scholarly journals Combined use of stable isotopes and fallout radionuclides as soil erosion indicators in a forested mountain site, South Korea

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 2565-2589 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Meusburger ◽  
L. Mabit ◽  
J.-H. Park ◽  
T. Sandor ◽  
C. Alewell
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Carbon Content ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Soil Profiles ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Isotope Signature ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Δ15n And Δ13c

Abstract. The aim of this study is to assess and to validate the suitability of the stable nitrogen and carbon isotope signature as soil erosion indicators in a mountain forest site in South Korea. Our approach is based on the comparison of the isotope signature of "stable" landscape positions (reference sites), which are neither affected by erosion nor deposition, with eroding sites. For undisturbed soils we expect that the enrichment of δ15N and δ13C with soil depth, due to fractionation during decomposition, goes in parallel with a decrease in nitrogen and carbon content. Soil erosion processes potentially weaken this correlation. 137Cs-method and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation are applied for the soil erosion quantification. The erosion rates obtained with the 137Cs method range from 0.9 t ha−1 yr−1 to 7 t ha−1 yr−1. Considering the steep slopes of up to 40° and the erosive monsoon events (R-factor of 6600 MJ mm ha−1 h−1 yr−1), the rates are plausible and within the magnitude of the RUSLE- modelled soil erosion rates, varying from 0.02 t ha−1 yr−1 to 5.1 t ha−1 yr−1. The soil profiles of the reference sites showed significant (p < 0.0001) correlations between nitrogen and carbon content and its corresponding δ15N and δ13C signatures. In contrast, for the eroding sites this relationship was weaker and for the carbon not significant. These results verify the usefulness of the stable carbon isotope signature as qualitative indicator for soil disturbance. We could show further that the δ15N isotope signature can be used similarly for uncultivated sites. We thus propose that the stable δ15N and δ13C signature of soil profiles could serve as a tool confirming the accurate choice of the reference site in soil erosion studies using the 137Cs-method.

scholarly journals Combined use of stable isotopes and fallout radionuclides as soil erosion indicators in a forested mountain site, South Korea

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 5627-5638 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Meusburger ◽  
L. Mabit ◽  
J.-H. Park ◽  
T. Sandor ◽  
C. Alewell
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
South Korea ◽  
Carbon Content ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Soil Profiles ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Isotope Signature ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Δ15n And Δ13c

Abstract. The aim of this study is to assess and to validate the suitability of the stable nitrogen and carbon isotope signature as soil erosion indicators in a mountain forest site in South Korea. Our approach is based on the comparison of the isotope signature of "stable" landscape positions (reference sites), which are neither affected by erosion nor deposition, with eroding sites. For undisturbed soils we expect that the enrichment of δ15N and δ13C with soil depth, due to fractionation during decomposition, goes in parallel with a decrease in nitrogen and carbon content. Soil erosion processes potentially weaken this correlation. The 137Cs method and the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) were applied for the soil erosion quantification. Erosion rates obtained with the 137Cs method range from 0.9 t ha−1 yr−1 to 7 t ha−1 yr−1. Considering the steep slopes of up to 40° and the erosive monsoon events (R factor of 6600 MJ mm ha−1 h−1 yr –1), the rates are plausible and within the magnitude of the RUSLE-modeled soil erosion rates, varying from 0.02 t ha−1 yr−1 to 5.1 t ha−1 yr−1. The soil profiles of the reference sites showed significant (p < 0.0001) correlations between nitrogen and carbon content and its corresponding δ15N and δ13C signatures. In contrast, for the eroding sites this relationship was weaker and for the carbon not significant. These results confirm the usefulness of the stable carbon isotope signature as a qualitative indicator for soil disturbance. We could show further that the δ15N isotope signature can be used similarly for uncultivated sites. We thus propose that the stable δ15N and δ13C signature of soil profiles could serve as additional indicators confirming the accurate choice of the reference site in soil erosion studies using the 137Cs method.

scholarly journals Understanding soil profiles and sediment redistribution over long time scales in an agrarian setting: the case of Lauwerdal (Northern France)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Krekelbergh ◽  
Amaury Frankl ◽  
Stefaan Dondeyne
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Iron Age ◽  
Digital Terrain Model ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Soil Profiles ◽  
Terrain Model ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Northern France ◽  
Digital Terrain ◽  
Long Time

&lt;p&gt;Soil erosion constitutes a major problem in the European loess belt. From England to Eastern Europe, loess-derived soils are particularly susceptible to water and tillage erosion. This is certainly the case for the Aa River Basin (Nord-Pas-de-Calais, northern France), where a relatively thin Pleistocene loess cover is present on top of a substrate of clay-with-flints and Cretaceous chalk. This research aimed at quantifying the amount of soil eroded since its initiation. Making a gross balance of the soil erosion and sedimentation processes intends to study the evolution of the soil surface and the effects of different types of erosion over longer periods of time, and quantify erosion rates in agricultural areas.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The extent and amount of eroded soil was mapped in the Lauwerdal, a 63 ha large catchment in the headwaters of the Aa River Basin (Northern France). Based on four soil profiles, described and sampled along a topographic transect, and 256 augerings spaced along a grid, the original soil surface level was reconstructed. The current topographic surface was analysed based on a Digital Terrain Model obtained from UAV aerial photographs. The organic matter present in the filling of a former erosion channel, observed in one of the soil profiles, was dated by &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C as an indication of the onset of the erosion and sedimentation process.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Water and tillage erosion are the main processes characterizing the study area: eroded soils (Nudiargic Luvisols) dominate the upper reaches of the study area with colluvium at the footslopes (Colluvic Regosols). The sediment budget reveals that the bulk of the sediments are discharged from the headwater catchment as the quantity of eroded soil (0.87 &amp;#215; 10&lt;sup&gt;6&lt;/sup&gt; tonnes) is more than a ten-fold higher than the deposition (0.068 &amp;#215; 10&lt;sup&gt;6&lt;/sup&gt; tonnes). The &lt;sup&gt;14&lt;/sup&gt;C dating indicates that the erosion channels started filling up between the Early Iron Age and the Roman period, ca. 1200 years BP. The historical erosion rates are estimated at 491.4 t/km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; per year, and deposition rates at 91.8 t/km&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; per year.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our findings illustrate how the amount of soil eroded over a long time span can be estimated from soil morphologic features in combination with a detailed Digital Terrain Model. Indeed, human induced soil erosion dates back at least to Early Iron Age, when forest clearing for agricultural expanded. Surely, the mechanization and upscaling of agriculture in the 20&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; century will have exacerbated this process. The results also show that sediments are evacuated from headwater catchments and, consequently, must accumulate in the lower alluvial plains. Our findings corroborate research findings from the silt-loess belt of central Belgium where it was shown that soil erosion started in the same period and also led to the formation of wide alluvial valleys.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Random and systematic spatial variability of 137Cs inventories at reference sites in South-Central Brazil

2005 ◽  
Vol 62 (2) ◽  
pp. 173-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vladia Correchel ◽  
Osny Oliveira Santos Bacchi ◽  
Klaus Reichardt ◽  
Isabella Clerici De Maria
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variability ◽  
Reference Site ◽  
Soil Profiles ◽  
Reference Sites ◽  
Central Brazil ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
South Central ◽  
Tropical Conditions ◽  
137Cs Fallout

The precision of the 137Cs fallout redistribution technique for the evaluation of soil erosion rates is strongly dependent on the quality of an average inventory taken at a representative reference site. The knowledge of the sources and of the degree of variation of the 137Cs fallout spatial distribution plays an important role on its use. Four reference sites were selected in the South-Central region of Brazil which were characterized in terms of soil chemical, physical and mineralogical aspects as well as the spatial variability of 137Cs inventories. Some important differences in the patterns of 137Cs depth distribution in the soil profiles of the different sites were found. They are probably associated to chemical, physical, mineralogical and biological differences of the soils but many questions still remain open for future investigation, mainly those regarding the adsorption and dynamics of the 137Cs ions in soil profiles under tropical conditions. The random spatial variability (inside each reference site) was higher than the systematic spatial variability (between reference sites) but their causes were not clearly identified as possible consequences of chemical, physical, mineralogical variability, and/or precipitation.

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.

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 Effect of Soil Management on Erosion in Mountain Vineyards (N-W Italy)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1991
Author(s):  
Silvia Stanchi ◽  
Odoardo Zecca ◽  
Csilla Hudek ◽  
Emanuele Pintaldi ◽  
Davide Viglietti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Soil Management ◽  
Buffer Strips ◽  
Total N ◽  
Organic C ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Soil Ecosystem Services ◽  
Erosion Mitigation ◽  
Management Approaches

We studied the effects of three soil management approaches (permanent grassing, chemical weeding, and buffer strips), and the additional impact of tractor passage on soil erosion in a sloping vineyard located in the inner part of Aosta Valley (N-W Italian Alps). The vineyard rows were equipped with a sediment collection system with channels and barrel tanks. A total of 12 events with sediment production were observed across 6 years, and the collected sediments were weighted and analyzed. Average erosion rates ranged from negligible (mainly in grassed rows) to 1.1 t ha−1 per event (after weeding). The most erosive event occurred in July 2015, with a total rainfall of 32.2 mm, of which 20.1 were recorded in 1 h. Despite the limited number of erosive events observed, and the low measured erosion rates, permanent grassing reduced soil erosion considerably with respect to weeding; buffering had a comparable effect to grassing. The tractor passage, independent of the soil management approaches adopted, visibly accelerated the erosion process. The collected sediments were highly enriched in organic C, total N, and fine size fractions, indicating a potential loss of fertility over time. Despite the measured erosion rates being low over the experiment’s duration, more severe events are well documented in the recent past, and the number of intense storms is likely to increase due to climate change. Thus, the potential effects of erosion in the medium and long term need to be limited to a minimum rate of soil loss. Our experiment helped to compare soil losses by erosion under different soil management practices, including permanent grassing, i.e., a nature-based erosion mitigation measure. The results of the research can provide useful indications for planners and practitioners in similar regions, for sustainable, cross-sectoral soil management, and the enhancement of soil ecosystem services.

scholarly journals Impacts of oak deforestation and rainfed cultivation on soil redistribution processes across hillslopes using 137Cs techniques

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamsollah Ayoubi ◽  
Nafiseh Sadeghi ◽  
Farideh Abbaszadeh Afshar ◽  
Mohammad Reza Abdi ◽  
Mojtaba Zeraatpisheh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Magnetic Susceptibility ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Erosion Rate ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Soil Samples ◽  
Natural Forest ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Rainfed Farming

Abstract Background As one of the main components of land-use change, deforestation is considered the greatest threat to global environmental diversity with possible irreversible environmental consequences. Specifically, one example could be the impacts of land-use changes from oak forests into agricultural ecosystems, which may have detrimental impacts on soil mobilization across hillslopes. However, to date, scarce studies are assessing these impacts at different slope positions and soil depths, shedding light on key geomorphological processes. Methods In this research, the Caesium-137 (137Cs) technique was applied to evaluate soil redistribution and soil erosion rates due to the effects of these above-mentioned land-use changes. To achieve this goal, we select a representative area in the Lordegan district, central Iran. 137Cs depth distribution profiles were established in four different hillslope positions after converting natural oak forests to rainfed farming. In each hillslope, soil samples from three depths (0–10, 10–20, and 20–50 cm) and in four different slope positions (summit, shoulder, backslope, and footslope) were taken in three transects of about 20 m away from each other. The activity of 137Cs was determined in all the soil samples (72 soil samples) by a gamma spectrometer. In addition, some physicochemical properties and the magnetic susceptibility (MS) of soil samples were measured. Results Erosion rates reached 51.1 t·ha− 1·yr− 1 in rainfed farming, whereas in the natural forest, the erosion rate was 9.3 t·ha− 1·yr− 1. Magnetic susceptibility was considerably lower in the cultivated land (χhf = 43.5 × 10− 8 m3·kg− 1) than in the natural forest (χhf = 55.1 × 10− 8 m3·kg− 1). The lower soil erosion rate in the natural forest land indicated significantly higher MS in all landform positions except at the summit one, compared to that in the rainfed farming land. The shoulder and summit positions were the most erodible hillslope positions in the natural forest and rainfed farming, respectively. Conclusions We concluded that land-use change and hillslope positions played a key role in eroding the surface soils in this area. Moreover, land management can influence soil erosion intensity and may both mitigate and amplify soil loss.

scholarly journals The application of137Cs and210Pbexmethods in soil erosion research of Titel loess plateau, Vojvodina, Northern Serbia

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-24
Author(s):  
Kristina S. Kalkan ◽  
Sofija Forkapić ◽  
Slobodan B. Marković ◽  
Kristina Bikit ◽  
Milivoj B. Gavrilov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Loess Plateau ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Delivery Ratio ◽  
Undisturbed Soil ◽  
Migration Model ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Soil Erosion Rates ◽  
Profile Distribution ◽  
And Migration

AbstractSoil erosion is one of the largest global problems of environmental protection and sustainable development, causing serious land degradation and environmental deterioration. The need for fast and accurate soil rate assessment of erosion and deposition favors the application of alternative methods based on the radionuclide measurement technique contrary to long-term conventional methods. In this paper, we used gamma spectrometry measurements of 137Cs and unsupported 210Pbex in order to quantify the erosion on the Titel Loess Plateau near the Tisa (Tisza) River in the Vojvodina province of Serbia. Along the slope of the study area and in the immediate vicinity eight representative soil depth profiles were taken and the radioactivity content in 1 cm thick soil layers was analyzed. Soil erosion rates were estimated according to the profile distribution model and the diffusion and migration model for undisturbed soil. The net soil erosion rates, estimated by 137Cs method range from −2.3 t ha−1 yr−1 to −2.7 t ha−1 yr−1, related to the used conversion model which is comparable to published results of similar studies of soil erosion in the region. Vertical distribution of natural radionuclides in soil profiles was also discussed and compared with the profile distribution of unsupported 210Pbex measurements. The use of diffusion and migration model to convert the results of 210Pbex activities to soil redistribution rates indicates a slightly higher net erosion of −3.7 t ha−1 yr−1 with 98% of the sediment delivery ratio.

scholarly journals Assessing Changes in Soil Erosion Rates: A Markov Chain Analysis

1999 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 611-622 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhonda Skaggs ◽  
Soumen Ghosh
Keyword(s):  
Markov Chain ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Great Plains ◽  
Markov Chain Analysis ◽  
Conservation Policies ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
National Resources Inventory ◽  
Long Run ◽  
Chain Analysis ◽  
Soil Erosion Rates

AbstractMarkov chain analysis (one-step and long-run) is applied to the National Resources Inventory (NRI) database to evaluate changes in wind-based soil erosion rates over time. The research compares changes in soil erosion rates between NRI sample sites with and without applied conservation practices for a random sample of Great Plains counties. No significant differences between sites are found for half of the counties evaluated. The effectiveness and efficiency of conservation policies are thus questioned in light of these research results.

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