When a farmer plants only one crop species in each field this style of farming creates serious problems for our environment.

Soil Degradation:

-Nutrient Depletion: When farmers keep planting the same crop year after year they drain essential nutrients from their soil which harms its planting ability.
-Erosion: When farmers cultivate monoculture they break up soil on fields which then leads to more erosion on hillsides especially.
-Organic Matter Reduced: When farmers grow only one type of plant in their field their crops produce fewer diverse roots which then leads to reduced organic matter entering the soil and poorer soil conditions.

Biodiversity Loss:

Habitat Destruction: Large-scale single-crop operations destroy natural vegetation which eliminates shelter for nearly all plants insects and animals.
-Pest and Disease Outbreaks: When farmers plant only one type of crop over many acres disease and insect threats become bigger problems that push up pesticide use.

Water Pollution:
-Chemical Runoff: When fertilizer and pesticide use gets out of hand they taint their way through groundwater and surface water systems.
-Increased Water Use: Corn and cotton fields consume large amounts of water which stresses our water supplies.

Climate Change:
-Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Monoculture farming depends heavily on fossil fuel tools and synthetic farming compounds which both create CO2 emissions.
-Reduced Carbon Sequestration: Our monoculture farmlands store less carbon because they host lower amounts of plant diversity than diverse natural habitats.