The onsite cost of gully erosion and cost‐benefit of gully rehabilitation: A case study in Ethiopia

Gully erosion often indicates extreme land degradation. In the highlands of Ethiopia, wide and deep gullies are common features, significantly affecting land used for agriculture. However, little action is being taken to address the problem. Where rehabilitation actions in Ethiopia are taking place, they are rarely studied by financially quantifying their costs and benefits. Therefore, this study developed methods of quantifying gully erosion costs and rehabilitation costs and benefits by considering the soil components of four model rehabilitated gullies in Ethiopia. Data were obtained from a physical survey supported by secondary information from relevant agricultural offices. Quantification was achieved by monetizing gully erosion cost through yield loss and gully rehabilitation calculations according to expenditure, while rehabilitation benefits were obtained by monetizing estimated deposited soil nutrients using fertilizer prices. Cost‐benefit values show that investment in gully rehabilitation can be an economically viable proposition in some instances. Stakeholders involved in gully rehabilitation should continue to invest in appropriate techniques of gully rehabilitation and management to ensure continued benefits from rehabilitated gullies and use of surrounding farmlands. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

东北黑土区沟道侵蚀现状及其防治对策

沟道侵蚀是土地退化最严重的表现形式,东北黑土区是中国除黄土高原外沟道侵蚀最为严重的区域,沟道侵蚀严重威胁东北区域农业生产和生态环境。该研究基于多年的研究积累,结合国家侵蚀沟治理专项调查和国家重点研发计划项目研究成果以及已有文献,系统总结归纳了东北黑土区沟道侵蚀特征、发展演变趋势及其危害;梳理出现有侵蚀沟治理措施的成功经验及失败教训,凝练提出区域侵蚀沟防治目标及4种主要侵蚀沟治理模式,并给出了适用范围及条件;同时提出了新时代东北黑土区侵蚀沟防治对策建议。该研究为区域现代农业发展和生态文明建设决策以及沟道侵蚀治理工程的实施提供了科技支撑。     

Gully Head Retreat in the Sub‐Humid Ethiopian Highlands: The Ene‐Chilala Catchment

In the northern highlands of Ethiopia, gully erosion is severe. Despite many efforts to implement gully prevention measures, controlling gully erosion remains a challenge. The objective is to better understand the regional gully erosion processes and to prevent gully head retreat. The study was conducted in the Ene‐Chilala catchment in the sub‐humid headwaters of the Birr River located southwest of Bahir Dar, Ethiopia. Twelve gully heads were monitored during the 2014 and 2015 rainy monsoon phase. We measured gully head morphology and retreat length, soil shear strength, ground water table levels, and catchment physical characteristics. Two active gully head cuts were treated in 2014 and an additional three head cuts in 2015 by regrading their slope to 45° and covering them with stone riprap. These treatments halted the gully head advance. The untreated gullies were actively eroding due to groundwater at shallow depths. The largest head retreat was 22.5 m, of which about half occurred in August of the first year when the surrounding soil was fully saturated. Lowering both the water table and protecting the gully heads can play a key role in reducing gully expansion and soil loss due to gully erosion in the Ethiopian highlands. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

黄土区坡耕地耕作对浅沟径流产沙及其形态发育特征的影响

为研究耕作对浅沟径流产沙及形态发育特征的影响,在野外调查的基础上,设计坡度(15°、20°、25°)、雨强(1.0、1.5、2.0 mm/min)及放水流量(7.53~23.45 L/min)3个处理,采用室内模拟降雨和放水冲刷的方法,测定了不同处理下浅沟径流量、产沙量。结果表明:1)2种浅沟水流均为紊流,耕作使浅沟水流雷诺数和弗劳德数分别减小0.95%~30.77%、2.64%~39.14%,阻力系数和糙率系数分别增加4.01%~58.82%、0.88%~27.87%;2)试验条件下,耕作使浅沟土壤剥蚀率增大9.48%~37.87%,未耕作与耕作浅沟土壤剥蚀率分别与坡度—流量交互作用、雨强—坡度交互作用呈极显著线性关系,土壤剥蚀率与径流剪切力、径流功率及单位径流功率均呈显著的线性关系,未耕作浅沟发生剥蚀的临界剪切力、临界功率及临界单位径流功率分别为17.576 N/m2、5.036 W/(m2·s)、0.0381 m/s,耕作浅沟为10.585 N/m2、3.544 W/(m2·s)、0.0277 m/s;3)耕作使浅沟宽度增加1.98%~31.79%,浅沟面积增大0.84%~32.03%,下切深度降低2.82%~26.67%;4)耕作使浅沟土壤侵蚀量增加0.91%~22.80%,未耕作和耕作浅沟土壤侵蚀量分别占坡面土壤侵蚀总量的44.09%~74.16%和42.44%~56.44%,与雨强—流量交互作用均呈极显著的线性函数关系。结果可为该区浅沟侵蚀预测模型的建立及农业生态环境安全与保护提供科学依据。     

半干旱黄土丘陵沟壑区沟道侵蚀特征研究

利用遥感、地理信息技术和数理统计方法,选择山西省吕梁市王家沟流域为典型区域,系统分析了半干旱黄土丘陵沟壑区沟道侵蚀特征。研究结果表明:在王家沟流域内共有沟道718条,其中冲沟109条,切沟286条,干沟302条及河沟21条。这4类沟道的发育特征和空间分布特征存在巨大差异;沟道侵蚀是王家沟流域内土壤侵蚀的主要形式,沟道侵蚀面积占总侵蚀面积的56.19%;流域内不同坡度范围内土壤侵蚀强度与沟道类型存在紧密联系。同时,人为因素也对黄土丘陵沟壑区的沟道侵蚀具有重要的影响。     

黄河中游治沟骨干工程拦泥能力浅析

<正> 黄河中游地区目前已建成淤地坝近10万座,淤地面积27万hm~2,为发展当地农业生产和减少入黄泥沙发挥了巨大作用,但普遍存在布局不合理、设计标准低、工程老化等问题。治沟骨干工程是在总结过去淤地坝建设经验教训的基础上提出的,它作为黄河中游水土流失严重地区(年侵蚀模数在5000t/km~2以上)一项重要水土保持沟道工程措施,国家计委和水利部从1986年开始,在黄河中游多沙粗沙区安排了治沟骨干工程建设试点。经实践证明,治沟骨干     

A laboratory study on the relative stability of the check‐dam system in the Loess Plateau,China

The building of check‐dams is one of the most effective measures for the conservation of soil and water in the Loess Plateau of China, and the hydro‐sedimentologic balance is the most important factor influencing the relative stability of the check‐dam systems. This means that the soil and water in small watersheds controlled by the check‐dams will be absorbed internally, without the need for raising the height of the dams, if some given parameters have reached certain values. A runoff simulation experiment for a single check‐dam and a rainfall simulation experiment for the whole check‐dam system has been conducted, and the runoff/rainfall intensity and the parameter RV were determined through the annual erosion rate of the prototype watershed. The results indicated that the raising of the dam‐land altitude became slower, and the mean gradient of the gully was kept at a constant. The main reasons causing the check‐dam to show a good relative stability are the enlarging of the dam‐land area, the alleviating of erosion by the check‐dam, and the auto‐stabilizing mechanism of the gullies. This study presents a kind of scale‐down model experiment in which the ratio of the model geomorphological variable to the corresponding prototype variable keeps constant after the determinate runs of rainfalls, so that the soil and water erosion processes of the prototype could be monitored from the results of the model experiment. Four measures have been suggested for ensuring this ratio is a constant: (1) A bare‐land model with an appropriate erosion rate should be used in the experiment. (2) Dimensions of the landform, including the check‐dam, should normally be scaled down according to the prototype watershed. (3) Soil similar to those of the prototype should be used. (4) The antecedent water content before each rainfall simulation should be kept constant. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

坝地沉积旋回泥沙养分变化及其对小流域泥沙来源的解释

黄土高原广泛分布的坝地沉积泥沙中赋存了大量小流域侵蚀特征及侵蚀环境变化的信息,泥沙特性的变化则是这些信息的直接体现。该文通过对比分析淤地坝沉积旋回泥沙中和坝控小流域内不同泥沙源地土壤中有机质、全氮、全磷和全钾的含量,发现小流域内土壤养分含量变异性明显大于沉积旋回泥沙中的变异性,沉积旋回泥沙养分含量与沟壁土壤中的相接近,其中与沟壁中的全氮、全磷和全钾无显著差异(p>0.05),但显著小于荒草地和坡耕地中的有机质、全氮和全磷含量(p<0.05),表明淤地坝运行期间小流域泥沙主要来源于沟壁坍塌和沟道扩展,重力侵蚀和沟蚀是主要侵蚀类型;有机质和全氮在坝地沉积旋回中呈明显阶段性变化,分析认为其反映了农村土地联产承包责任制对小流域土地利用和土壤侵蚀的影响。     

基于Google Earth影像的横断山区沟蚀及侵蚀沟类型调查研究

[目的]探讨横断山区侵蚀沟的类型、分布特征及影响因素,为研究沟蚀对横断山区土壤侵蚀及土地退化的影响提供依据。[方法]基于Google Earth高清影像结合GIS的方法,基于可见性的基本原则,对横断山区开展侵蚀沟的抽样调查。共布设调查单元2 242个,每个单元尺寸1km×1km。[结果]共有571个调查单元发现有侵蚀沟分布,占调查单元总数的25.5%,平均沟壑密度为2.20km/km2。沟蚀在海拔低于1 500m的区域发育显著,沟壑密度随坡度增加而增长,与年降雨相关性较弱。草地是沟蚀发育的主要土地利用类型,燥红土的沟蚀分布率及平均沟壑密度显著高于其他土壤类型。通过总结国内外现有的侵蚀沟分类体系及其异同,结合调查结果,判定该次调查的横断山区侵蚀沟类型主要为切沟和冲沟(包括有泥石流事件的冲沟)。[结论]横断山区切沟和冲沟分布广泛,发育强烈,其分布受海拔、坡度、土地利用及土壤类型等因素的影响较为显著。     

特大暴雨下不同土地利用类型坡面切沟发育特征

切沟侵蚀是黄土高原丘陵沟壑区水土流失的重要形式之一，然而极端暴雨条件下不同土地利用类型坡面切沟侵蚀研究还鲜见报道。该研究以陕北2017年"7·26"特大暴雨为例，研究了岔巴沟流域3种土地利用类型（农地、休闲地和撂荒地）坡面切沟发育形态特征及体积估算模型。结果表明：1）农地、休闲地和撂荒地切沟长度分布在20 m内的占比分别为55.6%、34.8%和44.8%；农地切沟平均深度为110 cm，分别比休闲地和撂荒地高18.3%、19.2%；农地和休闲地切沟平均宽深比分别为0.87和0.84，横断面呈"宽-浅型"，而撂荒地切沟呈"方型"（宽深比1.01）。2）撂荒地切沟侵蚀体积分别比农地和休闲地减少47.8%和28.3%，表明植被恢复有效地削弱了极端暴雨作用下的切沟侵蚀。3）农地切沟不同坡段侵蚀体积由高到低为下坡、上坡、中坡，而休闲地和撂荒地切沟侵蚀体积沿坡长方向呈递增趋势；3种土地利用类型切沟在上坡段的沟岸拓宽速率大于下切速率，中下坡则相反。4）农地、休闲地和撂荒地切沟侵蚀体积均与切沟长度、横断面面积呈极显著幂函数关系（P<0.001），横断面面积是切沟体积估算更为有效的参数。研究结果可为黄土高原丘陵沟壑区不同土地利用类型坡面切沟侵蚀体积估算及其防治提供重要依据。     

土壤理化及力学性质对干热河谷台地边坡沟蚀发育的影响

金沙江干热河谷土地整理台地边坡沟蚀发育严重,水土流失强烈,高投入的土地整理工程效益难以发挥,严重威胁着该区的生态安全和社会经济发展。为查明干热河谷土地整理台地边坡沟蚀发育关键影响因子、防治台地边坡沟蚀发育,该研究采用野外实地测量法和实验室测定的方法,研究了干热河谷土地整理台地边坡的沟蚀发育形态特征,系统分析了土壤理化性质和力学性质对台地边坡沟蚀发育形态特征的影响。结果表明:1)非毛管孔隙度是影响台地边坡沟蚀发育形态特征的主要指标,但非毛管孔隙度对台地边坡沟蚀发育宽度、深度、截面积、密度以及割裂度的影响形式和影响程度有较大差异。2)抗剪强度仅对台地边坡沟道深度和截面积影响显著,而对沟道宽度、密度和割裂度的影响甚微。3)分散率对台地边坡沟道宽度和割裂度的影响较为明显,对沟道深度、截面积和密度无显著影响。4)沟道宽度和密度均主要受非毛管孔隙度控制,割裂度受分散率的影响最大,但沟道深度和沟道截面积受土壤性质的影响相对较弱。     

Monitoring gully erosion in the European Union: A novel approach based on the Land Use/Cover Area frame survey (LUCAS)

The European Commission's Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection (COM(2012)46) identified soil erosion as an important threat to European Union's (EU) soil resources. Gully erosion is an important but hitherto poorly understood component of this threat. Here we present the results of an unprecedented attempt to monitor the occurrence of gully erosion across the EU and UK. We integrate a soil erosion module into the 2018 LUCAS Topsoil Survey, which was conducted to monitor the soil health status across the EU and to support actions to prevent soil degradation. We discuss and explore opportunities to further improve this method. The 2018 LUCAS Topsoil Survey consisted of soil sampling (0–20 cm depth) and erosion observations conducted in ca. 10% (n = 24,759) of the 238,077 Land Use/Cover Area frame Survey (LUCAS) 2018 in-field survey sites. Gully erosion channels were detected for ca. 1% (211 sites) of the visited LUCAS Topsoil sites. Commission (false positives, 2.5%) and omission errors (false negatives, 5.6%) were found to be low and at a level that could not compromise the representativeness of the gully erosion survey. Overall, the findings indicate that the tested 2018 LUCAS Topsoil in-field gully erosion monitoring system is effective for detecting the incidence of gully erosion. The morphogenesis of the mapped gullies suggests that the approach is an effective tool to map permanent gullies, whereas it appears less effective to detect short-lived forms like ephemeral gullies. Spatial patterns emerging from the LUCAS Topsoil field observations provide new insights on typical gully formation sites across the EU and UK. This can help to design further targeted research activities. An extension of this approach to all LUCAS sites of 2022 would significantly enhance our understanding of the geographical distribution of gully erosion processes across the EU. Repeated every three years, LUCAS soil erosion surveys would contribute to assess the state of gully erosion in the EU over time. It will also enable monitoring and eventually predicting the dynamics of gully erosion. Data collected were part of the publicly available Gully Erosion LUCAS visual assessment (GE-LUCAS v1.0) inventory.     

四川省会理地区糯乍沟泥石流特点及其防治

四川省会理地区"8.30"地震震源浅,强度大,诱发了大量滑坡、泥石流等次生山地灾害,潜在危险性大。糯乍沟位于会理县最南端,为金沙江一级支流,由于地震产生大量崩塌、滑坡和岩土体松动,为泥石流暴发提供了丰富的松散固体物质;右支沟流域汇水面积大,为泥石流提供了充足的水源及动力条件。通过文献分析和野外勘查,结果表明,金沙江强烈的深切作用传导进入糯乍沟,进一步加剧沟床下切及溯源侵蚀,使沟内滑坡失去前沿阻力,失稳概率大增;对该沟的危险性及发展趋势进行了评估,建议在上游崩塌滑坡等隐患点修建谷坊、拦砂坝等土木工程,左支沟坡面侵蚀严重区种植水保林,两者有机结合,可有效控制该沟泥石流的发生。     

山丘区沟道治理与开发利用试验研究

对沟道治理开发是当今山丘地区人民亟待解决的一个突出问题。由于沟道前进，沟岸扩张，沟底下切，崩塌滑坡，致使沟道荒芜，不堪利用。针对这一问题，河南省平顶山市水利局对山丘区沟道进行了开发利用试验研究，通过５年的治理开发，新治理沟道面积为１３７２７ｈｍ＾２，１９９５年获经济效益４６４７．３８万元。该项研究为同类型地区沟道开发利用提供了治理模式。     

Assessment of soil erosion hazard in Kilie catchment,East Shoa,Ethiopia

This paper reports on a field study conducted in Kilie catchment, East Shoa Zone, Ethiopia to assess the rate of soil erosion by employing a soil loss prediction model (Universal Soil Loss Equation) integrated with in remote sensing and geographical information systems (RS/GIS), environment and gully measurement techniques. The final soil erosion risk map was produced after multiplication of the six factors involved in the USLE and RS/GIS. Gully measurement showed that the erosion rate is higher for the upland areas than the lowlands due to inappropriate soil and water conservation measures, free grazing by animals and conversion of hillside areas into farmlands. About 97·04 per cent of the study catchment falls within a range of 0–10 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ sheet/rill erosion rate. We found that 2·17 per cent of the study area in the uplands has a soil erosion rate falling between 10 and 20 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. About 0·8 per cent of the study area in the uplands is hit by severe sheet/rill erosion rate within the range of 20–60 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Gully erosion extent in the study area was evaluated through gully measurement and quantification methods. Gully density of 67 m ha⁻¹ was recorded in the catchment. The gully to plot area ratio was found to be 0·14 on average. Hence, in the upland areas, sustainable land management practices are required in order to reduce the rate of soil erosion. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

黄土丘陵区典型沟道侵蚀诱发的CO2通量估算

以黄土丘陵区典型侵蚀沟道为对象,基于沟道剖面有机碳和¹³⁷Cs数据,采用碳库重分布模型估算了典型沟道侵蚀诱发的CO₂通量,并通过检验模型预测效率、解析影响因子,提出了模型校正的思路。结果表明:(1)在长期侵蚀作用下,沟道侵蚀区和沉积区均表现为剧烈的侵蚀效应,侵蚀区侵蚀速率介于30.99~46.44 mm/a,沉积区侵蚀速率介于34.20~37.88 mm/a,沉积区土壤流失速率略小于侵蚀区;(2)碳库重分布模型估算显示,侵蚀区与沉积区均表现为较强烈的碳源效应,侵蚀区CO₂通量介于18.41~28.44 g/(m²·a),沉积区CO₂通量介于22.19~29.25 g/(m²·a);(3)侵蚀部位、土壤容重、有机碳含量、侵蚀量、沟道平均坡度、植被地上部与地下部生物量共同解释了碳库重分布模型预测效率的变异特征(R²=0.68),其中侵蚀部位、侵蚀量、有机碳含量、土壤容重、植被地下部对预测效率有强驱动效应;(4)引入被忽略的植被新输入有机碳库参数,有望校正碳库重分布模型,提升模型预测效率。该研究结果明确了碳库重分布模型在沟道侵蚀区相比沉积区有更高的CO₂通量预测效率,为进一步提高模型的预测精度,可以考虑引入植被输入有机碳库作为校正参数。     

黄河流域鄂尔多斯十大孔兑淤地坝减沙效应

为了定量评价十大孔兑地区淤地坝的减沙效益,基于历史资料整理与实地详查,统计了十大孔兑地区1986年以来现存淤地坝的数量和分布特征;采用淤积体概化法,确定了影响淤地坝减沙量的主要参数,并计算了研究区354座淤地坝的减沙量。结果表明：十大孔兑354座淤地坝累计减沙3.205 61×10⁷t,其中减沙量最大的孔兑为西柳沟,达1.239 76×10⁷t;通过分析不同时段淤地坝的减沙特征表明,1986—1999年、2000—2009年和2010—2018年3个时段的淤地坝减沙量分别为4.946 6×10⁶t, 1.155 57×10⁷t, 1.555 38×10⁷t。十大孔兑地区淤地坝具有显著的减沙作用,具有很高的减沙指标(达5 720.33～58 141.81 t/座),2000年以后的两个时间段内,随着坡面林草措施的增加,淤地坝减沙量增加,表明在这一地区,淤地坝仍然是最有效的水土保持措施之一。     

Gully erosion: Impacts, factors and control

Gully erosion attracts increasing attention from scientists as reflected by two recent international meetings [Poesen and Valentin (Eds.), Catena 50 (2–4), 87–564; Li et al., 2004. Gully Erosion Under Global Change. Sichuan Science Technology Press, Chengu, China, 354 pp.]. This growing interest is associated with the increasing concern over off-site impacts caused by soil erosion at larger spatial scales than the cultivated plots. The objective of this paper is to review recent studies on impacts, factors and control of gully erosion and update the review on ‘gully erosion and environmental change: importance and research needs’ [Poesen et al., 2003. Catena 50 (2–4), 91–134.]. For the farmers, the development of gullies leads to a loss of crop yields and available land as well as an increase of workload (i.e. labour necessary to cultivate the land). Gullies can also change the mosaic patterns between fallow and cultivated fields, enhancing hillslope erosion in a feedback loop. In addition, gullies tend to enhance drainage and accelerate aridification processes in the semi-arid zones. Fingerprinting the origin of sediments within catchments to determine the relative contributions of potential sediment sources has become essential to identify sources of potential pollution and to develop management strategies to combat soil erosion. In this respect, tracers such as carbon, nitrogen, the nuclear bomb-derived radionuclide 137 Cs, magnetics and the strontium isotopic ratio are increasingly used to fingerprint sediment. Recent studies conducted in Australia, China, Ethiopia and USA showed that the major part of the sediment in reservoirs might have come from gully erosion.Gullies not only occur in marly badlands and mountainous or hilly regions but also more globally in soils subjected to soil crusting such as loess (European belt, Chinese Loess Plateau, North America) and sandy soils (Sahelian zone, north-east Thailand) or in soils prone to piping and tunnelling such as dispersive soils. Most of the time, the gullying processes are triggered by inappropriate cultivation and irrigation systems, overgrazing, log haulage tracks, road building and urbanization. As exemplified by recent examples from all over the world, land use change is expected to have a greater impact on gully erosion than climate change. Yet, reconstructions of historical causes of gully erosion, using high-resolution stratigraphy, archaeological dating of pottery and ¹⁴C dating of wood and charcoal, show that the main gully erosion periods identified in Europe correspond to a combination not only of deforestation and overuse of the land but also to periods with high frequency of extreme rainfall events.Many techniques have proved to be effective for gully prevention and control, including vegetation cover, zero or reduced tillage, stone bunds, exclosures, terracing and check dams. However, these techniques are rarely adopted by farmers in the long run and at a larger spatial scale because their introduction is rarely associated with a rapid benefit for the farmers in terms of an increase in land or labour productivity and is often contingent upon incentives.     

基于遥感影像研究极端暴雨条件下新成切沟发生发展规律

土壤侵蚀严重破坏土地资源，是全球性的环境问题，切沟侵蚀是土壤侵蚀的重要表现形式，近年来极端暴雨频发加剧了切沟侵蚀的发生和发展。为了研究气候变化条件下新成切沟的形成与发育规律，该研究以陕北子洲岔巴沟流域王武沟小流域为研究区，基于无人机航摄影像，以2017年陕北"7·26"暴雨新成切沟为研究对象，分析新成切沟发生规律，并探讨在之后的3 a中其发育特征、与原有切沟发育的差异性及其与地形参数的关系。结果表明：1）在"7·26"暴雨中，王武沟发育新成切沟45条，约101条/km2，可分为坡面切沟、梯田切沟、道路切沟和底部切沟四类，以坡面切沟最多，底部切沟和梯田切沟总体更宽、面积更大；生产道路、淤地坝和坡耕地在暴雨条件下是最容易发生切沟的地块；2） 新成切沟在形成之后的3 a内沟头发育较原有切沟更为迅速。34.48%的新成切沟沟头进一步前进，这一数值为原有切沟的1.32倍；新成切沟前进距离均值是原有切沟的3倍，达0.58 m/a；3）汇水面积增加可显著促进切沟沟头发育，是模拟切沟沟头前进速率的重要地形指标。可见，极端降雨条件下研究区土壤侵蚀严重，新成切沟发生之后的3 a内溯源尤为迅速，应给予特别关注，加强对这类切沟的预防与治理。     

Run-off and sediment yield in relation to differential gully-plugging schemes in micro-catchments of Shiwaliks in the lower Himalayas

Gully-management strategies adopted in the Shiwalik range of hills in the lower Himalayas of India, which involve treatment of only higher order gullies, have not been successful. A study was conducted in the four selected micro-catchments in the region to monitor run-off and sediment yield variations in relation to differential gully-plugging schemes. One of the study catchments (catchment III) with highest run-off and sediment yield was selected for an alternative scheme of gully management. In this, all the first-order and 25–30% of the second-order gullies were plugged with locally available stones, and native grass vegetation wasplanted on the upstream side. Other catchments (catchments I, II and IV) were treated as per the the conventional method of gully plugging involving the installation of loose stone check dams in the highest order gullies. The highest run-off coefficient (15.5%) for the period 2000–2006 was registered in catchment III. However, this decreased to 12.8% during 2007, when the catchment was treated using an alternative gully-management scheme. The sediment yield from catchment III decreased by 20% in 2007 from 15.2 t ha^?1 during 2000–2006. The results indicate that to control gully erosion, lower order gullies should be treated as a priority.