Management-induced soil water erosion and nutrient losses in different land use in Mediterranean environment

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Igor Bogunovic ◽  
Leon Josip Telak ◽  
Paulo Pereira
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Rainfall Simulation ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Nutrient Losses ◽  
Olive Orchard

<p>Soil erosion by water is one of the most important degradation processes. Land use has important effects on soil properties, therefore it is key to identify the type of management that have more impacts and find solutions to mitigate it. In order to understand the effects of land use management on soil and soil erosion in the Istria region (Croatia), we studied the impacts of different agriculture practices (vineyard, cropland, and olive orchard) on soil properties and runoff. The simulated rainfall was carried out at 58 mm h<sup>−1</sup> in the summer of 2018 (30% soil water content) for 30 min on 0.785 m<sup>2</sup> circular plots. The results showed that bulk density was significantly higher in cropland plots than in the vineyard and olive orchard. Soil organic matter, mean weight diameter, and aggregate stability were significantly higher in olive orchard plots than in the vineyard and cropland. Runoff and sediment losses were higher in olive orchard compared to vineyard plots. Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus losses were highest in olive orchard plots with 3.9 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>, 405.2 g ha<sup>-1</sup> and 73.6 g ha<sup>-1</sup>, respectively, while lower values were measured in the vineyard plots, where nutrients losses were lower with 0.9 kg ha<sup>-1</sup>, 73.8 g ha<sup>-1</sup> and 6.5 g ha<sup>-1</sup>, respectively. No runoff was observed in cropland plots. Even with the highest measured values of runoff and erosion in the herbicide treated olive orchard, results indicate that both herbicide application and tillage represent a threat to the sustainability of Istrian soils. Vegetation cover on cropland reduces the runoff generation indicating the need for adoption of conservation strategies. In current management, vegetation removal should be avoided since it contributes to practice to reduce nutrient losses and increase the sustainability of the soils.</p><p> </p><p><strong>Keywords</strong>: Soil water erosion, Soil tillage, Rainfall simulation, Agriculture land management, Mediterranean</p><p> </p><p><strong>Acknowledgements</strong></p><p> </p><p>This work was supported by Croatian Science Foundation through the project "Soil erosion and degradation in Croatia" (UIP-2017-05-7834) (SEDCRO).</p>

Prediction of future development of soil water erosion in small agricultural chatchment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Kohnová ◽  
Zuzana Németová ◽  
Zuzana Sabová
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Future Development ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Land Use Management ◽  
Rainfall Events ◽  
The Future

<p>It is well known that the impact of climate change affects various areas such as hydroclimatical factors which can cause increased occurrence of heavy precipitation events, ice melting, rising temperature or sea-level as a consequence of the global warming. It is assumed that the average surface temperature on Earth has increased by more than 1° Celsius since 1880. Climate change of the Earth has changed naturally over the past 650.000 years as a result of external factors that impact the climate. Despite of this fact, over the last 100 years is global warming strongly accelerated by different kind of human activities. One of those activities represents inappropriate land use management which is directly connected with soil degradation and soil erosion as the major threat of global soil degradation. The study presents the assessment of the future development of soil water erosion processes in one small agricultural catchment located in the Slovak Republic. The calculations were done based on the long-term simulation using the event and physically-based soil erosion model and one-hour rainfall events. The model used was calibrated and validated in the previous studies. The period time analysed covers 80 years, i.e., from 2020 until 2100. From the period the years where the most intensive rainfall events have occurred were chosen. The rainfall events were determined by climate CLM model. In order to compare the suitability of land-use management, three scenarios were created. They include three different types of land cover, i.e., agricultural crops (wheat and corn) and grassland. The modelled results show development of soil erosion in the future period up to 2100 together with the comparison of land use management in the area under research. The study predicts the future development of soil water erosion where the short term extreme rainfall events play key element as a crucial factor in the soil erosion assessment processes.</p><p> </p>

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.

Straw mulch impact on soil properties and initial soil erosion processes in the maize field

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

&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Straw mulch impact on soil properties and initial soil erosion processes in the maize field&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Ivan Dugan*, Leon Josip Telak, Iva Hrelja, Ivica Kisic, Igor Bogunovic&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of General Agronomy, Zagreb, Croatia&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;(*correspondence to Ivan Dugan: [email protected])&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;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&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt; 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&amp;#160;L.) field in Blagorodovac, Croatia (45&amp;#176;33&amp;#8217;N; 17&amp;#176;01&amp;#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&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;), 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&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;, for 30 min, over 0.785 m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; 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 &lt; 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 &gt; 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&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;, when extrapolated, reached as high as 5.07 t ha&lt;sup&gt;-1 &lt;/sup&gt;in this study. The conventional tillage, without residue cover, was proven as unsustainable agro-technical practice in the study area.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key words: straw mulch, &lt;/strong&gt;rainfall simulation, soil water erosion&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Acknowledgment&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This work was supported by Croatian Science Foundation through the project &quot;Soil erosion and degradation in Croatia&quot; (UIP-2017-05-7834) (SEDCRO).&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Literature&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Bogunovic, 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.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Kisic, I., Bogunovic, I., Birk&amp;#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.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals On-Site Water and Wind Erosion Experiments Reveal Relative Impact on Total Soil Erosion

Geosciences ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 478 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miriam Marzen ◽  
Thomas Iserloh ◽  
Wolfgang Fister ◽  
Manuel Seeger ◽  
Jesus Rodrigo-Comino ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Wind Erosion ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Relative Impact ◽  
Wheat Field ◽  
Total Soil ◽  
Potential Impact

The relative impact of water and wind on total erosion was investigated by means of an experimental-empirical study. Wind erosion and water erosion were measured at five different sites: (1) Mediterranean fallow, (2) Mediterranean orchard, (3) wheat field, (4) vineyard and (5) sand substrate. Mean erosion rates ranged from 1.55 to 618 g·m−2·h−1 for wind and from 0.09 to 133.90 g·m−2·h−1 for rain eroded material over all tested sites. Percentages (%) of eroded sediment for wind and rain, respectively, were found to be 2:98 on Mediterranean fallow, 11:89 on Mediterranean orchard, 3:97 on wheat field, 98:2 on vineyard and 99:1 on sand substrate. For the special case of soil surface crust destroyed by goat trampling, the measured values emphasize a strong potential impact of herding on total soil erosion. All sites produced erosion by wind and rain, and relations show that both erosive forces may have an impact on total soil erosion depending on site characteristics. The results indicate a strong need to focus on both wind and water erosion particularly concerning soils and substrates in vulnerable environments. Measured rates show a general potential erosion depending on recent developments of land use and climate change and may raise awareness of scientist, farmers and decision makers about potential impact of both erosive forces. Knowledge about exact relationship is key for an adapted land use management, which has great potential to mitigate degradation processes related to climate change.

scholarly journals Estimating Human Impacts on Soil Erosion Considering Different Hillslope Inclinations and Land Uses in the Coastal Region of Syria

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 2786 ◽  
Author(s):  
Safwan Mohammed ◽  
Hazem G. Abdo ◽  
Szilard Szabo ◽  
Quoc Bao Pham ◽  
Imre J. Holb ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Cover ◽  
Soil Loss ◽  
Agricultural Land ◽  
Human Impacts ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Land Uses ◽  
Erosion Processes

Soils in the coastal region of Syria (CRoS) are one of the most fragile components of natural ecosystems. However, they are adversely affected by water erosion processes after extreme land cover modifications such as wildfires or intensive agricultural activities. The main goal of this research was to clarify the dynamic interaction between erosion processes and different ecosystem components (inclination, land cover/land use, and rainy storms) along with the vulnerable territory of the CRoS. Experiments were carried out in five different locations using a total of 15 erosion plots. Soil loss and runoff were quantified in each experimental plot, considering different inclinations and land uses (agricultural land (AG), burnt forest (BF), forest/control plot (F)). Observed runoff and soil loss varied greatly according to both inclination and land cover after 750 mm of rainfall (26 events). In the cultivated areas, the average soil water erosion ranged between 0.14 ± 0.07 and 0.74 ± 0.33 kg/m2; in the BF plots, mean soil erosion ranged between 0.03 ± 0.01 and 0.24 ± 0.10 kg/m2. The lowest amount of erosion was recorded in the F plots where the erosion ranged between 0.1 ± 0.001 and 0.07 ± 0.03 kg/m2. Interestingly, the General Linear Model revealed that all factors (i.e., inclination, rainfall and land use) had a significant (p < 0.001) effect on the soil loss. We concluded that human activities greatly influenced soil erosion rates, being higher in the AG lands, followed by BF and F. Therefore, the current study could be very useful to policymakers and planners for proposing immediate conservation or restoration plans in a less studied area which has been shown to be vulnerable to soil erosion processes.

scholarly journals The Effect of Shallow Tillage on Soil Erosion in a Semi-Arid Vineyard

Agronomy ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agata Novara ◽  
Giovanni Stallone ◽  
Artemio Cerdà ◽  
Luciano Gristina
Keyword(s):  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Degradation ◽  
Erosion Rate ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Strip Tillage ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Semi Arid ◽  
Tillage Erosion

Soil erosion has been considered a threat for semi-arid lands due to the removal of solid materials by water and wind. Although water erosion is currently considered the most important process of soil degradation, a growing interest has been drawn to the impact of soil tillage. Although numerous studies on tillage erosion have been carried out on arable land using a moldboard plow, a chisel, and a tandem disc for different crops, there are no studies on the effect of shallow tillage on soil redistribution in vineyards. The aim of this work was to evaluate the soil tillage erosion rate in a vineyard using a 13C natural abundance tracer. A strip of soil (C3-C soil) was removed, mixed with C4-C tracer, and replaced. After the installation of the strip, tillage (upslope in one inter-row and downslope in the other inter-row) was performed with a cultivator and soil was collected along the slope with an interval of 0.2 m from the C4-C strip. Soil organic carbon and δ13C were measured and the total mass of translocated soil (T) soil was calculated. The net effect of tillage after two consecutive operations (downslope and upslope tillage) was a T of 49.3 ± 4.2 kg m−1. The estimated annual erosion rate due to tillage in the studied vineyard was 9.5 ± 1.2 Mg ha−1year−1. The contribution of the soil tillage erosion rate was compared with that of water erosion in the same vineyard, and we conclude that tillage is a threat to soil degradation.

scholarly journals Tillage erosion: a review of controlling factors and implications for soil quality

2006 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 443-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Van Oost ◽  
G. Govers ◽  
S. De Alba ◽  
T. A. Quine
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Controlling Factors ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Soil Productivity ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Erosion Rates ◽  
Soil Redistribution ◽  
Tillage Depth ◽  
Tillage Erosion

Tillage erosion has been identifed as an important global soil degradation process that has to be accounted for when assessing the erosional impacts on soil productivity, environmental quality or landscape evolution. In this paper, we present a summary of available data describing tillage erosion. This provides insights in the controlling factors determining soil redistribution rates and patterns by tillage for various implements used in both mechanized and non-mechanized agriculture. Variations in tillage depth and tillage direction cause the largest variations in soil redistribution rates, although other factors, such as tillage speed and implement characteristics, also play an important role. In general, decreasing tillage depth and ploughing along the contour lines substantially reduce tillage erosion rates and can be considered as effective soil conservation strategies. Implement erosivities reported in literature, characterized by the tillage transport coeffcient, are very consistent and range in the order of 400–800 kg m-1yr-1 and 70–260 kg m-1yr-1 for mechanized and nonmechanized agriculture, respectively. Comparison of tillage erosion rates with water erosion rates using a global data set indicates that tillage erosion rates are at least in the same order of magnitude or higher than water erosion rates, in almost all cases. Finally, we discuss how tillage erosion increases the spatial variability of soil properties and affects soil nutrient cycling. Considering the widespread use of tillage practices, the high redistribution rates associated with the process and its direct effect on soil properties, it is clear that tillage erosion should be considered in soil landscape studies.

Effect of land use and management on the early stages of soil water erosion in French Mediterranean vineyards

2009 ◽  
Vol 106 (1) ◽  
pp. 124-136 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Blavet ◽  
G. De Noni ◽  
Y. Le Bissonnais ◽  
M. Leonard ◽  
L. Maillo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Water ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Early Stages ◽  
Land Use And Management

scholarly journals Effects of freeze-thaw on soil properties and water erosion

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Baoyang Sun ◽  
Feipeng Ren ◽  
Wenfeng Ding ◽  
Guanhua Zhang ◽  
Jinquan Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Soil Properties ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Organic Matter Content ◽  
Chemical Properties ◽  
Water Erosion ◽  
Matter Content ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Freeze Thaw

Freeze-thaw erosion occurs primarily at high latitudes and altitudes. Temperature controlled freeze-thaw events dislodge soil particles and serve as a catalyst for erosion. This review paper provided an overview of the effects of freeze-thaw on soil properties and water erosion. The process of freeze-thaw cycles results in temporary and inconsistent changes in the soil moisture, and affects the soil’s mechanical, physical and chemical properties, such as the soil moisture content, porosity, bulk density, aggregates stability, shear strength and organic matter content and so on. The variation trend and range of the soil properties were related to the soil texture, water content and freeze-thaw degree. Furthermore, the soil erosion was affected by the freeze-thaw processes, as thawing and water erosion reinforce each other. However, research of different experimental conditions on indoor simulations have numerous limitations compared with field experiments. The use of indoor and field experiments to further reveal the freeze-thaw effect on the soil erosion would facilitate improved forecasting.

scholarly journals Changes in land-use and their impact on erosion rates and overland flow generation in the Maghreb region

2005 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-180 ◽  
Author(s):  
C. O.A. Coelho ◽  
A. J.D. Ferreira ◽  
A. Laouina ◽  
A.-K. Boulet ◽  
M. Chaker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Land Use ◽  
Soil Erosion ◽  
Land Management ◽  
Overland Flow ◽  
Animal Husbandry ◽  
Rainfall Simulation ◽  
Management Systems ◽  
Simulation Experiments ◽  
Erosion Hazard ◽  
Erosion Rates

The ongoing intensification of grazing as well as the replacement of traditional land management systems in the Maghreb has brought to the forefront the fundamental role of land-use in determining soil erosion hazard. This paper reports on erosion rates and soil hydrological characteristics of a variety of land uses in Morocco and Tunisia. The results were obtained through rainfall simulation experiments carried out in the field using a portable simulator, following the design of CERDÀ et al. (1997). Traditional land management systems - typically involving a combination of agriculture, animal husbandry and forestry - produced the least amounts of overland flow and the lowest soil erosion rates. Over-exploitation of these systems apparently has only minor hydrological and erosional impacts. Heavily grazed, degraded "maquis" shrublands, on the other hand, produced considerable amounts of overland flow. At the plot scale of the rainfall simulation experiments (0.24 m2), the corresponding sediment loads are rather insignificant. Nevertheless, slopes where "maquis" shrublands (which generally have very compacted soils) occur upslope from more erodible soils may present a major erosion hazard.

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