Soil and organic carbon redistribution in a recently burned Mediterranean hillslope affected by water erosion processes

Soil erosion by water affects soil organic carbon (SOC) migration and distribution, which are important processes for defining ecosystem carbon sources and sinks. Little has been done to quantify soil carbon erosion in the three major basins in China, the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Pearl River Basins, which contain the most eroded areas. This research attempts to quantify the lateral movement of SOC based on spatial and temporal patterns of water erosion rates derived from an empirical Unit Stream Power Erosion Deposition Model (USPED) model. The water erosion rates simulated by the USPED model agreed reasonably with observations (R2 = 0.43, P < 0.01). We showed that regional water erosion ranged within 23.3–50 Mg ha–1 year–1 during 1992–2013, inducing the lateral redistribution of SOC caused by erosion in the range of 0.027–0.049 Mg C ha–1 year–1, and that caused by deposition of 0.0079–0.015 Mg C ha–1 year–1, in the three basins. The total eroded SOC was 0.006, 0.002 and 0.001 Pg year–1 in the Yangtze River, Yellow River and Pearl River Basins respectively. The net eroded SOC in the three basins was ~0.0075 Pg C year–1. Overall, the annual average redistributed SOC rate caused by erosion was greater than that caused by deposition, and the SOC loss in the Yangtze River Basin was greatest among the three basins. Our study suggests that considering both processes of erosion and deposition – as well as effects of topography, rainfall, land use types and their interactions – on these processes are important to understand SOC redistribution caused by water erosion.

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Soil Organic Carbon Redistribution by Water Erosion – The Role of CO2 Emissions for the Carbon Budget

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0096299 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. e96299 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Xiang Wang ◽

Erik L. H. Cammeraat ◽

Paul Romeijn ◽

Karsten Kalbitz

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Co2 Emissions ◽

Carbon Budget ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Carbon Redistribution

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Lateral transport of SOC induced by water erosion in a Spanish agroecosystem

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-17676 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Leticia Gaspar ◽

Lionel Mabit ◽

Ivan Lizaga ◽

Ana Navas

Keyword(s):

Land Use ◽

Soil Erosion ◽

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Management Practices ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Land Uses ◽

Lateral Movement ◽

Erosion Processes ◽

Depositional Processes

The main route for the lateral movement of soil organic carbon (SOC) is water erosion. Awareness of the distribution and magnitude of land carbon mobilization is important both for improving models of the carbon cycle and for management practices aimed to preserve carbon stocks and enhance carbon sinks. There is a need to consider the global significance of soil erosion from soil organic carbon cycling schemes and for this reason, the movement of SOC during erosion processes should be elucidated.Our study aims to estimate the SOC redistribution induced by water erosion during a 40 years period in an agroforestry mountain ecosystem located in northern Spain. To this purpose, topographically driven transects were selected with mixed land uses to i) assess what factors modify the runoff patterns with impact on soil and carbon redistribution and ii) evaluate the mobilization of topsoil organic carbon along the transects.The lateral movement of SOC shows similar spatial patterns with that of soil erosion. To identify whether erosional or depositional processes have been predominant in the sampling sites we used 137Cs inventories and the characterization of terrain attributes of the study with a detailed analysis of the main runoff pathways. Results indicate that SOC losses were related to an increase in water flow accumulation, while the highest SOC gains were recorded at concave positions. Soil erosion processes and the content of SOC in soils are the two main factors controlling carbon budgets. The topographical and geomorphological characteristics of the transects, the spatial distribution of land uses and the presence of landscape linear elements such as terraces or paths, affect runoff and determine the sediment connectivity and carbon dynamics along the slopes.The interactions between topography and land use produce significant positive or negative effects on SOC accumulation, particularly in areas with complex topography, as the results obtained in our study sustain. Even though the effect of topography and land use/land cover and their interactions on the horizontal distributions of carbon remains largely unknown, our approach contributes to better understand the pattern of gains and losses of soil organic and inorganic carbon induced by water erosion.

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Straw mulch impact on soil properties and initial soil erosion processes in the maize field

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-2538 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ivan Dugan ◽

Leon Josip Telak ◽

Iva Hrelja ◽

Ivica Kisić ◽

Igor Bogunović

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Straw Mulch ◽

Erosion Processes ◽

Maize Field ◽

Sediment Loss ◽

Initial Soil

Straw mulch impact on soil properties and initial soil erosion processes in the maize fieldIvan Dugan*, Leon Josip Telak, Iva Hrelja, Ivica Kisic, Igor BogunovicUniversity of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of General Agronomy, Zagreb, Croatia(*correspondence to Ivan Dugan: [email protected])Soil erosion by water is the most important cause of land degradation. Previous studies reveal high soil loss in conventionally managed croplands, with recorded soil losses high as 30 t ha-1 under wide row cover crop like maize (Kisic et al., 2017; Bogunovic et al., 2018). Therefore, it is necessary to test environmentally-friendly soil conservation practices to mitigate soil erosion. This research aims to define the impacts of mulch and bare soil on soil water erosion in the maize (Zea mays&#160;L.) field in Blagorodovac, Croatia (45&#176;33&#8217;N; 17&#176;01&#8217;E; 132 m a.s.l.). For this research, two treatments on conventionally tilled silty clay loam Stagnosols were established, one was straw mulch (2 t ha-1), while other was bare soil. For purpose of research, ten rainfall simulations and ten sampling points were conducted per each treatment. Simulations were carried out with a rainfall simulator, simulating a rainfall at an intensity of 58 mm h-1, for 30 min, over 0.785 m2 plots, to determine runoff and sediment loss. Soil core samples and undisturbed samples were taken in the close vicinity of each plot. The results showed that straw mulch mitigated water runoff (by 192%), sediment loss (by 288%), and sediment concentration (by 560%) in addition to bare treatment. The bare treatment showed a 55% lower infiltration rate. Ponding time was higher (p < 0.05) on mulched plots (102 sec), compared to bare (35 sec), despite the fact that bulk density, water-stable aggregates, water holding capacity, and mean weight diameter did not show any difference (p > 0.05) between treatments. The study results indicate that straw mulch mitigates soil water erosion, because it immediately reduces runoff, and enhances infiltration. On the other side, soil water erosion on bare soil under simulated rainstorms could be high as 5.07 t ha-1, when extrapolated, reached as high as 5.07 t ha-1 in this study. The conventional tillage, without residue cover, was proven as unsustainable agro-technical practice in the study area.Key words: straw mulch, rainfall simulation, soil water erosionAcknowledgmentThis work was supported by Croatian Science Foundation through the project "Soil erosion and degradation in Croatia" (UIP-2017-05-7834) (SEDCRO).LiteratureBogunovic, I., Pereira, P., Kisic, I., Sajko, K., Sraka, M. (2018). Tillage management impacts on soil compaction, erosion and crop yield in Stagnosols (Croatia). Catena, 160, 376-384.Kisic, I., Bogunovic, I., Birk&#225;s, M., Jurisic, A., Spalevic, V. (2017). The role of tillage and crops on a soil loss of an arable Stagnic Luvisol. Archives of Agronomy and Soil Science, 63(3), 403-413.

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Impact of soil water erosion processes on catchment export of soil aggregates and associated SOC

Geoderma ◽

10.1016/j.geoderma.2017.01.021 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 294 ◽

pp. 63-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Shoucai Wei ◽

Xiaoping Zhang ◽

Neil B. McLaughlin ◽

Xuewen Chen ◽

Shuxia Jia ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Water ◽

Soil Aggregates ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Erosion Processes

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Dynamics of organic carbon losses by water erosion after biocrust removal

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics ◽

10.2478/johh-2014-0033 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 62 (4) ◽

pp. 258-268 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Yolanda Cantón ◽

Jose Raúl Román ◽

Sonia Chamizo ◽

Emilio Rodríguez-Caballero ◽

María José Moro

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Fine Particles ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Strong Increase ◽

Runoff Water ◽

Erosion Rates ◽

Soil Crusts ◽

C Balance ◽

Carbon Losses ◽

Arid And Semiarid

Abstract In arid and semiarid ecosystems, plant interspaces are frequently covered by communities of cyanobacteria, algae, lichens and mosses, known as biocrusts. These crusts often act as runoff sources and are involved in soil stabilization and fertility, as they prevent erosion by water and wind, fix atmospheric C and N and contribute large amounts of C to soil. Their contribution to the C balance as photosynthetically active surfaces in arid and semiarid regions is receiving growing attention. However, very few studies have explicitly evaluated their contribution to organic carbon (OC) lost from runoff and erosion, which is necessary to ascertain the role of biocrusts in the ecosystem C balance. Furthermore, biocrusts are not resilient to physical disturbances, which generally cause the loss of the biocrust and thus, an increase in runoff and erosion, dust emissions, and sediment and nutrient losses. The aim of this study was to find out the influence of biocrusts and their removal on dissolved and sediment organic carbon losses. One-hour extreme rainfall simulations (50 mm h-1) were performed on small plots set up on physical soil crusts and three types of biocrusts, representing a development gradient, and also on plots where these crusts were removed from. Runoff and erosion rates, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and organic carbon bonded to sediments (SdOC) were measured during the simulated rain. Our results showed different SdOC and DOC for the different biocrusts and also that the presence of biocrusts substantially decreased total organic carbon (TOC) (average 1.80±1.86 g m-2) compared to physical soil crusts (7.83±3.27 g m-2). Within biocrusts, TOC losses decreased as biocrusts developed, and erosion rates were lower. Thus, erosion drove TOC losses while no significant direct relationships were found between TOC losses and runoff. In both physical crusts and biocrusts, DOC and SdOC concentrations were higher during the first minutes after runoff began and decreased over time as nutrient-enriched fine particles were washed away by runoff water. Crust removal caused a strong increase in water erosion and TOC losses. The strongest impacts on TOC losses after crust removal occurred on the lichen plots, due to the increased erosion when they were removed. DOC concentration was higher in biocrust-removed soils than in intact biocrusts, probably because OC is more strongly retained by BSC structures, but easily blown away in soils devoid of them. However, SdOC concentration was higher in intact than removed biocrusts associated with greater OC content in the top crust than in the soil once the crust is scraped off. Consequently, the loss of biocrusts leads to OC impoverishment of nutrient-limited interplant spaces in arid and semiarid areas and the reduction of soil OC heterogeneity, essential for vegetation productivity and functioning of this type of ecosystems.

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Profile degradations of podzolic chernozem of the territory of Male Polissia

Visnyk of the Lviv University. Series Geography ◽

10.30970/vgg.2017.51.8742 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 98-110

Author(s):

Volodymyr Haskevych

Keyword(s):

Physical Properties ◽

Soil Layer ◽

Vegetation Period ◽

Soil Mass ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Soil Protection ◽

Erosion Processes ◽

Average Annual Loss ◽

Study Results ◽

Statistical Field

The article presents the results of the study of Male Polissia podzolic chernozems profile degradation. The causes and consequences of this dangerous natural and man-made phenomenon resulting in changes in the habitus of soils, losses of soil mass and humus, deterioration of general physical properties and structural and aggregate composition, decrease in soil fertility and agriculture unprofitability on the slopes have been analysed. In the study of the profile degradation of podzolic chernozems, the following methods have been used: comparative-geographical, comparative-profile, soil-catena, analytical, and statistical. Field studies were conducted after the vegetation period. According to the study results, the thickness of the profile of weakly eroded podzolic chernozems, in comparison with non-eroded types, decreased by 17.0–35.5% as compared to the standard, which corresponds to satisfactory and pre-crisis condition, in medium eroded soils - by 32.2–63.4%, the degree of degradation is estimated as pre-crisis, crisis and catastrophic. In the highly eroded types, the thickness of the soil layer decreased by 47.8–74.9%, which indicates a high and very high (crisis) level of profile degradation. Erosion soil loss compared to the standard in weakly eroded podzolic chernozems is 1245.0-3744.6 t/ha, in medium eroded soil – 6762.4-8321.0 t/ha, and in highly-eroded soil – 8874.0-11595.0 t/ha. It has been established that chernozems as a result of water erosion from one hectare of weakly eroded podzolic, on average 39.47–118.70 tons of humus was eroded, 214.36-237.98 tons was eroded from medium eroded ones, and 240.49-267.84 tons from highly eroded soils. The average annual loss of humus is from 0.23-0.68 t/ha in weakly eroded types to 1.37-1.53 t/ha in highly eroded podzolic chernozems. Erosion processes result in deterioration of physical properties of soils. The use of dense and low-humus plumage horizons for plowing causes compaction of soils and deterioration of structure. Minimization of podzolic chernozem profile degradation in Male Polissia is possible provided that the system of anti-erosion measures, especially the conservation of highly eroded soils, the introduction of soil protection methods for soil cultivation, optimization of the structure of crop areas, ban on cultivated crops on slopes more than 3° steep, consolidation of small areas in larger arrays are applied. It is also necessary to introduce a system of basic and crisis monitoring over the condition of eroded soils. Key words: Male Polissia, podzolic chernozems, profile degradation, water erosion, humus, soil conservation.

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Perda de Solo no Alto Curso das Bacias Hidrográficas dos Ribeirões Taquaruçu Grande e Taquaruçuzinho, Palmas (TO)

Revista Brasileira de Geografia Física ◽

10.26848/rbgf.v14.1.p332-339 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 332

Author(s):

Marcelo Divino Ribeiro Pereira ◽

João Batista Pereira Cabral

Keyword(s):

Soil Loss ◽

Environmental Planning ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Integrated Analysis ◽

Conservation Practices ◽

Erosion Processes ◽

Food And Agriculture ◽

Food And Agriculture Organization ◽

1960S And 1970S ◽

The 1960S

A aplicação de modelos matemáticos na análise da perda de solo em bacias hidrográficas ganhou atenção, nos anos de 1960 e 1970, a partir da análise integrada da paisagem. Nesse contexto, a Equação Universal de Perda de Solo (EUPS) se destaca como um dos modelos mais utilizados mundialmente no conhecimento dos processos erosivos e no planejamento ambiental. Diante disso, este estudo tem por objetivo estimar as perdas de solos nas bacias hidrográficas dos córregos Macacão e Mutum, localizadas no município de Palmas (TO). Os resultados demonstram que as áreas estudadas sofreram com um alto poder de erosividade (R) ao longo dos anos 1995 a 2019, com valores entre 12,188 a 12,319 t/ha MJ-1 mm-1. Quanto ao solo, o Neossolo Litólico Distrófico (RLD) apresenta o maior valor de erodibilidade (K), 0,049 t/ha MJ-1 mm-1.No que tange ao fator topográfico (LS), cerca de 80% das áreas das bacias mostram valores de LS considerados baixos, situados entre 0,029 a 1,86, e 1,86 a 4,30. Já para o fator relacionado ao uso e manejo do solo e às práticas conservacionistas (CP), as áreas mais suscetíveis ao processo erosional diz respeito às classes de pastagem e queimadas. Desta forma, observa-se que as classes de erosão hídrica nas bacias são consideradas moderada, grave e muito grave pelo estudo da Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) de 1984, ainda que represente somente 19% da área da bacia do Macacão e 24% da bacia do Córrego Mutum. Loss of soil in the high course of hydrographic basins of ribeirões Taquaruçu Grande and Taquaruçuzinho, Palmas (TO) A B S T R A C TThe application of mathematical models in the analysis of soil loss in watersheds gained attention in the 1960s and 1970s from the integrated analysis of the landscape. In this context, the Universal Soil Loss Equation (EUPS) stood out as one of the most used models worldwide in the knowledge of erosion processes and in environmental planning. Therefore, this study aims to estimate soil losses in the hydrographic basins of the Macacão and Mutum streams, located in the municipality of Palmas (TO). The results demonstrate that the studied areas suffered from a high power of erosivity (R) over the years 1995 to 2019, with values between 12.188 to 12.319 t/ha MJ-1 mm-1. As for the soil, the Neosol Litolic Dystrophic (RLD) has the highest erodibility value (K), 0.049 t/ha MJ-1 mm-1. Regarding the topographic factor (LS), about 80% of the basin areas show LS values considered low, situated between 0.029 to 1.86, and 1.86 to 4.30. As for the factor related to the use and management of soil and conservation practices (CP), the areas most susceptible to the erosion process concern the grazing and burning classes. Thus, it is observed that the classes of water erosion in the basins are considered moderate, severe and very severe by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) study of 1984, although it represents only 19% of the area of the Macacão basin and 24% of the Mutum Stream basin.Keywords: Water erosion. Hydrographic basin. USLE.

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