Could be yes,  I am not an expert but we know ecosystems are complex  How much do we really understand about how everything fits together.

We are killing off bees and other insects,  they are needed to fertilize crops so there could be a combination of many factors,  we ave found microplastics all over the world are they having an effect,  what about for ever chemicals.?

[swansont]

Unsustainable means you can't keep doing it in the long term. Something in the process will run out; in this case it's land for further deforestation, when the previously cleared land stops being suitable for growing crops or grazing.