scholarly journals Functional Diversity Effects of Vegetation on Runoff to Design Herbaceous Hedges for Sediment Retention

Diversity ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 131
Author(s):  
Léa Kervroëdan ◽  
Romain Armand ◽  
Mathieu Saunier ◽  
Michel-Pierre Faucon
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Sediment Retention ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Diversity Effects

Background: Functional diversity effects on ecosystem processes, like on soil erosion, are not fully understood. Runoff and soil erosion in agricultural landscapes are reduced by the hydraulic roughness (HR) of vegetation patches, which furthers sediment retention. Vegetation with important stem density, diameters, leaf areas, and density impact the HR. A functional structure composed of these negatively correlated traits involved in the increase of the HR would constitute a positive effect of the functional diversity. Methods: Runoff simulations were undertaken on four mono-specific and two multi-specific communities, using herbaceous plant species from North-West Europe, presenting six contrasting aboveground functional traits involved in the HR increase. Results: An effect of dominant traits in the community was found on the HR, identified as the community-weighted leaf density. The non-additive effect of functional diversity on the HR could be explained by the presence of species presenting large stems in the communities with high functional diversity. Conclusion: We argued that functional diversity effect on the HR could change due to idiosyncratic effects of the plant traits, which would be influenced by soil properties, phylogeny diversity, and plant species interactions. These findings constitute an advancement in the understanding of plant trait assemblage on runoff and soil erosion processes.

scholarly journals Modelling Sediment Retention Services and Soil Erosion Changes in Portugal: A Spatio-Temporal Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 262
Author(s):  
Susana M. Marques ◽  
Felipe S. Campos ◽  
João David ◽  
Pedro Cabral
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
National Level ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Delivery Ratio ◽  
Sediment Retention ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Sdr Model

Soils provide important regulating ecosystem services and have crucial implications for human well-being and environmental conservation. However, soil degradation and particularly soil erosion jeopardize the maintenance and existence of these services. This study explores the spatio–temporal relationships of soil erosion to understand the distribution patterns of sediment retention services in mainland Portugal. Based on Corine Land Cover maps from 1990 to 2018, the InVEST Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) model was used to evaluate the influence of sediment dynamics for soil and water conservation. Spatial differences in the sediment retention levels were observed within the NUTS III boundaries, showing which areas are more vulnerable to soil erosion processes. Results indicated that the Region of Leiria, Douro and the coastal regions have decreased importantly in sediment retention capacity over the years. However, in most of the territory (77.52%), changes in sediment retention were little or were not important (i.e., less than 5%). The statistical validation of the model proved the consistency of the results, demonstrating that the InVEST SDR model is an appropriate tool for estimating soil loss potential by water at regional/national levels, although having its limitations. These findings can be relevant to support strategies for more efficient land-use planning regarding soil erosion mitigation practices and to stimulate further investigation at a national level on this important ecosystem service.

scholarly journals Modelling Sediment Retention Services and Soil Erosion Changes in Portugal: A Spatio-Temporal Approach

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susana M. Marques ◽  
Felipe S. Campos ◽  
João David ◽  
Pedro Cabral
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Use Planning ◽  
Water Conservation ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Delivery Ratio ◽  
Sediment Retention ◽  
Retention Capacity ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Spatio Temporal

Soils provide important regulating ecosystem services and have crucial implications for human well-being and environmental conservation. However, soil degradation and particularly soil erosion jeopardize the maintenance and existence of these services. This study explores the spatio-temporal relationships of soil erosion to understand the distribution patterns of sediment retention services in mainland Portugal. Based on Corine Land Cover maps from 1990 to 2018, the InVEST Sediment Delivery Ratio (SDR) model was used to evaluate the influence of sediment dynamics for soil and water conservation. Spatial differences in the sediment retention levels were observed within the NUTS III boundaries, showing which areas are more vulnerable to soil erosion processes. Results indicated that the Region of Leiria, Douro and the coastal regions have decreased importantly sediment retention capacity over the years. However, in most of the territory (77.52%) changes in sediment retention were little or not important (i.e., less than 5%). The statistical validation of the model proved the consistency of the results, highlighting the usefulness of this methodology to analyse the state of soil erosion in the country. These findings can be relevant to support strategies for more efficient land use planning regarding soil erosion mitigation practices.

scholarly journals Spatial distribution of (137)Cs in reference soil sites of South America to reconstruct soil erosion in intensive agricultural landscapes during the Anthropocene

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pierre-Alexis Chaboche ◽  
Olivier Evrard ◽  
Irène Lefèvre
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
South America ◽  
Agricultural Practices ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Sediment Supply ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Undisturbed Soil ◽  
Soil Redistribution ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Reference Soil

<p>Land degradation and fine sediment supply induced by soil erosion processes are exacerbated in intensively cultivated catchments of South America, leading to deleterious consequences for ecosystems and to the disturbance of global biogeochemical cycles. In order to evaluate the sustainability of agricultural practices, a fundamental prerequisite is to quantify soil erosion rates and compare them with the tolerable soil losses. Although its use has been debated in the literature, the fallout radionuclide (137Cs) is one of the few techniques available to reconstruct soil redistribution rates during the Great Acceleration period. Accordingly, it is increasingly used to quantify soil redistribution rates in catchments across the world. Assessment of erosion and deposition rates is commonly based on the comparison of (137Cs) inventories in undisturbed soil profiles (i.e. where neither erosion nor deposition has occurred) and those measured at locations affected by soil redistribution in the landscape. However, in intensive agricultural landscapes, appropriate reference sites can be difficult to find. The objective of this study is to determine and map the initial (137Cs) fallout at the scale of South America, based on measurements made on reference soil sites and spatialized co-variables. This new map will be useful for the scientific community and public authorities to evaluate the sustainability of farming practices, especially in the eastern part of South America where intensive agricultural practices dominate. Furthermore, the methodology presented here could be applied to other regions located in the Southern Hemisphere in order to avoid the systematic sampling of reference sites for conducting soil erosion studies using the (137Cs) technique.</p>

scholarly journals Analyzing Regional Geographic Challenges: The Resilience of Chinese Vineyards to Land Degradation Using a Societal and Biophysical Approach

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 227
Author(s):  
Yang Yu ◽  
Jesús Rodrigo-Comino
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Degradation ◽  
Environmental Concern ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
Irreversible Damage ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Lack Of Information ◽  
Scientific Hypothesis ◽  
Vineyard Soil

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.

scholarly journals The phenobs initiative – A standardised protocol for monitoring phenological responses to climate change using herbaceous plant species in botanical gardens

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Birgit Nordt ◽  
Isabell Hensen ◽  
Solveig Franziska Bucher ◽  
Martin Freiberg ◽  
Richard B. Primack ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Botanical Gardens

scholarly journals Family graveyards form underappreciated local plant diversity hotspots in China's agricultural landscapes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheng Gong ◽  
Liangtao Li ◽  
Jan C. Axmarcher ◽  
Zhenrong Yu ◽  
Yunhui Liu
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Species ◽  
Natural Habitat ◽  
Plant Species Richness ◽  
Agricultural Landscapes ◽  
Natural Habitats ◽  
Landscape Features ◽  
Habitat Islands ◽  
Local Plant ◽  
Ecological Functioning

AbstractIn the intensively farmed, homogenous agricultural landscape of the North China Plain, family graveyards form distinct cultural landscape features. In addition to their cultural value, these graveyards represent semi-natural habitat islands whose potential roles in biodiversity conservation and ecological functioning has remained poorly understood. In this study, we investigated plant species richness on 199 family graveyards of different ages and sizes. In accordance with biogeography theory, both overall and insect-pollinated plant species richness increased with area and age of graveyards. Even small graveyards show a strong potential for conserving local plant richness, and a mosaic of both large and small family graveyards could play an important role in the conservation of farmland biodiversity and related ecosystem functions. The launch of agri-environmental measures that conserve and create semi-natural habitats, in turn benefitting agricultural biodiversity and ecological functioning, has proven difficult in China due to the shortage of dispensable arable land. Given the great value of family graveyards as semi-natural habitats reflected in our study, we propose to focus preliminary efforts on conserving these landscape features as existing, widespread and culturally important semi-natural habitat islands. This would represent an effective, complementary policy to a subsequent re-establishment of other semi-natural habitats for the conservation of biodiversity and ecological functioning in agricultural landscapes.

scholarly journals Phytoremediation Potential of Native Herbaceous Plant Species Growing on a Paradigmatic Brownfield Site

2021 ◽  
Vol 232 (7) ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Matanzas ◽  
E. Afif ◽  
T. E. Díaz ◽  
J. R. Gallego
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Contaminated Soils ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Plantago Lanceolata ◽  
Herbaceous Plant ◽  
Plant Interactions ◽  
Aerial Parts ◽  
Medicago Lupulina ◽  
Icp Ms

AbstractPhytomanagement techniques using native species allow the recovery of contaminated soils at low cost and circumvent the ecological risks associated with the use of non-native species. In this context, a paradigmatic brownfield megasite highly contaminated by As and Pb was sampled in order to analyze soil–plant interactions and identify plant species with phytoremediation potential. A survey was first carried out in a 20-ha area to obtain an inventory of species growing spontaneously throughout the site. We then performed another survey in the most polluted sub-area (1 ha) within the site. Pseudototal concentrations of contaminants in the soil, aerial parts of the plants, and roots were measured by ICP-MS. A detailed habitat classification was done, and a specific index of coverage was applied by means of a 1-year quadrat study in various sampling stations. Results converged in the selection of six herbaceous species (Dysphania botrys, Lotus corniculatus, Lotus hispidus, Plantago lanceolata, Trifolium repens, Medicago lupulina). All of these plants are fast-growing, thereby making them suitable for use in phytostabilization strategies. Furthermore, they are all easy to grow and propagate and are generally self-sustaining. All six plants showed accumulation factors below 1, thus revealing them as pseudomethallophytes and excluders. However, L. hispidus and M. lupulina showed translocation capacity and are considered worthy of further study.

scholarly journals Soil Erosion Estimates in Arid Region: A Case Study of the Koutine Catchment, Southeastern Tunisia

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (15) ◽  
pp. 6763
Author(s):  
Mongi Ben Zaied ◽  
Seifeddine Jomaa ◽  
Mohamed Ouessar
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Scientific Evidence ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Spatiotemporal Variability ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Storm Events ◽  
Erosion Processes ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Soil Losses

Soil erosion remains one of the principal environmental problems in arid regions. This study aims to assess and quantify the variability of soil erosion in the Koutine catchment using the RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) model. The Koutine catchment is located in an arid area in southeastern Tunisia and is characterized by an annual mean precipitation of less than 200 mm. The model was used to examine the influence of topography, extreme rainstorm intensity and soil texture on soil loss. The data used for model validation were obtained from field measurements by monitoring deposited sediment in settlement basins of 25 cisterns (a traditional water harvesting and storage technique) over 4 years, from 2015 to 2018. Results showed that slope is the most controlling factor of soil loss. The average annual soil loss in monitoring sites varies between 0.01 and 12.5 t/ha/y. The storm events inducing the largest soil losses occurred in the upstream part of the Koutine catchment with a maximum value of 7.3 t/ha per event. Soil erosion is highly affected by initial and preceding soil conditions. The RUSLE model reasonably reproduced (R2 = 0.81) the spatiotemporal variability of measured soil losses in the study catchment during the observation period. This study revealed the importance of using the cisterns in the data-scarce dry areas as a substitute for the classic soil erosion monitoring fields. Besides, combining modeling of outputs and field measurements could improve our physical understanding of soil erosion processes and their controlling factors in an arid catchment. The study results are beneficial for decision-makers to evaluate the existing soil conservation and water management plans, which can be further adjusted using appropriate soil erosion mitigation options based on scientific evidence.

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