scholarly journals Effects of Soil and Water Conservation Practices on Runoff, Sediment and Nutrient Losses

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 1333 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuguo Han ◽  
Gary Feng ◽  
Ying Ouyang
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
Nutrient Loss ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Fish Scale ◽  
Nutrient Losses ◽  
Bare Land ◽  
Runoff Sediment ◽  
Soil And Water

Rainfall is a major dynamic source of soil erosion and nutrient loss on slopes. Soil and water conservation practices and agricultural activities can change the soil surface morphology and thus affect erosion and nutrient losses. This study focused on the effects of several typical soil and water conservation practices and agricultural land, for the purpose of: (1) determining how these practices prevent erosion and nutrient loss and identifying the hydrodynamic mechanisms; and (2) determining the application conditions for different practices. Runoff, sediment, total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) in fish-scale pits, agricultural land, narrow terraces, shrub cover and bare land, under rainfall events in rainy seasons (from May to November) during the 2010–2015 period, were monitored. Slope hydrodynamic mechanisms and application conditions of these practices were also investigated. The results showed that compared with bare land, fish-scale pits performed the best in preventing runoff, sediment, TN and TP, followed by 30% shrub coverage, narrow terraces and agricultural land, successively. Total runoff, sediment, TN and TP losses in fish-scale pits site were 19.70%, 2.03%, 10.10% and 35.97% of those in bare land of the same area, respectively. Soil and water conservation practices could change the hydraulic characteristics of slopes, decrease Re (Reynolds) and Fr (Froude) numbers, thereby decreasing runoff, sediment, TN and TP losses. Fish-scale pits were suitable for the areas with small single rainfall and good water permeability. When rainfall was greater than 60 mm, narrow terraces had highest efficiency in reducing sediment loss; therefore, they were suitable for the areas with relatively high rainfall intensity and soils similar to the sandy loams of the study area. As to the practice of covering land with plants, the effect was sustainable due to the plants’ long-term growth. Agricultural land was not recommended since the losses on it were relatively higher due to the impact of human activities. In reality, these practices may be applied in combination so as to effectively control water, soil and nutrient losses.

scholarly journals Effectiveness of Community-Based Soil and Water Conservation in Improving Soil Property in Damota Area, Southern Ethiopia

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Mamush Masha ◽  
Teshome Yirgu ◽  
Mulugeta Debele ◽  
Mengie Belayneh
Keyword(s):  
Soil Fertility ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
Southern Ethiopia ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Community Based ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Soil And Water

Soil and water conservation (SWC) is being advocated as an integral part of agricultural land management as it not only controls/minimizes soil erosion but also restores/rehabilitates the degraded lands. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of soil and water conservation practices in improving soil fertility in the agricultural landscapes of the Damota area, southern Ethiopia. Forty-eight soil samples (both disturbed and core samples) were collected from the conserved and adjacent nonconserved plots. The significance analysis test was performed using analysis of variance. The result of the study showed that higher mean values of soil physicochemical properties were observed in the conserved plot than its nonconserved counterpart. The mean differences of organic carbon, total nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, and exchangeable K+ and Ca2+ between conserved and nonconserved plots were statistically significant at the P < 0.01 level. Besides, available phosphorous and bulk density were significant at P < 0.05 , but the effect of SWC practices was not found significant on soil texture, soil pH, and exchangeable Na+ and Mg2+ content of the soil in the Damota area. Community-based soil and water conservation practices have improved the soil fertility in agricultural landscapes, although significant results have been observed in some fertility indicators. Therefore, strengthening the implementation of conservation measures by participating in all stakeholders is recommended. Supporting physical structures by agronomic and vegetative measures and continued maintenance can bring better results.

scholarly journals EXTERNALITIES, PROFIT, AND LAND STEWARDSHIP: CONFLICTING MOTIVES FOR SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION ADOPTION AMONG ABSENTEE LANDOWNERS AND ON-FARM PRODUCERS

2017 ◽  
Vol 49 (4) ◽  
pp. 491-513 ◽  
Author(s):  
BENJAMIN H. TONG ◽  
TRACY A. BOYER ◽  
LARRY D. SANDERS
Keyword(s):  
Land Tenure ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Economic Incentives ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Significance Level ◽  
Absentee Landowners ◽  
Conservation Adoption ◽  
On Farm ◽  
Soil And Water

AbstractThis research aimed to illicit nonfarming absentee landowners’ and producers’ preferences for the benefits and characteristics derived from conservation practices during adoption decisions using maximum difference scaling, also called the best-worst method. Both groups are found to rank and value the attributes and reasons for adoption of conservation practices differently at the 95% significance level. This difference between the two groups reinforced the importance of land tenure in decision making. This indicated the need for new extension educational efforts, research efforts, and economic incentives to reduce negative externalities that could be ameliorated from adoption of soil and water conservation practices.

scholarly journals Upaya Konservasi Tanah dan Air pada Daerah Pertanian Dataran Tinggi di Sub-Daerah Aliran Sungai Gandul

2020 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 382-387
Author(s):  
Diah Auliyani
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Land System ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Agricultural Areas ◽  
Land Cover Maps ◽  
Very High ◽  
Soil And Water ◽  
Erosion Prevention

Land susceptibility to degradation is characterized by the loss of topsoil due to erosion which is considered as a threat to agricultural productivity. Information about land sensitivity to erosion is crucial in determining the appropriate soil and water conservation techniques to avoid land degradation. This study, which was located in the Gandul Sub-Watershed, aims to analyze the level of land sensitivity to erosion in highland agricultural areas. Data analysis was carried out spatially using land system and land-cover maps. Soil and water conservation efforts were determined based on the land function and sensitivity. The land sensitivity to erosion in the Gandul Sub-watershed was categorized into 3 levels which were moderate (3.9%), high (95%), and very high (0.8%). There were various directions for Gandul Sub-Watershed management by considering the level of sensitivity of the land and the function of the area. Creating a ridge is one of the soils and water conservation practices that has been implemented for a long time by local communities as a soil erosion prevention.   Keywords: agriculture, erosion, Gandul, sensitivity

scholarly journals Efficiency of soil and water conservation practices in different agro-ecological environments in the Upper Blue Nile Basin of Ethiopia

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 249-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dagnenet Sultan ◽  
Atsushi Tsunekawa ◽  
Nigussie Haregeweyn ◽  
Enyew Adgo ◽  
Mitsuru Tsubo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
Conservation Practices ◽  
Nile Basin ◽  
Blue Nile ◽  
Blue Nile Basin ◽  
Soil And Water ◽  
Upper Blue Nile Basin

scholarly journals Effects of Soil and Water Conservation Measures on Runoff and Sediment Yield in Red Soil Slope Farmland under Natural Rainfall

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (8) ◽  
pp. 3417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoan Chen ◽  
Ziwei Liang ◽  
Zhanyu Zhang ◽  
Long Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Water Conservation ◽  
Conventional Tillage ◽  
Coarse Sand ◽  
Soil And Water Conservation ◽  
Flow Reduction ◽  
Straw Mulching ◽  
Natural Rainfall ◽  
Conservation Measures ◽  
Bare Land ◽  
Soil And Water

This paper analyzes the relationship between runoff, soil erosion, sediment particles, and natural rainfall characteristics on sloping farmland in the red soil region of southern China. The surface runoff and soil loss data were measured on runoff plots during 66 natural rainfall events from 2015 to 2018 in Jiangxi Province. The results show that the maximum 30-min rainfall intensity (I30) is positively related to the runoff depth, soil erosion modulus, and sediment mean weight diameter (MWD). With the increase in I30 during rainfall, the coarse sand content increases, and the fine sand content decreases. The average annual runoff of slope tillage, hedgerows with slope tillage, straw mulching with conventional tillage, and contour tillage decreased by 32.56%, 65.87%, 83.99%, and 87.30%, respectively, compared with that of bare land. Soil and water conservation measures can significantly reduce slope runoff. The flow-reduction effect of contour tillage and straw mulching with conventional tillage increases as I30 increases, and the flow-reduction effect of hedgerows with slope tillage first increases and then decreases as I30 increases. The coefficients of variation and standard deviations of the flow-reduction effects of different soil and water conservation measures decrease with increasing I30. The average annual soil erosion moduli of slope tillage, hedgerows with slope tillage, contour tillage, and straw mulching with conventional tillage decreased by 59.33%, 91.29%, 97.17%, and 98.45%, respectively, compared with that of bare land. Soil and water conservation measures can significantly reduce the sediment yield on slopes. The flow-reduction effects of hedgerows with slope tillage, contour tillage, and straw mulching with conventional tillage all increase with I30, and their coefficients of variation and standard deviations decrease with I30. The average single rainfall erosion sediment MWD of decreased by 5.91%, 8.33%, 9.69%, and 13.32%, respectively, compared with that of bare land. Straw mulching with conventional tillage can significantly reduce the MWD of erosion sediment, effectively reduce the content of coarse sand, and increase the content of fine sand. Straw mulching with conventional tillage is a very good soil and water conservation measure for sloping farmland. It not only has the best effect on reducing flow and sediment, but also can effectively intercept coarse sand and reduce the MWD of erosion sediment.

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