A study of soil erosion on vertisols of the eastern Darling Downs, Queensland .I. Effects of surface conditions on soil movement within Contour Bay catchments

Soil Research ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 135 ◽  
Author(s):  
DM Freebairn ◽  
GH Wockner
Keyword(s):  
Soil Loss ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Stream Power ◽  
Surface Conditions ◽  
Surface Cover ◽  
Soil Movement ◽  
Natural Rainfall ◽  
Runoff Rate ◽  
Peak Runoff

Effects of soil surface conditions on runoff and soil loss were studied on two major cracking clay soils of the Darling Downs, Queensland. Techniques used to measure soil loss between field contour bays under natural rainfall are described, and the results from 10 contour bay catchments (66 plot years) are presented. Soil movement was separated into rill, interrill, suspended sediment and channel deposition. Two slope lengths were considered (60 and 35 m), and interrill erosion appeared to be the major source of soil loss. Runoff and sediment concentration were both inversely related to surface cover and total soil movement was greatly reduced by surface cover. In an annual winter-wheat, summer-fallow system, removal of stubble resulted in soil movement of 29-62 t ha-1 year-1. Retention of stubble (stubble mulching) reduced soil movement to less than 5 t ha-1 year-1. Greater than 75% of the variance in soil movement from single events was explained by surface cover and peak runoff rate. Surface cover is a measure of the surface area protected from soil detachment and entrainment. Peak runoff rate describes the amount of energy or stream power available for detachment and entrainment.

The effect of furrow length on rain and irrigation-induced erosion on a vertisol in Australia

Soil Research ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 833 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Carroll ◽  
M Halpin ◽  
K Bell ◽  
J Mollison
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Canopy Closure ◽  
Surface Cover ◽  
Soil Movement ◽  
Runoff Rate ◽  
Peak Runoff ◽  
Runoff And Soil Loss

Runoff and sediment movement were measured from irrigated furrows of different lengths on a Vertisol in central Queensland. Two farm properties (Denaro's and Roberts') were used to compare a short furrow length (SFL) and a long furrow length (LFL). At Denaro's farm, furrows were 241 and 482 m long, and at Roberts' farm they were 151 and 298 m long, with gradients of 1.0% and 1.3% respectively. Runoff and soil loss were measured from six furrows. At Denaro's farm, soil movement off the farm was measured at a taildrain outlet. Sediment concentration from both rainfall and irrigation declined when cultivation had ceased, soil in the furrows had consolidated and when the cotton canopy provided surface cover. Total soil loss from rainfall and irrigation was approximately 4-5 t ha-1. Rainstorms caused most of the seasonal soil loss, typically 3-4 t ha-1. The critical soil erosion period was between pre-plant irrigation and canopy closure. Soil surface cover, peak runoff rate and furrow length explained 97% of variance in soil loss caused by rainfall. Furrow length was not significant in the soil loss model for irrigation (r2 0.59).

scholarly journals Effect of natural rainfall on the migration characteristics of runoff and sediment on purple soil sloping cropland during different planting stages

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Wang ◽  
Jiupai Ni ◽  
Chengsheng Ni ◽  
Sheng Wang ◽  
Deti Xie
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Heavy Rain ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Purple Soil ◽  
Torrential Rain ◽  
Sediment Yields ◽  
Natural Rainfall ◽  
Sediment Loss ◽  
Rain Events

Abstract Due to the difficulty in monitoring subsurface runoff and sediment migration, their loss loads are still not clear and need further study. This study monitored water and soil loss occurring within experimental field plots for two calendar years under natural rainfall events. The sediment loss load was quantified by considering the corresponding water flow flux and its sediment concentration. The results showed that 60.04% of the runoff and 2.83% of the sediment were lost underground. The annual underground sediment loss reached up to 54.6 kg*ha−1*yr−1. A total of 69.68% of the runoff yield and 67.25% of the sediment yield were produced during the corn planting stage (CPS: March–July). Heavy rain and torrential rain events produced 94.45%, 65.46% of the annual runoff and 94.45%, 76.21% of the sediment yields during the corn-planting stage and summer fallow period (SFP: August–September). The rain frequency, rainfall, and rainfall duration of each planting stage significantly affected the resulting runoff and sediment yield. Measures aimed at the prevention and control of water-soil loss from purple soil sloping land should heavily focus on torrential rain and heavy rain events during the CPS and SFP. This paper aims to provide a practical reference for quantifying the water and soil loss from purple soil sloping cropland.

scholarly journals Effects of time-controlled grazing on runoff and sediment loss

Soil Research ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 47 (8) ◽  
pp. 796 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gholamreza Sanjari ◽  
Bofu Yu ◽  
Hossein Ghadiri ◽  
Cyril A. A. Ciesiolka ◽  
Calvin W. Rose
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Surface Cover ◽  
East Region ◽  
Continuous Grazing ◽  
Grazing System ◽  
Sediment Loss

The time-controlled rotational grazing (TC grazing) has become popular in Australia and elsewhere in the world to provide graziers and ranchers with improved productivity over traditional practices. However, this grazing system, which involves short periods of intensive grazing, has raised concerns about sustainability and environmental impacts on water and soil resources, and ecosystem health generally. A runoff experiment at the catchment scale was established on the grazing property ‘Currajong’ in the south-east region of Queensland, Australia, to investigate the effects of continuous and TC grazing on runoff and sediment generation from 2001 to 2006. Sediment loss was reduced significantly under TC grazing compared with continuous grazing irrespective of the size of runoff events. This effect was more pronounced in the catchments with soils of gentler slopes and greater depths. The reduction in soil erosion was achieved despite the fact that the increase in ground cover under TC grazing had little effect on runoff coefficient or runoff depth. Decrease in runoff in relation to the increase in surface cover only occurred for small events, whereas for large rainfall events, runoff generated irrespective of the level of ground cover. This study showed that ground cover is a key driver in reducing sediment concentration, resulting in a significantly lower sediment loss under TC grazing. In the study area a minimum of 70% of surface cover as a threshold appeared to be needed to efficiently protect the soil surface from erosive forces of rain and runoff and to control soil erosion. The results also indicate that TC grazing has a superior capability to produce and maintain a higher level of ground cover (up to 90%) than continuous grazing (up to 65%). The long rest periods in TC grazing are seen as the major contributor to soil and pasture recovery after intensive defoliations by grazing animals, leading to an increase in above-ground organic material and thus surface cover over time.

scholarly journals Soil crusting and surface runoff in agricultural land in Galicia (NW Spain)

2015 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Mercedes Taboada-Castro ◽  
M. Luz Rodríguez-Blanco ◽  
Laura Palleiro ◽  
M. Teresa Taboada-Castro
Keyword(s):  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Visual Assessment ◽  
Humid Climate ◽  
Surface Conditions ◽  
Natural Rainfall ◽  
Soil Crusting ◽  
Soil Surface Roughness ◽  
Accumulated Rainfall ◽  
Tillage Operation

This study discusses the soil surface conditions under which crusting and runoff are generated. A field survey was conducted in three agricultural districts in the province of A Coruña (Galicia, Spain), where the soils, developed over basic schists in a temperate-humid climate, are prone to crusting. A total of 168 freshly tilled surfaces and the cumulative natural rainfall since the last tillage operation were studied. The agricultural situations corresponded to primary and secondary tillage, crop seedbeds and pasture seedbeds. Stages of soil crusting were recorded by visual assessment, based on the estimation of the extent of structural, transitional and sedimentary crusting. The runoff was estimated by measuring the maximum distance reached by soil particles carried by the runoff and then deposited on the soil surface where there were no incisions on soil. Surface crusting was observed in all agricultural situations. The amount of accumulated rainfall required to form a fully sedimentary crust was variable, depending largely on the initial soil surface roughness. On average, 50, 150 and 350 mm of accumulated rainfall were required for soil surfaces with a low, medium and high roughness, respectively. The combination of three soil surface conditions (crusting stage, roughness and vegetation cover) was primarily responsible for the start of runoff formation.

scholarly journals The Use of Various Rainfall Simulators in the Determination of the Driving Forces of Changes in Sediment Concentration and Clay Enrichment

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2856
Author(s):  
Judit Alexandra Szabó ◽  
Csaba Centeri ◽  
Boglárka Keller ◽  
István Gábor Hatvani ◽  
Zoltán Szalai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Loss ◽  
Driving Forces ◽  
Surface States ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Driving Factors ◽  
Rainfall Simulation ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Runoff And Soil Loss ◽  
Field And Laboratory Conditions

Soil erosion is a complex, destructive process that endangers food security in many parts of the world; thus, its investigation is a key issue. While the measurement of interrill erosion is a necessity, the methods used to carry it out vary greatly, and the comparison of the results is often difficult. The present study aimed to examine the results of two rainfall simulators, testing their sensitivity to different environmental conditions. Plot-scale nozzle type rainfall simulation experiments were conducted on the same regosol under both field and laboratory conditions to compare the dominant driving factors of runoff and soil loss. In the course of the experiments, high-intensity rainfall, various slope gradients, and different soil surface states (moisture content, roughness, and crust state) were chosen as the response parameters, and their driving factors were sought. In terms of the overall erosion process, the runoff, and soil loss properties, we found an agreement between the simulators. However, in the field (a 6 m2 plot), the sediment concentration was related to the soil conditions and therefore its hydrological properties, whereas in the laboratory (a 0.5 m2 plot), slope steepness and rainfall intensity were the main driving factors. This, in turn, indicates that the design of a rainfall simulator may affect the results of the research it is intended for, even if the differences occasioned by various designs may be of a low order.

scholarly journals The impact of standard preparation practice on the runoff and soil erosion rates under laboratory conditions

Solid Earth ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. 1293-1302 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdulvahed Khaledi Darvishan ◽  
Vafa Homayounfar ◽  
Seyed Hamidreza Sadeghi
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Rainfall Simulation ◽  
Natural Soil ◽  
Northern Iran ◽  
Soil Preparation ◽  
Loam Soil ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The use of laboratory methods in soil erosion studies, rainfall simulation experiments, Gerlach troughs, and other measurements such as ring infiltrometer has been recently considered more and more because of many advantages in controlling rainfall properties and high accuracy of sampling and measurements. However, different stages of soil removal, transfer, preparation and placement in laboratory plots cause significant changes in soil structure and, subsequently, the results of runoff, sediment concentration and soil loss. Knowing the rate of changes in sediment concentration and soil loss variables with respect to the soil preparation for laboratory studies is therefore inevitable to generalize the laboratory results to field conditions. However, there has been little attention given to evaluate the effects of soil preparation on sediment variables. The present study was therefore conducted to compare sediment concentration and soil loss in natural and prepared soil. To achieve the study purposes, 18 field 1 ×  1 m plots were adopted in an 18 % gradient slope with sandy–clay–loam soil in the Kojour watershed, northern Iran. A portable rainfall simulator was then used to simulate rainfall events using one or two nozzles of BEX: 3/8 S24W for various rainfall intensities with a constant height of 3 m above the soil surface. Three rainfall intensities of 40, 60 and 80 mm h−1 were simulated on both prepared and natural soil treatments with three replications. The sediment concentration and soil loss at five 3 min intervals after time to runoff were then measured. The results showed the significant increasing effects of soil preparation (p ≤ 0.01) on the average sediment concentration and soil loss. The increasing rates of runoff coefficient, sediment concentration and soil loss due to the study soil preparation method for laboratory soil erosion plots were 179, 183 and 1050 % (2.79, 2.83 and 11.50 times), respectively.

scholarly journals Sediment concentration in interrill flow: interactions between soil surface conditions, vegetation and rainfall

2002 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-205 ◽  
Author(s):  
O. Cerdan ◽  
Y. Le Bissonnais ◽  
V. Souchère ◽  
P. Martin ◽  
V. Lecomte
Keyword(s):  
Soil Surface ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Surface Conditions ◽  
Flow Interactions

Effectiveness of hydrated lime and artificial zeolite amendments and sedum (Sedum sediforme) plant cover in controlling soil erosion from an acid soil

Soil Research ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henintsoa Andry ◽  
Tahei Yamamoto ◽  
Mitsuhiro Inoue
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Surface Runoff ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Acid Soil ◽  
Hydrated Lime ◽  
Sediment Concentration ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Surface Cover ◽  
Rain Splash

There are over 350 different species of sedum (Sedum spp.) and most of them can tolerate harsh conditions including very cold to hot temperatures, drought, and poor and stony soil. Sedum plants are used in rock gardens and edging flower beds, and for greening the tops of buildings, cottages, and thatched roofs. However, little is known about the effectiveness of sedum as vegetation cover in protecting soil erosion from a road embankment made of acid soil. Acid soil is believed to be vulnerable to soil erosion and is not suitable for plant growth. Liming treatment is required first before revegetation to alleviate the soil acidity; however, lime incorporation may affect the soil physical properties and, consequently, runoff and sediment generation. A rainfall simulation study was conducted to test the effectiveness of hydrated lime and artificial zeolite as amendments and Sedum sediforme (Rupestria group) as vegetation cover in controlling soil erosion from an acid soil taken from mountain cuts in Yamaguchi prefecture, Japan, where it is used for road embankment. The soil was treated with 0.5% lime and 10% zeolite. Two rainfall intensities of 30 and 60 mm/h were tested for 2 and 1 h, respectively, on sedum-growing soil plots measuring 0.50 by 0.30 by 0.05 m. Three levels of vegetation cover (bare soil, 25%, 75%) of sedum plant of 5-month growth under 2-day irrigation intervals were tested. The incorporation of hydrated lime and artificial zeolite amendments improved wet aggregate stability, which contributed to significant decrease in surface runoff, sediment concentration, and total soil loss by rain splash from the bare soil. Zeolite was more effective in promoting plant growth than the lime treatment; as a result the decrease in sediment generation and soil loss by rain splash, compared with the control, was larger with zeolite than with lime. Under both intensities of simulated rain, the sediment concentration and total soil loss by rain splash decreased significantly (P < 0.05) with increasing surface cover. The correlation between cumulative soil loss (CSL) and cumulative surface runoff was linear and significant (P < 0.001) and the slope coefficient decreased with increasing surface cover. This suggests that the sediment carrying capacity or the erosivity of the surface runoff was constant and it decreased with increasing surface cover. The sedum cover reduced the CSL up to 72 and 79% under 30 and 60 mm/h rainfall intensities, respectively. The mean weight diameter of the soil sediment transported by runoff and soil loss by rain splash were significantly increased, and therefore, the silt and clay proportion of the crust material formed on the soil surface decreased up to 6 and 16% under 25 and 75% vegetation cover, respectively. These results demonstrate that hydrated lime and artificial zeolite could be used as amendments and sedum plant as vegetation covers in controlling soil erosion from an acid soil.

scholarly journals Comparison of Satellite and Drone-Based Images at Two Spatial Scales to Evaluate Vegetation Regeneration after Post-Fire Treatments in a Mediterranean Forest

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 5423
Author(s):  
Jose Luis Martinez ◽  
Manuel Esteban Lucas-Borja ◽  
Pedro Antonio Plaza-Alvarez ◽  
Pietro Denisi ◽  
Miguel Angel Moreno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Plant Biodiversity ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
Surface Conditions ◽  
Vegetation Regeneration ◽  
Forest Managers

The evaluation of vegetation cover after post-fire treatments of burned lands is important for forest managers to restore soil quality and plant biodiversity in burned ecosystems. Unfortunately, this evaluation may be time consuming and expensive, requiring much fieldwork for surveys. The use of remote sensing, which makes these evaluation activities quicker and easier, have rarely been carried out in the Mediterranean forests, subjected to wildfire and post-fire stabilization techniques. To fill this gap, this study evaluates the feasibility of satellite (using LANDSAT8 images) and drone surveys to evaluate changes in vegetation cover and composition after wildfire and two hillslope stabilization treatments (log erosion barriers, LEBs, and contour-felled log debris, CFDs) in a forest of Central Eastern Spain. Surveys by drone were able to detect the variability of vegetation cover among burned and unburned areas through the Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI), but gave unrealistic results when the effectiveness of a post-fire treatment must be evaluated. LANDSAT8 images may be instead misleading to evaluate the changes in land cover after wildfire and post-fire treatments, due to the lack of correlation between VARI and vegetation cover. The spatial analysis has shown that: (i) the post-fire restoration strategy of landscape managers that have prioritized steeper slopes for treatments was successful; (ii) vegetation growth, at least in the experimental conditions, played a limited influence on soil surface conditions, since no significant increases in terrain roughness were detected in treated areas.

scholarly journals A Strip-Till One-Pass System as a Component of Conservation Agriculture

Agronomy ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 2015
Author(s):  
Iwona Jaskulska ◽  
Kestutis Romaneckas ◽  
Dariusz Jaskulski ◽  
Piotr Wojewódzki
Keyword(s):  
Co2 Emissions ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Conservation Agriculture ◽  
Plant Residues ◽  
Pass System ◽  
Previous Crop ◽  
Bacteria And Fungi ◽  
The Stability ◽  
The Impact

Conservation agriculture has three main pillars, i.e., minimum tillage, permanent soil cover, and crop rotation. Covering the soil surface with plant residues and minimum mechanical soil disturbance can all result from introducing a strip-till one-pass (ST-OP) system. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of the ST-OP technology on the management of plant residues, soil properties, inputs, and emissions related to crop cultivation. We compared the effect of a ST-OP system against conventional tillage (CT) using a plough, and against reduced, non-ploughing tillage (RT). Four field experiments were conducted for evaluating the covering of soil with plant residues of the previous crop, soil loss on a slope exposed to surface soil runoff, soil structure and aggregate stability, occurrence of soil organisms and glomalin content, soil moisture and soil water reserve during plant sowing, labour and fuel inputs, and CO2 emissions. After sowing plants using ST-OP, 62.7–82.0% of plant residues remained on the soil surface, depending on the previous crop and row spacing. As compared with CT, the ST-OP system increased the stability of soil aggregates of 0.25–2.0 mm diameter by 12.7%, glomalin content by 0.08 g·kg−1, weight of earthworms five-fold, bacteria and fungi counts, and moisture content in the soil; meanwhile, it decreased soil loss by 2.57–6.36 t·ha−1 year−1, labour input by 114–152 min·ha−1, fuel consumption by 35.9–45.8 l·ha−1, and CO2 emissions by 98.7–125.9 kg·ha−1. Significant favourable changes, as compared with reduced tillage (RT), were also found with respect to the stability index of aggregates of 2.0–10.0 mm diameter, the number and weight of earthworms, as well as bacteria and fungi counts.

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