Evidence of prehistoric wind erosion of the Mackenzie Basin, South Island, New Zealand: an assessment based on 137Cs and Kawakawa-Oruanui tephra

Soil Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. D. Leckie ◽  
P. C. Almond
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Peak Concentration ◽  
Volcanic Glass ◽  
Bare Ground ◽  
Vegetation Degradation ◽  
The Past ◽  
Mackenzie Basin ◽  
Reference Plot

Many authors have reported significant soil erosion resulting from the grazing of sheep, rabbit plagues and invasion of the exotic Hawkweed (Hieracium sp.) in the sub humid alpine region of Mackenzie Basin, South Island, New Zealand. In the present study, we investigated the soil redistribution of four study plots with varying vegetation depletion over historic (54 years) and long (25 ka) time scales. Historic soil loss, quantified by bomb fallout 137Cs, under plots of depleted short tussock and herbfield vegetation was no more than the adjacent undisturbed reference plot of red tussock (Chionochloa rubra). This indicates the present landscape characterised by soil and vegetation degradation is not due to erosion since 1953. There is no evidence from the present study to suggest that establishment and rapid invasion of Hieracium sp. and major periodic rabbit plagues have accelerated soil erosion over the past 54 years. By contrast, low topsoil thickness under Hieracium sp. indicates that Hieracium sp. is colonising bare ground and may have, at least in the short-term, a stabilising effect. Long-term soil loss was quantified by the profile distribution of volcanic glass originating from Kawakawa-Oruanui tephra (KOT). The peak concentration, and hence the tephra’s 25.4 ka isochron, occurred at a depth of 70–85 cm at the reference plot. The degraded plots showed significant decreases in glass concentration and depth to peak concentration with progressively shallower soils and vegetation depletion. This equated to a minimum erosion rate averaged over the past ~25.4 k years of 0.020 mm year–1 in the most eroded plot. The extent of bare ground and topsoil thickness were poor indicators of soil erosion status. The tephra results show a potentially long history of soil erosion that has predisposed soil and vegetation degradation within the European era.

Using 137Cs to investigate net soil erosion at two soil benchmark sites in Quebec

1993 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 515-526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y. Z. Cao ◽  
D. R. Coote ◽  
C. Wang ◽  
M. C. Nolin
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Key Words ◽  
Soil Conservation ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Grid Pattern ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
The Past ◽  
Soil Erosion Rates ◽  
Small Grains

137Cs in the soil was used to estimate soil erosion at two National Soil Conservation Program benchmark sites in the province of Quebec (sites 15-QU and 16-QU). The 137Cs baseline in an uneroded forest area was approximately 3100 Bq m−2. The 137Cs content at site 15-QU ranged from 1072 Bq m−2 to 6389 Bq m−2, while at site 16-QU it ranged from 663 Bq m−2 to 5444 Bq m−2. Computed net erosion over the past 30 yr at site 15-QU varied from a loss of 9.65 kg m−2 yr−1 to a gain of 10.88 kg m−2 yr−1 and at site 16-QU from a loss of 6.38 kg m−2 yr−1 to a gain of 1.73 kg m−2 yr−1. The average net erosion rates were 2.43 kg m−2 yr−1 at site 15-QU and 1.29 kg m−2 yr−1 at site 16-QU. Soil samples collected on a grid pattern indicated that 90% and 83% of the area at sites 15-QU and 16-QU, respectively, was subjected to net soil loss. A comparison of total 137Cs movement from eroded areas to depositional areas showed that 24.2% of 137Cs was lost from site 15-QU, while about 17.6% of 137Cs was lost from site 16-QU. Mapping of 137Cs content and calculated soil loss and deposition showed that soil erosion was closely related to topography.Under similar slope conditions, the soil erosion rates were 27–68% higher at site 15-QU than at site 16-QU. Higher tillage frequency and use of silage corn were the suggested reasons for the higher soil erosion rates at site 15-QU compared with site 16-QU, which had been used for hay and small grains. Key words: 137Cs, erosion, deposition, soil conservation

A thousand-year erosional and sedimentation history in karst watersheds based on OSL dating and palynological techniques

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zihao Cao ◽  
Qihua Ke ◽  
Keli Zhang ◽  
Zhuodong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Loss Rate ◽  
Local Economic Development ◽  
Osl Dating ◽  
Dominant Factor ◽  
Rocky Desertification ◽  
Peak Cluster ◽  
The Past ◽  
Soil Loss Rate

<p>Rocky desertification is a serious environmental issue in karst regions that restricts food production and hinders local economic development. Generally, soil loss is known as a dominant factor driving rocky desertification. However, it is difficult to couple rocky desertification with the soil loss rate based on a database from short-term field plot observations. Hence, it is imperative to reconstruct the history of soil loss over long-term periods and to correlate the rocky desertification process with the soil loss rate. In karst regions, the most common geomorphic landforms are closed peak-cluster depressions. Researchers have shown that estimating soil loss from hillslopes based on a sediment deposition rate in a peak-cluster depression is possible. In this study, two typical peak-cluster depressions with different degrees of rocky desertification were selected, and sediment cores with lengths of 2 m were sampled from the depressions to determine pollen taxa, soil properties and sediments dating at different depths.The results showed that the burial ages of the sediments in the depressions were different in the time series. During the past millennium, soil loss in the LJWD watershed showed an overall decreasing and then increasing trend. While the change in soil erosion was more complex in the DJT watershed, high and low rates appeared alternately in the 748±100 – 2018 period. The alluvial pollen analysis demonstrated that the soil erosion changes in both watersheds were closely related to human farming activities and vegetation landscape changes. The soil loss history over the past 1000 years was insufficient to reveal the evolution of rocky deserts in karst areas, indicating that the formation of rocky deserts should have occurred over a longer historical period. Overall, the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating and palynological techniques were reliable in the investigation of local erosional history in karst regions.</p>

scholarly journals ESTIMATION OF SOIL LOSSES BY THE IMPROVED TILLAGE HOMOGENIZATION MODEL AND RUSLE MODEL

2020 ◽  
Vol XLIII-B3-2020 ◽  
pp. 961-967
Author(s):  
S. Bouhlassa ◽  
N. Bouhsane
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Environmental Problem ◽  
Scientific Methods ◽  
Rusle Model ◽  
The Past ◽  
Homogenization Model ◽  
Soil Erosion By Water ◽  
Soil Losses ◽  
Sheet Erosion

Abstract. Soil erosion by water is a major environmental problem in the Mediterranean areas. It results in land degradation and soil losses, decreases soil structural stability, and increases soil erodibility. Hence, the need for reliable scientific methods for obtaining soil erosion data becomes crucial. The study aims to estimate soil loss in the Moroccan watershed using two soil erosion estimation models and to discuss the differences between those models. The first model used in this study is the improved tillage homogenization model (T-H) which permits to predict the magnetic susceptibility values after erosion, the second one is the empirical model based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation RUSLE. The results showed that: i) higher soil losses using tillage homogenization (T-H) model have occurred in the upper and lower slopes in the cultivated transect, and in the middleslopes and lower slopes in the forested transect; ii) the average of annual soil loss obtained by RUSLE model is about 20.21 t/ha/yr; iii) T-H model allows us to estimate the total cumulative soil erosion during the past and, while RUSLE model is designed for predicting annual soil loss resulting from sheet erosion under given conditions.

SOIL EROSION FROM AGRICULTURAL LAND IN THE LAKE SEMCOE–COUCHICHING BASIN, 1800–1981

1989 ◽  
Vol 69 (1) ◽  
pp. 137-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOHN P. WILSON
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Regional Assessment ◽  
Viable Systems ◽  
The Past ◽  
Full Circle ◽  
Lake Simcoe ◽  
Potential Soil Loss ◽  
Agricultural Settlement

Soil losses from agricultural land in the Lake Simcoe–Couchiching Basin between 1800 and 1981 are estimated with the universal soil loss equation (USLE). Existing methods and data are used to estimate and combine the six USLE factors with one exception. A new method that is consistent with the USLE slope definitions was developed and used to estimate the topographic factor. The results of the present study add to earlier erosion assessments because they describe the erosion hazard throughout the basin from the first days of forest clearance and agricultural settlement to the present. In particular, they indicate that soil loss rates on agricultural land have gone almost full circle from high to low and back to high rates in the past 130 yr. This result indicates the need to continue our search for permanent and more viable systems of land use. Key words: Soil erosion, potential soil loss, regional assessment

scholarly journals Soil erosion risk and sediment yield assessment with universal soil loss equation and GIS: in Dijo watershed, Rift valley Basin of Ethiopia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bagegnehu Bekele ◽  
Yenealem Gemi
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Conservation Tillage ◽  
Steep Slope ◽  
Land Use Type ◽  
Land Use Land Cover ◽  
The Past ◽  
Soil Loss Equation

Abstract Soil erosion is the main drivers in the world and Ethiopia in particular. This study has been conducted at Dijo watersheds in the Rift valley Basins of Ethiopia to estimate soil erosion rate and identify erosion hotspot areas for proper planning using Geographic Information System and Universal Soil Loss Equation adapted to Ethiopian condition. 64 years mean annual rainfall data for estimating erosivity factor, digital soil map for estimating soil erodibility factor, Digital Elevation Model for estimating topographic (LS) factor, Land use land cover for cover factor detection from Ethiopian ministry of water resources. The result reveals that the soil loss ranges from 0 ton/ha/year in flat slope to 38.09 ton/ha/year from steep slopes. The average soil loss rate is 2.2 tons per hectare per year and has been classified into three erosion severity classes as very low, low and moderate. The result also reveals that most of the watershed erosion severity evaluated under very low and low soil erosion severity classes covering 97.3% of the watershed areas which is due to the effect of mixed plantation of various tree and terraces. However, moderate soil erosion in the upper parts of the watershed could be due to the inherent characteristics of vertisols, lack of vegetation cover and terraces which should be given first priority for conservation interventions. From the gross soil erosion, 43,762 ton/year sediment yields have been estimated at watershed outlet. Policy aim at keeping land productivity will need to focus to reduce low and moderate soil erosion through terracing, inter-cropping, contour farming, strip cropping, conservation tillage, mulching and biological stabilizers based on their slope range, soil type and land use type. The current finding on erosion was evaluated based on the past 10 years land use land cover scenario; therefore, soil erosion might be reduced if the current land use land cover scenario considered. Finally, the integration of USLE and GIS is an effective tool in mapping the spatial distribution of soil erosion from the entire watershed. The moderate and low soil erosion severity areas should be managed through terracing, inter-cropping, contour farming, strip cropping, conservation tillage, mulching and biological stabilizers based on their slope range, soil type and land use type. Free grazing and cultivation of steep slope(Northern parts) contributed for moderate soil erosion in the watershed should be managed by cut–carry system, limiting the number of cattle units to be grazed in the specific plot of land and leaving the marginal steep slope areas with no ground covers for natural regeneration. Finally, the current finding on erosion was evaluated based on the past 10-year land use land cover scenario. Therefore, the soil erosion could be reduced if the current land use land cover scenario is considered.

ASSESSMENT OF SOIL EROSION IN VINH LINH, QUANG TRI USING RMMF MODEL (REVISED MORGAN - MORGAN - FINNEY)

2013 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nguyễn Quang Việt ◽  
Trương Đình Trọng ◽  
Hồ Thị Nga
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Soil Particle ◽  
Transport Capacity ◽  
Gis Technology ◽  
Particle Detachment ◽  
Sediment Transport Capacity ◽  
Northern District ◽  
Runoff And Soil Loss

Vinh Linh, the northern district of Quang Tri province is characterized by a diversified topography with a large variety of elevations, high rainfall, and decreasing land cover due to forest exploiting for cultivation land. Thus, there is a high risk of erosion, soil fertility washout. With the support of GIS technology, the authors used the rMMF model to measure soil erosion. The input data of model including 15 coefficients related to topography, soil properties, climate and land cover. The simulations of rMMF include estimates of rainfall energy, runoff, soil particle detachment by raindrop, soil particle detachment by runoff, sediment transport capacity of runoff and soil loss. The result showed that amount of soil loss in year is estimated to vary between 0 kg/m2 minimum and 149 kg/m2 maximum and is divided into 4-classes of erosion. Light class almost covers the region researched (75.9% of total area), while moderate class occupies 8.1% of total area, strong classes only hold small area (16% of total area). Therefore, protection of the forest floor in sloping areas is one of the most effective methods to reduce soil erosion.

scholarly journals Soil erosion by snow gliding – a first quantification attempt in a subalpine area in Switzerland

2014 ◽  
Vol 18 (9) ◽  
pp. 3763-3775 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Meusburger ◽  
G. Leitinger ◽  
L. Mabit ◽  
M. H. Mueller ◽  
A. Walter ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Sediment Yield ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Snow Gliding

Abstract. Snow processes might be one important driver of soil erosion in Alpine grasslands and thus the unknown variable when erosion modelling is attempted. The aim of this study is to assess the importance of snow gliding as a soil erosion agent for four different land use/land cover types in a subalpine area in Switzerland. We used three different approaches to estimate soil erosion rates: sediment yield measurements in snow glide depositions, the fallout radionuclide 137Cs and modelling with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). RUSLE permits the evaluation of soil loss by water erosion, the 137Cs method integrates soil loss due to all erosion agents involved, and the measurement of snow glide deposition sediment yield can be directly related to snow-glide-induced erosion. Further, cumulative snow glide distance was measured for the sites in the winter of 2009/2010 and modelled for the surrounding area and long-term average winter precipitation (1959–2010) with the spatial snow glide model (SSGM). Measured snow glide distance confirmed the presence of snow gliding and ranged from 2 to 189 cm, with lower values on the north-facing slopes. We observed a reduction of snow glide distance with increasing surface roughness of the vegetation, which is an important information with respect to conservation planning and expected and ongoing land use changes in the Alps. Snow glide erosion estimated from the snow glide depositions was highly variable with values ranging from 0.03 to 22.9 t ha−1 yr−1 in the winter of 2012/2013. For sites affected by snow glide deposition, a mean erosion rate of 8.4 t ha−1 yr−1 was found. The difference in long-term erosion rates determined with RUSLE and 137Cs confirms the constant influence of snow-glide-induced erosion, since a large difference (lower proportion of water erosion compared to total net erosion) was observed for sites with high snow glide rates and vice versa. Moreover, the difference between RUSLE and 137Cs erosion rates was related to the measured snow glide distance (R2 = 0.64; p < 0.005) and to the snow deposition sediment yields (R2 = 0.39; p = 0.13). The SSGM reproduced the relative difference of the measured snow glide values under different land uses and land cover types. The resulting map highlighted the relevance of snow gliding for large parts of the investigated area. Based on these results, we conclude that snow gliding appears to be a crucial and non-negligible process impacting soil erosion patterns and magnitude in subalpine areas with similar topographic and climatic conditions.

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