Hillslope Erosion Mitigation: An Experimental Proof of a Nature-Based Solution

Soil erosion during rainfall events is affected by several factors, such as topography, soil type, land management, and vegetation cover. In this study, a series of tests investigates the influence of selected perennial herbaceous plants with a deep and strong rooting system, called MC1, on runoff generation and soil erosion. The tests on the investigated nature-based solution have been performed in the Cape Fear experimental hillslope with natural and artificial rainfall and for different vegetation heights. For all the experiments, runoff, soil moisture, and erosion data were observed and collected. The results obtained in this study suggest the following conclusions: (1) MC1 is effective in terms of soil erosion reduction already with a minimum vegetation height equal to 30 cm; (2) MC1 maximum efficiency, in terms of soil loss reduction, has been reached for a vegetation height equal to 70 cm; (3) In terms of the eroded material, the use of MC1 allows for a reduction of soil loss up to 300 times higher than the bare soil condition; (4) The use of MC1 allows for a reduction in the runoff coefficient up to 1/3 of the corresponding value in the bare soil condition.

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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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COMPUTER ASSISTED MAPPING OF SOIL EROSION POTENTIAL

Canadian Journal of Soil Science ◽

10.4141/cjss85-045 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 65 (3) ◽

pp. 411-418 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

T. VOLD ◽

M. W. SONDHEIM ◽

N. K. NAGPAL

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Surface Soil ◽

Mineral Soil ◽

Weighted Average ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Computer Assisted ◽

Additional Information ◽

Potential Map ◽

Fraser Valley

Soil erosion potential maps and summary statistics can be produced from existing information with relative ease with the aid of computers. Soil maps are digitized and survey information is stored as attributes for each soil. Algorithms are then prepared which evaluate the appropriate data base attributes (e.g. texture, slope) for each interpretation. Forty surface soil erosion potential maps were produced for the Lower Fraser Valley which identify the most erosion-prone areas and indicate average potential soil losses to be expected under assumed conditions. The algorithm developed follows the universal soil loss equation. Differences across the landscape in the R, K, and S factors are taken into account whereas the L factor is considered as a constant equal to 1.0. Worst conditions of bare soil (no crop cover, i.e. C = 1.0) and no erosion control practices (i.e. P = 1.0) are assumed. The five surface soil erosion potential classes are determined by a weighted average annual soil loss value based both on the upper 20 cm of mineral soil and on the proportion of the various soils in the polygon. A unique polygon number shown on the erosion potential map provides a link to computer tables which give additional information for each individual soil within that polygon. Key words: Erosion, computer mapping, USLE

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Soil Erosion Susceptibility Prediction in Railway Corridors Using RUSLE, Soil Degradation Index and the New Normalized Difference Railway Erosivity Index (NDReLI)

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs14020348 ◽

2022 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 348

Author(s):

Yashon O. Ouma ◽

Lone Lottering ◽

Ryutaro Tateishi

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Soil Degradation ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Landsat 8 ◽

Arid Environments ◽

Degradation Index ◽

Erosivity Index ◽

Loss Index ◽

Very High

This study presents a remote sensing-based index for the prediction of soil erosion susceptibility within railway corridors. The empirically derived index, Normalized Difference Railway Erosivity Index (NDReLI), is based on the Landsat-8 SWIR spectral reflectances and takes into account the bare soil and vegetation reflectances especially in semi-arid environments. For the case study of the Botswana Railway Corridor (BRC), the NDReLI results are compared with the RUSLE and the Soil Degradation Index (SDI). The RUSLE model showed that within the BRC, the mean annual soil loss index was at 0.139 ton ha−1 year−1, and only about 1% of the corridor area is susceptible to high (1.423–3.053 ton ha−1 year−1) and very high (3.053–5.854 ton ha−1 year−1) soil loss, while SDI estimated 19.4% of the railway corridor as vulnerable to soil degradation. NDReLI results based on SWIR1 (1.57–1.65 μm) predicted the most vulnerable areas, with a very high erosivity index (0.36–0.95), while SWIR2 (2.11–2.29 μm) predicted the same regions at a high erosivity index (0.13–0.36). From empirical validation using previous soil erosion events within the BRC, the proposed NDReLI performed better that the RUSLE and SDI models in the prediction of the spatial locations and extents of susceptibility to soil erosion within the BRC.

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Soil loss by water erosion in areas under maize and jack beans intercropped and monocultures

Ciência e Agrotecnologia ◽

10.1590/s1413-70542014000200004 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 38 (2) ◽

pp. 129-139 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pedro Luiz Terra Lima ◽

Marx Leandro Naves Silva ◽

Nilton Curi ◽

John Quinton

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Soil Management ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Water Erosion ◽

Management Systems ◽

Water Runoff ◽

Jack Bean ◽

Favorable Conditions ◽

Soil Losses

Adequate soil management can create favorable conditions to reduce erosion and water runoff, consequently increase water soil recharge. Among management systems intercropping is highly used, especially for medium and small farmers. It is a system where two or more crops with different architectures and vegetative cycles are explored simultaneously at the same location. This research investigated the effects of maize intercropped with jack bean on soil losses due to water erosion, estimate C factor of Universal Soil Losses Equation (USLE) and how it can be affected by soil coverage. The results obtained also contribute to database generation, important to model and estimate soil erosion. Total soil loss by erosion caused by natural rain, at Lavras, Minas Gerais, Brazil, were: 4.20, 1.86, 1.38 and 1.14 Mg ha-1, respectively, for bare soil, maize, jack bean and the intercropping of both species, during evaluated period. Values of C factor of USLE were: 0.039, 0.054 and 0.077 Mg ha Mg-1 ha-1 for maize, jack bean and intercropping between both crops, respectively. Maize presented lower vegetation cover index, followed by jack beans and consortium of the studied species. Intercropping between species showed greater potential on soil erosion control, since its cultivation resulted in lower soil losses than single crops cultivation, and this aspect is really important for small and medium farmers in the studied region.

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Modeling Runoff-Formation and Soil Erosion after Pumice Excavation at Forested Andosol-Sites in SW-Germany Using WEPP

Soil Systems ◽

10.3390/soilsystems3030048 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 48 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Julian J. Zemke ◽

Joshua Pöhler ◽

Stephan Stegmann

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Land Management ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Annual Runoff ◽

Runoff Generation ◽

Runoff Formation ◽

Clear Cut ◽

Clear Cutting ◽

Erosion Processes ◽

Erosion Prediction

This study investigates the effects of pumice excavation on runoff formation and soil erosion processes in a forested catchment in SW-Germany. The underlying questions are, if (a) backfilled soils have different properties concerning runoff generation and erodibility and if (b) clear-cutting prior to excavation triggers runoff and erosion. Four adjacent sub-areas were observed, which represented different pre- and post-excavation-stages. The basis of the investigation was a comprehensive field sampling that delivered the data for physical erosion modeling using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP). Modeling took place for standardized conditions (uniform slope geometry and/or uniform land management) and for actual slope geometry and land management. The results show that backfilled soils exhibited 53% increase of annual runoff and 70% increase of annual soil loss under standardized conditions. Storm runoff was increased by 6%, while storm soil loss was reduced by 9%. Land management changes also triggered shifts in annual runoff and soil erosion: Clear-cut (+1.796% runoff, +4.205% soil loss) and bare (+5.958% runoff, +21.055% soil loss) surfaces showed the most distinct changes when compared to undisturbed forest. While reforestation largely diminished post-excavation runoff and soil erosion, the standardized results statistically prove that soil erodibility and runoff generation remain increased after backfilling.

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Mitigating Rainfall-Induced Sediment Hazard and Soil Erosion Using Organic Amended Soil Improvement

Journal of Disaster Research ◽

10.20965/jdr.2016.p1228 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1228-1237

Author(s):

Khonesavanh Vilayvong ◽

◽

Noriyuki Yasufuku ◽

Kiyoshi Omine ◽

◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Water Retention ◽

Soil Condition ◽

Soil Improvement ◽

Organic Wastes ◽

Soil Water Retention ◽

Experimental Conditions ◽

Application Rates

Soil-organic amendment (SOA) is one of the sustainable soil improvement measures to mitigate climate change related issues such as rainfall-induced hazard and soil erosion. Organic wastes particularly compost and biochar can be reused and recycled into viable resources. However, there are limited data on incoporating organic wastes into a soil that is susceptible to erosion by rainfall. Therefore, objective of this study is to investigate properties of a soil from Okinawa prefecture (Kunigami maaji) that are associated with resisting ability against artificial rainfall intensities of 30, 60, 90 and 120 mm/h after adding two organic matters: household-derived compost and rice hush-derived biochar. The properties were soil-water retention, runoff, soil loss, infiltration and electrical conductivity. The compost was mixed with the soil at application rates of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 kg/m2. The compost of 1.0 kg/m2was mixed with the soil and the biochar at application rates of 1, 3, and 5% by total weight. Experimental results indicate that the soil water retention properties of the soil were improved by the treatment of compost and biochar. However, soil loss was not significantly reduced under initially saturated soil condition, applied rainfall intensities, testing duration and experimental conditions. The results of this study could be used as baseline data for evaluating correlation between properties of soil water retention curves to soil erosion.

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Effects of Long-Term Crop-Livestock-Forestry Systems on Soil Erosion and Water Infiltration in a Brazilian Cerrado Site

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11195339 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (19) ◽

pp. 5339 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Jullian Souza Sone ◽

Paulo T. Sanches de Oliveira ◽

Pedro A. Pereira Zamboni ◽

Nelson O. Motta Vieira ◽

Glauber Altrão Carvalho ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Water Infiltration ◽

Land Uses ◽

Brazilian Cerrado ◽

No Till ◽

One Year

Integrating agricultural land uses is a suitable alternative for fostering economic development and improving food security. However, the effects of long-term integrated systems on soil erosion and water infiltration are still poorly understood. Here, we investigate the influence of different agricultural land uses on soil erosion and water infiltration in an Oxisol site located in the Brazilian Cerrado region. The experimental area consisted of continuous grazing under variable stocking rates with regular fertilization (CG-RF), continuous cropping under no-till (CC-NT) and no-till with 4-year subsoiling (CC-SS), rotation of one year cropping and three years livestock in the livestock phase (C1-L3), rotation of four years cropping and four years livestock in the cropping phase (CL-4C) and in the livestock phase (CL-4L), and integrated crop-livestock-forestry in the cropping phase (CLF-C) and in the livestock phase (CLF-L). To evaluate water infiltration and soil loss, we used a rainfall simulator with a constant rainfall intensity of 74.9 ± 3.6 mm h−1 in plots of 0.7 m2. We carried out 72 rainfall simulations comprising four repetitions in each treatment under vegetation and bare soil. Stable infiltration rate (SIR) ranged from 45.9 to 74.8 mm h−1 and 19.4 to 70.8 mm h−1 under vegetation covers and bare soil, respectively. Our findings indicated that SIR values under CLF-C were 60% greater than under CG-RF. We also found that soil loss rates under CLF-C were 50% smaller than under CG-RF. The crop–livestock rotation period that presented better results of SIR and soil loss was one year of cropping and three years of livestock (C1-L3). Overall, we noted that SIR and soil loss values under CLF-C are similar to the Cerrado native vegetation. Therefore, our study reveals the opportunity to increase agricultural production, improve food supply, and reduce soil erosion with adequate soil and agricultural management.

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Study of Soil Erosian at a Site near Chemical Engineering Laboratory in UNIMAS

Journal of Civil Engineering Science and Technology ◽

10.33736/jcest.109.2013 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 1-6

Author(s):

Fizzahutiah Taha ◽

Shenbaga R. Kaniraj

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Chemical Engineering ◽

Environmental Concern ◽

Control Measure ◽

Soil Surface ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Erosion Risk ◽

A Site

Soil erosion is one of the problems of environmental concern. Natural causes such as rainfall and human development activities are the two main factors that can cause soil erosion. In order to control soil erosion, especially in urban areas, the bare soil surface needs to be covered by plants as much as possible. Re-vegetation, the best permanent erosion control measure, might take time to be complete. Therefore, some suitable temporary measures should be applied to minimize the amount of soil loss. Topographical features and climate are among the factors that determine the amount of soil erosion. In order to control the rate of erosion, it is important to estimate the amount of soil loss. Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) is one of the approaches to estimate the rate of soil loss. In this study, the topographical features of a site prone to erosion within University Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), were investigated by field survey. Laboratory experiments were carried out on soil samples collected from the site. Theparameters for use in USLE were evaluated. The soil loss at the site in 2011 was estimated as 52.85 t ha-1 and the soil erosion risk atthe site was categorized as moderately high.

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Tillage Impacts on Initial Soil Erosion in Wheat and Sainfoin Fields under Simulated Extreme Rainfall Treatments

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13020789 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 789

Author(s):

Tugrul Yakupoglu ◽

Recep Gundogan ◽

Turgay Dindaroglu ◽

Kadir Kusvuran ◽

Veysel Gokmen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Sediment Yield ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Extreme Rainfall ◽

Sediment Concentration ◽

Soil Tillage ◽

Reduced Tillage ◽

Runoff Coefficient ◽

Runoff Generation ◽

Water Losses

The main aim of this research was to determine the potential effects of different tillage systems (TT: traditional tillage and RT: reduced tillage) on runoff and erosion at two different locations (Kahramanmaras and Tarsus, Southern Turkey) under (i) fallow, (ii) wheat (Triticumaestivum L.), and (iii) sainfoin (Onobrychissativa L.) crops. Rainfall simulations with intensity of 120 mm h−1 and 30-min duration, representing a typical extreme thunderstorm in this area, were used. We quantified the elapsed time to runoff generation (ET), total runoff volume (R), soil loss (SL), sediment concentration (SC), and runoff coefficient (RC). At both locations, the fallow plots indicated the first runoff response ranging between 1.2 and 3.1 min, while the range was between 9.4 and 8.9 min for the sainfoin plots. The highest runoff coefficient was recorded for the fallow parcel in Tarsus (57.7%), and the lowest runoff coefficient was recorded for the sainfoin parcel in Kahramanmaras (4%). For both study sites, the fallow plots showed higher soil erosion rates (871 and 29.21 g m−2) compared with the wheat plots (307 and 11.25 g m−2), while sainfoin recorded the lowest soil losses (93.68 and 3.45 g m−2), for Tarsus and Kahramanmaras, respectively. Runoff and sediment yield generated from sainfoin and wheat parcels under the RT system were less than under the TT system at the Kahramanmaras location. At the Tarsus location, the effect of soil tillage on soil and water losses was insignificant on the sainfoin planted plots. The reduced tillage system was successful in reducing sediment yield and runoff generated from parcels growing wheat and sainfoin compared to traditional tillage in Tarsus location, but runoff and soil loss were found to be very high compared to parcels constructed in the Kahramanmaras location.

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Assessment of Improved Ladder Terraces in Controlling Soil Erosion on Uluguru Mountains-Tanzania

Journal of Agricultural Science ◽

10.5539/jas.v8n7p69 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (7) ◽

pp. 69

Author(s):

S. T. Materu

Keyword(s):

Soil Erosion ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Bare Soil ◽

Runoff Water ◽

Maize Crop ◽

Uluguru Mountains ◽

Percentage Weight ◽

Steep Slopes ◽

Runoff And Soil Loss ◽

Field Plots

This study assesses effectiveness of improved ladder terraces in controlling soil erosion on steep slopes of Uluguru Mountains in Morogoro Region, where runoff collection tanks were located downstream of the divisor system were all runoff from the catchment upstream where improved ladder terraces were located. The soil properties percentage weight for sand, silt and clay were average 40, 10 and 50 respectively. Half of the terraces were left barely and half were planted with maize crop. Runoff and soil loss generated during every rainstorm was collected from six field plots of improved ladder terraces to the tanks. There was statistically significant different between reductions of soil loss in bare improved ladder terrace and cropped improved ladder terrace. The amount of runoff on the bare soil was high by 15% to 18% compare to runoff on cropped soils. It was found that cropped improved ladder terrace reduced soil loss by 74% while bare improved ladder terrace reduced soil loss only by 41%. Simple linear regression shows runoff water generated from rainfall amount with soil losses from different land cover. Bare soils behave with linear relationship (r² = 0.85) unlike cropped soil were r² = 0.36 because of gradual increase of crop canopy at every crop stage hence less impact to the soil. Soils losses from the bare soil ladder terrace and that of cropped soil ladder terrace was significantly difference with correlation coefficient of 0.863 at vegetative stage and 0.928 at the full booting stage.

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