Effect of soil wetting conditions on seal formation, runoff, and soil loss in arid and semiarid soils—a review

Soil surface sealing is one of the main causes for low infiltration rate (IR) and high runoff and soil loss under raindrop impact conditions in arid and semiarid regions. Many studies have focused on the effects of soil properties on seal formation under fast wetting conditions. However, in the field, soils can be exposed to different wetting conditions, before an intense rainfall event, which can affect the role of the soil properties on seal formation. The present paper reviews the effects of different initial wetting conditions and their interactions with soil properties on seal formation, IR, runoff, and soil loss in smectitic soils. Fast wetting of soil causes aggregate slaking, which enhances seal formation, runoff, and soil loss under rainfall, mainly in soils with > 40% clay content. An increase in clay content of the soil increases aggregate strength, but at the same time increases the slaking forces. Hence, in soils with low clay content (<40%) and low aggregate stability, raindrop impact alone was sufficient to break down the aggregates and to develop a seal. In contrast, in soils with > 40% clay content and high aggregate stability, slaking plays an important role in aggregate breakdown and seal formation. An increase of raindrop kinetic energy, from 8 to 15.9 kJ/m3, decreased the effect of the slaking forces on seal formation and runoff. It was suggested that the effects of raindrop kinetic energy and of the slaking forces on aggregate disintegration and seal formation are complementary. An increase in soil exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), from 0.9 to 20.4%, decreased the effect of slaking forces on seal formation and runoff production under rainfall with 15.9 kJ/m3 kinetic energy. Probably, increasing the ESP increased the soil dispersivity, and therefore diminished the effect of the slaking forces on aggregate disintegration and seal formation. Aging (the time since wetting) of soil increased the stability of soil structure, decreased the seal formation, maintained high IR, and diminished soil loss amounts. These effects of soil aging depend on both the prewetting rate of the soil and soil texture.

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Effectiveness of Polyacrylamide in Reducing Runoff and Soil Loss under Consecutive Rainfall Storms

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su12041597 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 12 (4) ◽

pp. 1597 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Birhanu Kebede ◽

Atsushi Tsunekawa ◽

Nigussie Haregeweyn ◽

Amrakh I. Mamedov ◽

Mitsuru Tsubo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Loss ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Infiltration Rate ◽

Solution Viscosity ◽

Combined Application ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Short Rains ◽

Two Phases ◽

In The Beginning ◽

Runoff And Soil Loss

The use of anionic polyacrylamide (PAM) as a soil conditioner could help prevent soil loss by water. In this study, we determined the effective granular PAM rate that best reduces runoff and soil loss from Oxisols. Furthermore, the effectiveness of the selected PAM rate was tested by applying it in a mixture with gypsum (G) or lime (L). The study was conducted in two phases: (i) Dry PAM rates of 0 (C), 20 kg ha−1 (P20), 40 kg ha−1 (P40), and 60 kg ha−1 (P60) were applied onto soil surface and run for six consecutive rainfall storms of 70 mm h−1 intensity for 1 h duration, and the effective PAM rate was selected; and (ii) G (4 t ha−1) or L (2 t ha−1) were applied alone or mixed with the selected PAM rate. The P20 was found to be effective in reducing runoff in the beginning while P40 and P60 were more effective starting from the third storm through the end of the consecutive storms, but with no statistically significant difference between P40 and P60. Hence, P40 was selected as the most suitable rate for the given test soil and rainfall pattern. On the other hand, the mixed application of P40 with G or L increased infiltration rate (IR) in the first two storms through improving soil solution viscosity. However, effectiveness of the mixtures had diminished by various degrees as rain progressed, as compared to P40 alone, which could be attributed to the rate and properties of G and L. In conclusion, the variation in effectiveness of PAM rates in reducing runoff with storm duration could indicate that the effective rates shall be selected based on the climatic region in that lower rates for the short rains or higher rates for elongated rains. Moreover, combined application of PAM with L could offer a good option to both fairly reduce soil erosion and improve land productivity especially in acidic soils like Oxisols, which requires further field verification.

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Effets du travail du sol et de la gestion des résidus sur les propriétés du sol et sur l’érosion hydrique d'un Vertisol Méditerranéen

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss10096 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 91 (4) ◽

pp. 627-635 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Rachid Moussadek ◽

Rachid Mrabet ◽

Patrick Zante ◽

Jean Marie Lamachère ◽

Yannick Pépin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Loss ◽

Crop Residues ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Conventional Tillage ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Residue Management ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Water Runoff ◽

Runoff And Soil Loss

Moussadek, R., Mrabet, R., Zante, P., Lamachère, J. M., Pépin, Y., Le Bissonnais, Y., Ye, L., Verdoodt, A. and Van Ranst, E. 2011. Impact of tillage and residue management on the soil properties and water erosion of a Mediterranean Vertisol. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 627–635. Soil erosion research on Mediterranean Vertisols under no tillage systems (NT) is still scarce. A rainfall simulator was used on Vertisols to compare water runoff and soil loss in a conventional tillage system (CT), NT system with crop residues removed (NT0), and NT with 50% of crop residues returned to the soil surface (NT50). Runoff and soil loss rates were more than 50% lower under NT50 compared with NT0 and CT. Wet aggregate stability (MWD), soil organic matter (SOM) and soil bulk density (Da) were significantly higher under NT than under CT. A multiple regression analysis showed that when the soil was dry, Da explained 84 and 96% of the variation in water runoff and soil loss, respectively. Under wet soil conditions, MWD explained 47 and 69% of variation in water runoff and soil loss, respectively. Consequently, although NT systems improved soil quality (MWD, SOM) compared with the CT system, returning 50% of crop residues at the soil surface was mandatory under NT to protect these Vertisols against water erosion.

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A rainfall simulation study of erosion of some calcareous soils

Global NEST Journal ◽

10.30955/gnj.000216 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 179-183 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Keyword(s):

Calcium Carbonate ◽

Cation Exchange Capacity ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Clay Fraction ◽

Calcareous Soils ◽

Exchange Capacity ◽

Rainfall Simulation ◽

Runoff And Soil Loss ◽

Raindrop Impact ◽

Rain Simulator

In order to study the erodibility characteristics of some calcareous soils from Central Greece, the instability of aggregates of 2.0-4.7 mm in water was studied. Soil loss experiments were also conducted in the laboratory using a rain simulator where soil loss was measured and the soils attitude was studied under the conditions of simulated rainfall. It was found that the instability of aggregates is negatively correlated with cation exchange capacity and the total specific surface of soils. Also the calcium carbonate content affects positively the aggregates instability. The process which seems to control dominantly the time that runoff occurs and the runoff and soil loss quantity, is the creation of surface seals with raindrop impact due to large calcium carbonate quantities that are met in the clay fraction.

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Pre-fire forest management effectivity to decrease wildfire impact on soil properties in a Mediterranean forest.

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-5814 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Marcos Francos ◽

Xavier Úbeda ◽

Paulo Pereira ◽

Victoria Arcenegui ◽

Jorge Mataix-Solera

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Management Practices ◽

Microbial Biomass Carbon ◽

Fire Severity ◽

Aggregate Stability ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽

Control Area ◽

Clear Cutting ◽

And Control

Forest mechanical fuel treatments in Mediterranean ecosystems are frequently employed to reduce both the risk and severity of wildfires. These pre-fire treatments may influence the effects of wildfire events on soil properties. The aim of this study is to examine the effectivity of this treatment (clear-cutting operation whereby part of the vegetation was cut and left covering soil surface) carried out before a wildfire that broke out in 2015 and evaluate if the management had influence on post-wildfire soil properties of three sites: two exposed to management practices in 2005 (site M05B) and in 2015 (site M15B)&#8211;and one that did not undergo any management (NMB) and to compare their properties with those recorded in a Control area unaffected by 2015 wildfire. The fourth areas were sampled and compared 2, 10 and 18 months after wildfire. The study area is located in &#211;dena (Catalonia, Spain). The wildfire occurred at July 27th of 2015 and burned 1237 ha. In each area and in each sampling moment we collected 9 topsoil samples (0-5 cm depth). We analyzed aggregate stability (AS), soil organic matter (SOM) content, total nitrogen (TN), carbon/nitrogen ratio (C/N), inorganic carbon (IC), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), extractable calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), sodium (Na), and potassium (K), microbial biomass carbon (Cmic) and basal soil respiration (BSR). Two-way ANOVA was carried out to check the differences according to sampling moment and to management. The results show that 2 months after the wildfire M05B showed greater amount of IC and pH; M15B showed greater Na than the other areas; NMB resulted higher in AS, TN, SOM, EC, Ca, Mg, K and BSR; and Control registered the highest Cmic. C/N resulted similar in the 4 areas in the three sampling moments. Ten months after wildfire, M05B showed greater AS and IC; NMB resulted higher in TN, SOM, EC, Mg and K; and Control showed higher pH, Ca, Na, Cmic and BSR. In the last sampling, 18 months after wildfire, M05B showed greater pH; M15B showed higher AS; NMB resulted higher in TN, SOM, EC, Ca and K; and Control showed higher IC, Mg, Na, Cmic and BSR. According to the treatments M05B registered higher TN, SOM, IC, EC, Mg, Na and K during 1st sampling; AS and C/N during 2nd sampling; and pH, Ca, Cmic and BSR during 3rd sampling. M15B registered higher IC, Mg, Na and K during 1st sampling; BSR and C/N during 2nd sampling; and AS, TN, SOM, pH, EC, Ca and Cmic during 3rd sampling. NMB registered higher IC, Mg, Na, K, Cmic and BSR during 1st sampling; AS and C/N during 2nd sampling; and TN, SOM, pH, EC and Ca during 3rd sampling. Control did not vary significantly over time due to the absence of perturbation. Overall, a comparison of the pre-fire treatments showed that NMB was the practice that had the least negative effects on the soil properties studied, followed by M15B, and that fire severity was highest at M05B due to the accumulation of dead plant fuel.

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Factors in conservation farming that reduce erosion

Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture ◽

10.1071/ea9950969 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 35 (7) ◽

pp. 969 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

DK Malinda

Keyword(s):

Soil Loss ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Grain Legumes ◽

Barley Grain ◽

Nutrient Loss ◽

Grain Legume ◽

Infiltration Capacity ◽

Stubble Retention ◽

Conservation Farming ◽

Runoff And Soil Loss

A medium-term (10 years) stubble x tillage field experiment was established in 1984 on a red-brown earth at Tarlee, 70 km north of Adelaide, to develop a suitable system for sustaining the soil resource. Measurements of infiltration capacity, soil detachment rate, and erosion were taken in summer, autumn, winter, and spring 1989-90. The rotation was wheat-barley-grain legume, and treatments included 3 levels of stubble retention (0.5, 3.0, 5.0 t/ha.year) and 4 types of tillage [no-tillage (NT), direct drill (DD), reduced tillage (RT), conventional cultivation (CC)]. NT was seeded with narrow points (30 mm) and the other tillage treatments with wide shares (150 mm). The Northfield rainfall simulator with an erosive rainfall of 100 mm/h and an energy of 28.6 J/ m2.mm was used to measure runoff and soil and nutrient loss. This paper reports on erosion from this experiment. The results show that runoff was reduced through farming practices such as the retention of adequate stubble residue (about 3-5 t/ha.year of cereals), NT, or a combination of these factors. Increasing the average - - - annual stubble retention decreased runoff and soil loss linearly. The greater the amount of stubble retained annually, the less the runoff and soil loss, whether or not the soil surface was protected. The significant sediment release and soil loss from bared soil is inversely related to soil stability measured by a reduction in soil organic matter. Crop type also influenced erosion; for example, soil was more vulnerable to erosion after peas than after cereal. The amount of stubble after harvest was usually greater with cereals than with grain legumes. Runoff as a percentage of applied rain, and soil loss, ranged from 26 to 60% and 0.52 to 1 .I t/ha for 0.5 t/ha. year stubble (means of all treatments) for April 1989 and August 1990, respectively, and from 5 to 35% and 0.03 to 0.8 t/ha for 5.0 t/ha.year stubble for the same simulation period. Runoff rates in the last 3 min of 18 min simulation ranged from 0.4 to 1.1 mm/min for 5.0 t/ha.year stubble and from 0.8 to 1.7 mm/min for 0.5 t/ha.year stubble. The runoff rates recorded at the 18th minute of simulation ranged from 0.5 to 1.2 mm/min for NT and 0.7 to 1.5 mm/min for CC.

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Polymer molecular-weight and degree of drying effects on infiltration and erosion of three different soils

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr9951007 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 33 (6) ◽

pp. 1007 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

GJ Levy ◽

M Agassi

Keyword(s):

Molecular Weight ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Clay Content ◽

Infiltration Rate ◽

Soil Samples ◽

Polymer Molecular Weight ◽

Infiltration Rates ◽

Critical Problems ◽

Simulated Rain ◽

Different Soils

Low infiltration rate and high levels of soil erosion are critical problems in many soils worldwide. Amendment of soils with organic polymers could alleviate these problems. The objective of the present study is to investigate the effects of polymer molecular weight and the degree of drying on the infiltration rate of, and erosion from, three different soil types from Israel. A solution of high-molecular-weight (2x107 Da) or low-molecular-weight (2x105 Da) negatively charged polyacrylamide (PAMH and PAML, respectively) was added to the surface of soil samples packed in trays, at a rate of 20 kg ha-1. The soil samples were allowed to dry to varying degrees and were then exposed to 60 mm of simulated rain during which infiltration rate and soil loss were determined. The ability of the polymer to maintain high final infiltration rates (FIR) depended on its molecular weight and the clay content of the soils. In the coarse- and medium-textured soils, the PAMH was more effective than the PAML in maintaining high FIR. In the fine-textured soil, the effects of both polymers on Fm. were comparable; the use of the PAML is therefore preferable since it is easier to handle. Both polymers had reduced soil loss comparably. The effects of drying were similar for both polymers: the FIR and soil loss values with the intermediate degrees of drying were higher and lower, respectively, than they were with the no-drying or complete-drying treatments.

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A field study of the influence of land management and soil properties on runoff and soil loss in central Spain

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment ◽

10.1007/bf00546899 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 37 (1-3) ◽

pp. 333-345 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Andrew G. Williams ◽

J. Les Ternan ◽

Andy Elmes ◽

Marta Gonzalez del Tanago ◽

Raoul Blanco

Keyword(s):

Soil Properties ◽

Field Study ◽

Land Management ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Central Spain ◽

Runoff And Soil Loss

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The effect of kinetic energy of excess rainfall on soil loss from non-vegetated plots

Soil Research ◽

10.1071/sr9830445 ◽

1983 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 445 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

PIA Kinnell

Keyword(s):

Kinetic Energy ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Rainfall Intensity ◽

Acceptance Rate ◽

Slope Gradient ◽

The Difference ◽

Bare Fallow ◽

Runoff And Soil Loss ◽

Sheet Erosion

Data obtained from three 0.01 ha runoff and soil-loss plots, established with a bare fallow treatment on a yellow podzolic (Albaqualf) soil and slope gradient of 4.2%, were analysed in terms of the kinetic energy of raindrops and the efficiency of the use of that energy in generating soil loss. The results indicate that the difference between rainfall intensity and the average infiltration (acceptance) rate of the soil during an event can be used to estimate variations in the efficiency of use of rainfall energy in generating sheet erosion.

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Investigation of Soil Erosion from Bare Steep Slopes of the Humid Tropic Philippines

Earth Interactions ◽

10.1175/ei121.1 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 9 (5) ◽

pp. 1-30 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

A. L. Presbitero ◽

C. W. Rose ◽

B. Yu ◽

C. A. A. Ciesiolka ◽

K. J. Coughlan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Loss ◽

Overland Flow ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Infiltration Rate ◽

Bare Soil ◽

The Philippines ◽

Roughness Coefficient ◽

Storm Events ◽

State College ◽

Erosion Processes

Abstract At the Visayas State College of Agriculture (ViSCA) on the island of Leyte in the Philippines, hydrologic and soil-loss measurements were recorded for 32 erosion events over 3 yr on three 12-m-long bare soil plots with slopes of approximately 50%, 60%, and 70%. Measurements included rainfall and runoff rates at 1-min intervals, total soil lost per event from the plot, rill details when observed after an erosion event, and soil settling-velocity characteristics. Storm events are characterized by high rainfall rates but quite low rates of runoff, because of the consistently high infiltration rate of the stable clay soil (an Oxic Dystropept). Both observation and modeling indicated that overland flow is commonly so shallow that much of the soil surface is likely to be unsubmerged. For the 70% slope plot, half the events recorded mean sediment concentrations from 100 to 570 kg m−3. A somewhat constant hydrologic lag between rainfall and runoff is used to estimate a Manning’s roughness coefficient n of about 0.1 m−1/3 s, a value used to estimate velocity of overland flow. Possible effects of shallow flows and high sediment concentrations on existing erosion theory are investigated theoretically but are found to have only minor effects for the ViSCA dataset. A soil erodibility parameter β was evaluated for the data whenever rilling was recorded following an erosion event. The values of β indicate that, except for events with higher stream powers, other erosion processes in addition to overland flow could have contributed to soil loss from erosion plots in a significant number of events.

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Effect Of Rice Straw Mulch on Surface Runoff and Soil Loss in Agricultural Land Under Simulated Rainfall

IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science ◽

10.1088/1755-1315/930/1/012007 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 930 (1) ◽

pp. 012007

Author(s):

R Haribowo ◽

R Asmaranto ◽

L T W N Kusuma ◽

B G Amrina

Keyword(s):

Rice Straw ◽

Sediment Yield ◽

Surface Runoff ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Sediment Yields ◽

Straw Mulch ◽

The Difference ◽

Runoff And Soil Loss

Abstract Installation of mulch on agricultural land, besides reducing weed growth, can also protect the soil surface from rain and erosion. This study aims to determine the effectiveness of rice straw mulch in reducing surface runoff and soil loss before entering the river. The experimental soil materials were similar to those in Sumber Brantas village, Bumiaji Sub-District, Batu. Runoff modelling utilized the Armfield S12 Rainfall Simulator - Advanced Environmental Hydrology System, with rainfall of 1 and 1.7 l/min. Land with rice straw mulch was compared to land without mulch. The land slope was adjusted to study area conditions, with mild (9%) and steep (15%) slopes. The three-Way ANOVA method was utilized for statistical analysis. In all the experimental runs, it was found that straw mulch effectively reduced the sediment yields that could enter the river area by more than 50%. The results of ANOVA analysis on sediment yield also showed that the significance value of the interactions between slope, rain intensity, and mulch usage was 0 (p<0.05). These results show that the difference in variations in these three factors determines the sediment yield that occurs. In the future, comparing straw mulch with other materials to cover agricultural land should be conducted.

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