The role of silvicultural systems and forest types in preventing soil erosion processes in mountain forests: a methodological approach using cesium-137 measurements

2018 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 3378-3387 ◽  
Author(s):  
Valeria Altieri ◽  
Silvio De Franco ◽  
Fabio Lombardi ◽  
Pasquale Antonio Marziliano ◽  
Giuliano Menguzzato ◽  
...  
1996 ◽  
Vol 19 ◽  
pp. 93-114
Author(s):  
Antonio José Teixeira Guerra ◽  
Rosangela Garrido Machado Botelho

This paper regards the role of soil characteristics and properties on pedological surveys and soil erosion investigations. Therefore, the main factors of soil formation are here discussed. Furthermore, the main chemical and physical soil properties are also taken into consideration, in order to approach this subject. Finally, some erosion processes are also carried out, together with the main erosion forms and the environmental impacts caused by these associated processes.


Soil Research ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1359 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Fentie ◽  
C. W. Rose ◽  
K. J. Coughlan ◽  
C. A. A. Ciesiolka

We examined, both experimentally and theoretically, whether rilling results in higher soil erosion than would have occurred without rilling. The possibility of rilling occurs when overland flow-driven erosion processes are dominant over erosion due to raindrop impact, and that is the situation assumed in this paper. Stream power (or a quantity related to stream power such as shear stress) is commonly used to describe the driving variable in flow-driven erosion. Five flume experiments were designed to investigate the relationship between stream power and sediment concentration and how this relationship is affected by the ratio of width to depth of flow (r), and the frequency or number of rills per metre width (N) of rectangular rills. This paper presents the results of these experiments and uses a physically based soil erosion theory to show that the results of the 5 flume experiments are in accord with this theory. This theory is used to investigate the effect of all possible rectangular rill geometries and frequencies on the maximum possible sediment concentration, i.e. the sediment concentration at the transport limit, by developing general relationships for the influence of r and N on sediment concentration. It is shown that increased stream power, which can be due to rilling, does not necessarily result in higher sediment concentration.


2014 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 1761-1771 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Stanchi ◽  
M. Freppaz ◽  
E. Ceaglio ◽  
M. Maggioni ◽  
K. Meusburger ◽  
...  

Abstract. Soil erosion in Alpine areas is mainly related to extreme topographic and weather conditions. Although different methods of assessing soil erosion exist, the knowledge of erosive forces of the snow cover needs more investigation in order to allow soil erosion modeling in areas where the snow lays on the ground for several months. This study aims to assess whether the RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) empirical prediction model, which gives an estimation of water erosion in t ha yr−1 obtained from a combination of five factors (rainfall erosivity, soil erodibility, topography, soil cover, protection practices) can be applied to mountain areas by introducing a winter factor (W), which should account for the soil erosion occurring in winter time by the snow cover. The W factor is calculated from the ratio of Ceasium-137 (137Cs) to RUSLE erosion rates. Ceasium-137 is another possible way of assessing soil erosion rates in the field. In contrast to RUSLE, it not only provides water-induced erosion but integrates all erosion agents involved. Thus, we hypothesize that in mountain areas the difference between the two approaches is related to the soil erosion by snow. In this study we compared 137Cs-based measurement of soil redistribution and soil loss estimated with RUSLE in a mountain slope affected by avalanches, in order to assess the relative importance of winter erosion processes such as snow gliding and full-depth avalanches. Three subareas were considered: DS, avalanche defense structures, RA, release area, and TA, track area, characterized by different prevalent winter processes. The RUSLE estimates and the 137Cs redistribution gave significantly different results. The resulting ranges of W evidenced relevant differences in the role of winter erosion in the considered subareas, and the application of an avalanche simulation model corroborated these findings. Thus, the higher rates obtained with the 137Cs method confirmed the relevant role of winter soil erosion. Despite the limited sample size (11 points), the inclusion of a W factor in RUSLE seems promising for the improvement of soil erosion estimates in Alpine environments affected by snow movements.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Wirtz ◽  
T. Iserloh ◽  
G. Rock ◽  
R. Hansen ◽  
M. Marzen ◽  
...  

The present paper is based on several field investigations (monitoring soil and rill erosion by aerial photography, rainfall simulations with portable rainfall simulators, and manmade rill flooding) in southern Spain. Experiments lead now to a closer understanding of the dynamics and power of different soil erosion processes in a gully catchment area. The test site Freila (Andalusia, Spain) covers an area of 10.01 ha with a rill density of 169 m ha−1, corresponding to a total rill length of 1694 m. Assuming an average rill width of 0.15 m, the total rill surface can be calculated at 250 m2 (0.025 ha). Given that, the surface covered by rills makes up only 0.25% of the total test site. Since the rill network drains 1.98 ha, 20% of the total runoff comes from rills. The rills’ sediment erosion was measured and the total soil loss was then calculated for detachment rates between 1685 g m−2 and 3018 g m−2. The interrill areas (99.75% of the test site) show values between 29 and 143 g m−2. This suggests an important role of rill erosion concerning runoff and soil detachment.


1998 ◽  
pp. 247-257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dino Torri ◽  
Rossano Ciampalini ◽  
Pietro Accolti Gil

2020 ◽  
Vol 588 ◽  
pp. 125093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fengling Gan ◽  
Binghui He ◽  
Ziyang Qin ◽  
Wubing Li

2014 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 1405-1431 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Stanchi ◽  
M. Freppaz ◽  
E. Ceaglio ◽  
M. Maggioni ◽  
K. Meusburger ◽  
...  

Abstract. Soil erosion is largely affecting Alpine areas. In this work we compared 137Cs-based measurement of soil redistribution and soil loss estimated with RUSLE in a mountain slope affected by full depth snow-glide avalanches, in order to assess the relative importance of winter erosion processes through a correction factor (W – winter factor). Three subareas were considered: SB, snow bridge areas; RA, release area, and TA, track area, characterized by different prevalent winter processes. The RUSLE estimates and the 137Cs redistribution gave significantly different results (higher for 137Cs method), confirming a relevant role of winter erosion. W ranges evidenced relevant differences in the role of winter erosion in the considered subareas, and the application of an avalanche simulation model corroborated these findings. Despite the limited sample size (11 points) the inclusion of a W factor into RUSLE seems promising for the improvement of soil erosion estimates in Alpine environments affected by snow movements.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 1-11
Author(s):  
Laura Hall ◽  
Urpi Pine ◽  
Tanya Shute

Abstract This paper will reflect on key findings from a Summer 2017 initiative entitled The Role of Culture and Land-Based Healing in Addressing and Ending Violence against Indigenous Women and Two-Spirited People. The Indigenist and decolonizing methodological approach of this work ensured that all research was grounded in experiential and reciprocal ways of learning. Two major findings guide the next phase of this research, complicating the premise that traditional economic activities are healing for Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people. First, the complexities of the mainstream labour force were raised numerous times. Traditional economies are pressured in ongoing ways through exploitative labour practices. Secondly, participants emphasized the importance of attending to the responsibility of nurturing, enriching, and sustaining the wellbeing of soil, water, and original seeds in the process of creating renewal gardens as a healing endeavour. In other words, we have an active role to play in healing the environment and not merely using the environment to heal ourselves. Gardening as research and embodied knowledge was stressed by extreme weather changes including hail in June, 2018, which meant that participants spent as much time talking about the healing of the earth and her systems as the healing of Indigenous women in a context of ongoing colonialism.


Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 227
Author(s):  
Yang Yu ◽  
Jesús Rodrigo-Comino

Land degradation, especially soil erosion, is a societal issue that affects vineyards worldwide, but there are no current investigations that inform specifically about soil erosion rates in Chinese vineyards. In this review, we analyze this problem and the need to avoid irreversible damage to soil and their use from a regional point of view. Information about soil erosion in vineyards has often failed to reach farmers, and we can affirm that to this time, soil erosion in Chinese vineyards has been more of a scientific hypothesis than an agronomic or environmental concern. Two hypotheses can be presented to justify this review: (i) there are no official and scientific investigations on vineyard soil erosion in China as the main topic, and it may be understood that stakeholders do not care about this or (ii) there is a significant lack of information and motivation among farmers, policymakers and wineries concerning the consequences of soil erosion. Therefore, this review proposes a plan to study vineyard soil erosion processes for the first time in China and develop a structured scientific proposal considering different techniques and strategies. To achieve these goals, we present a plan considering previous research on other viticultural regions. We hypothesize that the results of a project from a regional geographic point of view would provide the necessary scientific support to facilitate deriving guidelines for sustainable vineyard development in China. We concluded that after completing this review, we cannot affirm why vine plantations have not received the same attention as other crops or land uses.


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