RELIEF AND GEOLOGICAL STRUCTURE OF CARPATHIAN BIOSPHERE RESERVE

The relief and geological structure of Carpathian Biosphere Reserve represent the features of the geological and geomorphological structure of the four geomorphological regions of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The block mid-mountains of the Polonynsko-Chornohirsky Carpathians (Chornohora, Svydovets, and Uholsko-Shyrokoluzhansky massifs) and the folded mid-mountains of Marmarosy crystal massif (Marmarosy and Kuziy-Trybushansky massifs) are well protected within the reserve. The analysis of the morphostructure and morphosculpture of the reserve is carried out taking into account the longitudinal (NW–SE) and transverse divisions of the Ukrainian The analysis of the morphostructure and morphosculpture of the reserve is carried out taking into account the longitudinal (NW–SE) and transverse divisions of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The longitudinal division is associated with morphostructures of higher orders, such as second and third. The transverse division is associated with the fourth and fifth orders of morphostructures. In the analysis of morphosculpture of the reserve, the types characterized for all regions of Flysch and Crystal Carpathians are allocated. All mountain massifs and ridges could be characterized by an asymmetrical structure, such as steep northeastern slopes and acclivous southwestern slopes. The relic morphosculpture is represented by: 1) fragments of denudation surfaces of different ages such as Polonynska, Pidpolonynska, and riparian; 2) ancient glacial and extra glacial landforms; 3) areas of ancient longitudinal valleys. River valleys with a complex of different age terraces represent inherited morphosculpture. Modern morphodynamic processes are represented by height (tier) differentiation. The processes of sheet erosion, deflation, and rill erosion play an important role in the relief modeling for the tiers of strongly dissected mid-mountain relief. The lower tier of the terraced and non-terraced bottoms of the valleys are associated with the processes of leaching and erosion as well as a significant accumulation of erosion products and mudflows. Stabilized and active displacements are the most recorded among the gravitational processes and block motions. Key words: Carpathian Biosphere Reserve; Ukrainian Carpathians; relief; morphostructure; morphosculpture.

Erosion Rate of the Aliano Biancana Badlands Based on a 3D Multi-Temporal High-Resolution Survey and Implications for Wind-Driven Rain

Biancana badlands are peculiar landforms in the Basilicata region of Italy resulting from the local combination of geological, geomorphological, and climatic settings. The evolution of badlands mainly depends on slope erosion, which is controlled by the angle, exposure, and vegetation of the slope and its interactions with insolation, rain, and wind. Multi-temporal, detailed, high-resolution surveys have led researchers to assess changes in slopes to investigate the spatial distributions of erosion and deposition and the influence of wind-driven rain (WDR). A comparison between two terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) point clouds surveyed during 2006 and 2016 fieldwork showed that the study area suffers from intense erosion that is not spatially uniform on all sides of biancane. By combining slope and exposure data and the cloud of difference (CoD), derived from a 3D model, we showed that all the steepest southern sides of biancane suffered the most intense erosion. Because splash and sheet erosion triggers sediment displacement, the analysis was also focused on the intensity and direction of WDR. We performed a real field experiment analysing erosion rates over 10 years in relation to daily and hourly wind data (direction and speed), and we found that frequent winds of moderate force, combined with moderate to heavy rainfall, contributed to the observed increase in soil erosion when combined with the insolation effect. Our results show how all the considered factors interact in a complex pattern to control the spatial distribution of erosion.

Estudo da Susceptibilidade à Erosão Laminar em Bacia Hidrográfica da Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais, Brasil

O estudo da susceptibilidade a erosão laminar é pertinente na mesorregião da Zona da Mata de Minas Gerais, visto a predominância da cobertura de pastagem e pela expressiva degradação do solo. Neste estudo, objetivou-se compreender quais variáveis geodinâmicas são importantes na predição dos processos erosivos laminares e o melhor modelo preditivo entre oito, através de comparações multicritérios, possibilitando entender o fenômeno em uma bacia hidrográfica da mesorregião. Assim, utilizou-se o método de atribuição de notas pela Literatura (L) e Realidade de campo (RC), cuja ponderação de parcela dos processos erosivos (60%) laminares mapeados ponderou a nota das classes das variáveis pela área das mesmas. A integração das variáveis foi por testes de ponderação e integração total e parcial. A avaliação dos modelos gerados foi por estatística descritiva (Box-Plot), diferentes métodos de categorização (Manual, Natural Breaks e Geometrical Interval) e curva ROC com cálculo de eficiência AUC (40% das erosões mapeadas). Os resultados apontaram que a falta umidade é um fator importante para a ocorrência dos processos erosivos laminares, por outro lado, as variáveis morfométricas não foram importantes para a predição. Modelos baseados na RC (72,41% AUC médio) obteve eficiência consideravelmente maior do que a L (65,41% AUC médio), já quando comparado a integração de todas as variáveis geodinâmicas e somente as mais importantes e quando integrado com ponderação e sem ponderação, não houve considerável diferença estatística. O modelo mais eficiente obteve 76,3% AUC, considerado boa e estava adequado a realidade da área estudada. Study of Susceptibility to Sheet Erosion in a Watershed in Zona da Mata, Minas Gerais, BrazilABSTRACTThe study of susceptibility to surface erosion is relevant in the mesoregion of the Zona da Mata of Minas Gerais, given the predominance of pasture cover, the significant degradation of the soil and the stagnation of the agricultural sector. In this study, the objective was to understand which geodynamic variables are important in the prediction of surface erosive processes and the best predictive model among eight, through multicriteria comparisons, making it possible to understand the phenomenon in a watershed in the mesoregion. Thus, it was used the method of attributing grades by Literature (L) and Field Reality (RC), whose weighting of the mapped surface erosive (60%) processes weighted the grade of the variable classes by their area. The integration of the variables was through weighting tests and total and partial integration. The evaluation of the models generated was by descriptive statistics (Box-Plot), different methods of categorization (Manual, Natural Breaks and Geometrical Interval) and ROC curve with AUC efficiency calculation (40% of the mapped erosions). The results showed that the lack of moisture is an important factor for the occurrence of surface erosive processes, on the other hand, the morphometric variables were not important for the prediction. Models based on RC (72.41% average AUC) achieved considerably greater efficiency than L (65.41% average AUC), when compared to the integration of all geodynamic variables and only the most important ones and when integrated with weighting and without weighting, there was no considerable statistical difference. The most efficient model obtained 76.3% AUC, considered good and was adequate to the reality of the studied area.Key words: Geotechnologies; Comparison of Risk Models; Multicriteria Analysis

Analysis of sheet erosion component variability on four complex hillslopes and consecutive storms under laboratory conditions

Understanding of rainfall-runoff processes in arid and semi-arid regions, such as runoff discharge (Q) and sediment concentration (SC) in hillslopes with different geometries, can offer better insights into hydrological processes. Consequently, considering intra- and inter-storm dynamics of Q and SC during consecutive storms (CSs), on hillslopes of various geometric shapes, has not been accurately and scientifically studied. The current research was planned to study the response of the sheet erosion components. The experiments were performed on four complex hillslopes (CHs) including straight-parallel, straight-convergent, concave-convergent, and convex-convergent under five CSs with rainfall intensity of 45 mm/h on a sandy loam soil in a 1 × 2 m2 plot under laboratory conditions. The results showed that the individual effects of the CSs and CHs and their interactive effects on Q and SC were significant (P ≤ 0.00). However, Q was more influenced by the CSs (ηp2 = 0.65) and SC was more affected by the CHs (ηp2 = 0.77). Moreover, analysis of the hydrographs (HGs), sedigraphs (SGs), and sediment rating loops (SRLs) observed in four CHs during five CSs indicated the diversity in the behavior of the SC (from 2.32 to 68.68 g/L) in comparison with variations in Q (from 14.68 to 38.38 mL/s).

Experimental study on dynamic mechanism of sheet erosion processes on steep grassland in the loess region of China

<p>Sheet erosion has been the major erosion process on steep grassland since the Grain-for-Green project was implemented in 1999 in the Loess Plateau with serious soil erosion, in China. Quantifying sheet erosion rate on steep grassland could improve soil erosion estimation on loess hillslopes and provide scientific support for effectively controlling soil erosion and rationally managing grassland. Simulated rainfall experiments were conducted on grassland plot with vegetation coverage of 40% under complete combination of rainfall intensities of 0.7, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 mm min<sup>-1</sup> and slope gradients of 7°, 10°, 15°, 20° and 25°. Results showed that sheet erosion rate (<em>SE</em>), varying from 0.0048 to 0.0578 kg m<sup>-2</sup> min<sup>-1</sup>, was well described by binary power function equation (<em>SE</em> = 0.0026 <em>I</em><sup>1.306</sup><em>S</em><sup>0.662</sup>) containing rainfall intensity and slope gradient with <em>R<sup>2</sup></em> = 0.940. The logarithmic equation of shear stress (<em>SE</em> = 0.084 + Ln (<em>τ</em>)) and the power function equation of stream power (<em>SE</em> = 1.141 <em>ɷ</em><sup>1.073</sup>) could be used to predict sheet erosion rate. Stream power (<em>R<sup>2</sup></em> = 0.903) was a better predictor of sheet erosion than shear stress (<em>R<sup>2</sup></em> = 0.882). However, predictions based on flow velocity, unit stream power, and unit energy were unsatisfactory. The stream power was an excellent hydrodynamic parameter for predicting sheet erosion rate. The sheet erosion process of grassland slope was also affected by the raindrop impact except the dynamic action of sheet flow. The combination of stream power and rainfall kinetic energy (<em>KE</em>) among different rainfall physical parameters had the most closely relationship with the sheet erosion rates, which is also better than the stream power only, and a binary power function equation (<em>SE</em> = 0.221 <em>ω</em><sup>0.831</sup><em>KE</em><sup>0.416</sup>) could be used to predict sheet erosion rate on grassland slope with <em>R<sup>2</sup></em> = 0.930. The study results revealed the dynamic mechanism of the sheet erosion process on steep grassland in the loess region of China.</p>

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

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.