Evolution of overland flow after a severe forest fire,Point Reyes,California

Forest fires on granitic soils often increase overland flow and erosion. Runoff generation was monitored on a small hillslope plot on Mt. Vision near Point Reyes Peninsula, California, after it had been burned by a wildfire on October 3, 1995. After the fire, the ground surface was covered with up to 2 cm of ash, which overlaid a 5–20 cm thick hydrophobic (water repellent) soil layer. We used nine recording tensiometers to monitor soil-water potentials during infiltration and runoff. Surface-runoff rates were determined by diverting the flow into a collection tank. The subsurface flow through the upper 6 cm of soil was collected and measured in a second tank. The surface runoff was diverted to a tank in order to record its rate. The initial intense rainfall infiltrated into the base of the ash-bed; here, the hydrophobicity limited deeper penetration and led to both subsurface and shallow saturation overland flow. The preferential flow paths through the ash layer contributed to deeper water penetration. As the ash was eroded and consolidated with successive rainstorms, the preferential flow paths clogged, the infiltration capacity reduced, thus preventing the storage of shallow permeable soil; therefore, the runoff generation changed to Hortonian overland flow. Correspondingly, the runoff ratio increased from approximately 0.2 during the early storms to 0.8 during intense rain bursts. These results suggest that runoff mechanisms evolve simultaneously with the eroding soil surface.     

LiDAR-derived slopes for headwater channel network analysis

Slope is one of the most important distinguishing features for channel morphology. Variations in the computation of slope from a digital elevation model can affect a wide range of hydrogeomorphically derived applications. We compare different methods for computing channel slope using LiDAR-derived digital terrain models (DTMs) with varying resolutions. We chose a headwater basin of the Eastern Italian Alps, characterized by a dense ephemeral colluvial network and a main alluvial channel as our study area. The identified alluvial morphologies are characteristic of steep mountain streams, namely, cascades and step pools. Field surveys were carried out along the main channel and in some small tributaries. Results indicate that a single method for slope calculation cannot estimate channel slope at the hydrographic network scale. The differential geometry approach for slope calculation tends to overestimate field-surveyed channel slope values for all the DTM resolutions (1, 2, 5 m). When a trigonometric approach for slope calculation is applied, 2 and 5 m DTM resolutions give more consistent results. Nevertheless, a reliable channel slope can be derived from a DTM with an appropriate resolution by choosing a suitable method only after considering the channel width.     

Nutrient Movement Due to Overland Flow in Managed Native Eucalyptus Forests,Southeastern Australia

A rainfall simulator study of total nutrient movement due to overland flow on forest skid trails and general harvesting areas (GHA) in the native eucalypt forests of southeastern Australia, confirmed that the disturbed and compacted areas were the dominant sources of sediment-bound pollutants. Low runoff production and low sediment availability on the rough surfaces of the GHA reduced total nutrient yields. On the more recently disturbed and burnt sites, the solution pathway may have been more dominant due to runoff coming in contact with surface ash and charcoal. We also recorded significant reductions in the total nutrient yields as runoff from the skid trail was delivered to the adjacent hillslope via a cross bank (water bar). This was due primarily to coarse-grained sediment deposition at the base of the banks. Nutrient concentrations in the eroded sediment at the cross bank outlets, however, remained 9 times higher than the in-situ surface soils, due to the preferential delivery of fine aggregate material to the adjacent hillslope. Further reductions in total nutrient yields occurred as overland flow passed through the GHA, illustrating the effectiveness of vegetative filtering in reducing runoff volumes and sediment fluxes. Temporal trends in the data highlighted significant reductions in total nutrient movement on both areas of disturbance as sites regenerated over a period of ～ 5 years. Water pollution abatement practices in these environments should aim to locate skid trails to maximise the redistribution of runoff and sediment from highly disturbed areas to more vegetated parts of the hillslope, and by appropriate cross bank spacing, reduce the volume of overland flow carrying sediment and nutrients.     

Multi-temporal modeling of road-induced overland flow alterations in a terraced landscape characterized by shallow landslides

The presence of roads in high steep agricultural systems is often linked with landslides occurrence. This research aims to model multi-temporal overland flow dynamics in a shallow landslides-prone terraced landscape (northern Italy).The combined use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) and photogrammetric techniques (e.g., Structure from Motion-SfM) allowed to elaborate multi-temporal high-resolution Digital Elevation Models (DEMs). Hydrological analyses of water flow's depth alterations due to the road presence were carried out adopting the SIMulated Water Erosion model (SIMWE), focusing on different scenarios considering the presence of the road and assuming its absence through a specific DEM smoothing procedure. The possibility to perform multi-temporal hydrological simulations at a hillslope scale so as to analyse the role played by the road in overland flows alteration is still a challenge to be investigated. Results proved the role played by the road in water flows change above the two observed shallow landslides, with respective maximum water depth values equal to 0.18 m and 0.14 m. On the contrary, no-road simulations not revealed significant water flows deviations towards landslides, with water depth values around 0 m, underlining that the absence of the road would avoid relevant changes in water flow paths toward the collapsed surfaces. This work could be a solid starting point for analyse road impact on runoff dynamics and hillslopes stability also at a wider scale, as well as for planning efficient mitigation intervention so as to reduce the occurrence of similar future scenarios.     

Evaluating gully erosion using Cs and Pb/Cs ratio in a reservoir catchment

Water erosion in the hilly areas of west China is the main process contributing to the overall sediment of the Yellow River and the Yangtze River. The impact of gully erosion in total sediment output has been mostly neglected. Our objective was to assess the sediment production and sediment sources at both the hillslope and catchment scales in the Yangjuangou reservoir catchment of the Chinese Loess Plateau, northwest China. Distribution patterns in sediment production caused by water erosion on hills and gully slopes under different land use types were assessed using the fallout ¹³⁷Cs technique. The total sediment production from the catchment was estimated by using the sediment record in a reservoir. Sediment sources and dominant water erosion processes were determined by comparing ¹³⁷Cs activities and ²¹⁰Pb/¹³⁷Cs ratios in surface soils and sub-surface soils with those of sediment deposits from the reservoir at the outlet of the catchment. Results indicated that landscape location had the most significant impact on sediment production for cultivated hillslopes, followed by the terraced hillslope, and the least for the vegetated hillslope. Sediment production increased in the following order: top>upper>lower>middle for the cultivated hillslope, and top>lower>upper>middle for the terraced hillslope. The mean value of sediment production declined by 49% for the terraced hillslope and by 80% for the vegetated hillslope compared with the cultivated hillslope. Vegetated gully slope reduced the sediment production by 38% compared with the cultivated gully slope. These data demonstrate the effectiveness of terracing and perennial vegetation cover in controlling sediment delivery at a hillslope scale. Averaged ¹³⁷Cs activities and ²¹⁰Pb/¹³⁷Cs ratios in the 0–5 cm surface soil (2.22–4.70 Bq kg⁻¹ and 20.70–22.07, respectively) and in the 5–30 cm subsoil (2.60 Bq kg⁻¹ and 28.57, respectively) on the cultivated hills and gully slopes were close to those of the deposited sediment in the reservoir (3.37 Bq kg⁻¹ and 29.08, respectively). These results suggest that the main sediment sources in the catchment were from the surface soil and subsoil on the cultivated slopes, and that gully erosion is the dominant water erosion process contributing sediment in the study area. Changes in land use types can greatly affect sediment production from gully erosion. An increase in grassland and forestland by 42%, and a corresponding decrease in farmland by 46%, reduced sediment production by 31% in the catchment.     

Sensitivity of simulated hillslope subsurface flow to rainfall patterns,soil texture and land use

Knowledge of the generation of subsurface flow for hillslopes is important for controlling agricultural nonpoint nutrient losses. This study used a physically based hillslope hydrologic model HYDRUS‐2D to assess the sensitivity of simulated subsurface flow to the interactions between precipitation, soil texture and land use. Soil moisture data from 1 January 2013 to 23 August 2014 at two monitoring sites on a tea plantation hillslope were used to calibrate the van Genuchten–Mualem hydraulic parameters for this model. For six different textural classes (loamy sand, loam, silt, silt loam, clay loam and clay) and four land‐use types (tea garden, forest, grassland and bare soil), scenario‐based simulations were carried out for varied precipitation intensities (6.0, 15.0, 30.0, 45.0, 60.0 and 76.0 mm/day) and frequencies (time intervals of 1, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 days). Results indicated that the hillslope run‐off was dominated by subsurface flow, which was influenced by precipitation and antecedent moisture conditions. A threshold value of 0.18 m³/m³ of mean hillslope soil moisture was observed for the initiation of subsurface flow. High precipitation intensity (i.e. 75.0 mm/day) substantially increased subsurface flow for all soil textures. In addition, the sensitivity of the bare soil hillslope to rainfall patterns was more than two times higher than that of the vegetated (i.e. grassland, tea garden and forest) hillslope. These findings suggest that extreme precipitation events and land‐use change will increase the risks of subsurface flow on hillslopes. Therefore, optimal fertilizer application strategy and land‐use planning should be proposed for controlling the hillslope nonpoint nutrient losses.     

模拟自然条件下黄土区坡地的大气、土表及土壤水交互作用的动力学模型及其应用

The mechanism of atmospheric,surface and soil water interactions( water transformation) in hillslope under natural conditions was analyzed,and a dynamic model was developed to simulate infiltration,overland flow and soil water movement during natural rainfall in hillslope,by bringing froward concepts such as rainfall intensity on slope and a correction coefficient of saturated soil water content for soil surface seal.Some factors,including slope angle,slope orientation and raindrop inclination,which affect the rainfall amount on slope, were taken into account while developing the dynamic model.The effect of surface seal on infiltration and water balance under a boundary condition of the second kind was aslo considered. Application of the model in a field experiment showed that the model simulated precisely the infiltration,overland flow and sol water monvement in hillsope under natural rainfall conditions.     

Runoff- and erosion-reducing effects of vegetation on the loess hillslopes of China under concentrated flow

Evaluating the effects of revegetation on runoff and erosion reduction is essential for studying soil and water conservation on the Loess Plateau after implementation of China's Grain for Green Project. However, quantifying the influence of revegetation on the erosion caused by concentrated runoff in extreme rainstorms is still challenging. To evaluate this influence, scouring-erosion experiments were implemented in situ on the vegetated hillslope plots (GR) and bare hillslope plots (CK). The runoff-reducing effects of grass (GRR) averaged 31%, 20% and 8%, and the erosion-reducing effects of grass (GER) averaged 93%, 95% and 93% on the 5°-plots, 10°-plots and 18°-plots, respectively. The ratios of GRR to GER were 0.09–0.33, implying that the ability of vegetation to reduce erosion was greater than its ability to reduce runoff. The GRR and GER obviously decreased as the inflow rate increased, and the GRR decreased as the hillslope gradient increased, but there were no obvious differences in the GER between hillslope gradients. Vegetation could decrease the ability of the concentrated flow to carry and transport sediment and increase the energy consumption of the concentrated flow in response to hydraulic resistance. Vegetation also significantly reduced the degree of rill development. The degree of rill dissection on the GR (0.054–0.087 m² m^?2) was lower than that on the CK (0.061–0.184 m² m^?2). Our findings provide an essential reference for ecological environment and vegetation restoration on loess hillslopes.     

Spatial distribution of rock fragments on steep hillslopes in karst region of northwest Guangxi,China

Rock fragments (> 5 mm in diameter) at the soil surface and within the topsoil have a large effect on the intensity of various hydrologic and geomorphic processes. However, little information is available on the spatial distribution of rock fragments in subtropical regions. The objective of this paper was to investigate the relationship between the spatial distribution of rock fragments and landforms on two different steep karst hillslopes in northwest Guangxi, southwest China. On the first hillslope (a disintegrated landslide failure) with the presence of several large rock outcrops (> 2 m in height), the spatial distribution of rock fragment cover had no obvious relationship with topographic position except that the mean cover percentage of small rock fragments (5–20 mm) decreased from bottom to top. On the second hillslope (an avalanche slope) without the presence of large rock outcrops, the mean total rock fragment cover (5–600 mm) increased from bottom (5%) to top (21%) with decreasing variability and rock fragments with various sizes (5–20, 20–75, and 75–250 mm) showed a similar increasing trend. The mean total rock fragment cover increased linearly with slope gradient on the second hillslope and tended to increase and then decrease with gradient but their relationship was not obvious on the first hillslope. This indicated that the spatial distribution of surface rock fragment cover had a close relationship with the presence of large rock outcrops and slope gradient. However, the median diameter (D₅₀) of the surface rock fragments had an increase–decrease trend with slope gradient but there was no obvious relationship on both hillslopes with low overland flow. Therefore, the dominant factor for the spatial distribution of rock fragment cover and size at the soil surface might not be soil erosion by water, but slope gradient, vegetation and geomorphologic condition of the slope. The mean total volumetric rock fragment content (5–250 mm) within the topsoil (10–20 cm thick) increased linearly from bottom (16%) to top (39%) with slope gradient on the first hillslope, and had a logarithmic increase from bottom (10%) to top (27%) with gradient on the second hillslope. This suggested that rock fragment content within the topsoil was mostly controlled by slope gradient and topographic positions and had not a close relationship with the presence of large rock outcrops.     

基于PIV的渐变地表粗糙度对坡面流水动力特性的影响

粗糙度是影响坡面流水动力特性的关键因子,为探究渐变粗糙度影响下坡面流水力特性,采用粒子图像测速技术(particle image velocimetry, PIV)观测并分析3组流量下渐变粗糙床面下坡面流的流速轮廓线、紊动强度、雷诺应力和壁面切应力的变化规律。结果表明:(1)流速随粗糙度增加而减小;拟合无量纲流速得到流速分布对数公式,粗糙度增大与拟合常数A成反比,与积分系数B成正比。(2)渐变地表粗糙度流向紊动强度与光滑床面坡面流变化趋势相似。流向紊动强度随相对水深的增大而减小。随着粗糙度增大,流向紊动强度大小出现非显著性差异。渐变粗糙床面下流向紊动强度符合Nezu经验公式,流量与经验系数成正比。(3)不同流量下,渐变粗糙床面的雷诺应力分布与光滑床面相似。在粗糙度影响下,雷诺应力最大值出现在y/H=0.2~0.4处。随着粗糙度逐渐增加,壁面切应力逐渐增大。综合表明,增加PIV分辨率方法可以适用于坡面流水力特性的研究。探究渐变粗糙度对坡面流的影响,探讨坡面流水动力学特性,为水土保持理论研究提供新思路。     

Escherichia coli and Enterococci Attachment to Particles in Runoff from Highly and Sparsely Vegetated Grassland

Limited data on microbial partitioning between the freely suspended and particulate attached phases during transport along overland flow pathways have resulted in high uncertainty in bacterial fate and transport models and the application of these models to watershed management plans. The objectives of this study were to examine differences in attachment between E. coli and enterococci in runoff from plots with highly and sparsely vegetated grassland; investigate relations between flow regime, total suspended solids, and E. coli and enterococci attachment; and identify the particle size categories to which the attached cells were associated. Two rainfall simulations were conducted on large field plots 3 m wide by 18.3 m long with highly and both highly and sparsely vegetated covers and treated with standard cowpats. Results from the first experiment representing pasture with highly vegetated cover indicate that the majority of E. coli and enterococci are transported from the fresh manure source in the unattached state with only 4.8% of E. coli and 13% of enterococci associated with particles. The second experiment which compared partitioning in runoff from both highly and sparsely vegetated covers found lower bacterial attachment rates: the average E. coli percent attached was 0.06% from plots with highly vegetated cover and 2.8% from plots with sparsely vegetated cover while the corresponding values for enterococci were 0.98% and 1.23%, respectively. The findings from this study provide the first set of data on bacterial partitioning in overland flow from large field plots, and results may be helpful for parameterizing water quality models and designing conservation practices.     

Post-fire hillslope erosion response in a sub-alpine environment, south-eastern Australia

This paper examines post-fire erosion response in a sub-alpine environment in south-eastern Australia for a period of 2.2 years. Few studies have examined fire impacts on sediment transfer in this environment. Erosion pins were used in grids located at upper, mid and lower slope positions on adjacent burnt and unburnt hillslopes to assess fire effects on the extent of surface level change. The results indicated that there was a significant difference between the surface level change regimes on the burnt and unburnt hillslopes. Estimated erosion rates for the burnt slope over the study period ranged from 2.7 to 94.3 t ha^− 1, which could be considered low given the high slope angles, high precipitation and moderate fire severity. Slope position was critical in modifying post-fire erosion response, as it controlled slope angle and the rate of surface cover regrowth. Analysis of lower slope sites, for which more detailed data was available, indicated a second delayed erosion peak after the initial elevated post-fire response during the following spring snowmelt period. Surface recovery on the lower burnt site was slow, with vegetation cover still comparatively low 2.3 years after the fire. Evidence of post-fire sediment supply limitation was found on this site, with a declining rate of increase in the magnitude of total surface level change, despite limited regrowth and an increasing number of precipitation events > 20 mm for measurement intervals since the fire. Modification of the hillslope surface by fire leads to changing hillslope erosion process dominance in this environment. The post-fire hillslope undergoes erosion by direct rain-drop impact and overland flow, whereas the unburnt slope rarely experiences overland flow due to the thick ground cover. As a result surface level change on the unburnt slope was largely influenced by wetting–drying effects rather than sediment transfer by surface flow. Downslope biotransfer appears to be the dominant sediment movement process in the unburnt sub-alpine forest environment.     

Tracing Hydrologic Pathways Using Chloride at the Panola Mountain Research Watershed,Georgia, USA

An analysis of chloride (Cl-) concentrations and fluxes at the 41 ha Panola Mountain Research Watershed indicates that Cl- may be used effectively to differentiate "new" and "old" water flow through the hillslope and their respective contributions to streamwater. Rainfall and throughfall, the "new" water inputs, are marked by low Cl- concentrations (<15 µeq L-1). Stormwater moves rapidly to depth along preferred pathways in a deciduous forest hillslope, as evidenced by low Cl- concentrations (<20 µeq L-1) in mobile soil water from zero-tension stainless-steel pan lysimeters. "Old" waters, matrix soil waters and groundwater, typically have high Cl- concentrations (>30 µeq L-1). Timing of soil water transport is not sufficiently rapid to suggest that soil water from this hillslope site (20 m from the stream) contributes to streamwater during individual rainstorms. The source of streamflow, therefore, must be a combination of channel interception, overland flow and soil water from near-channel areas, and runoff from a 3 ha bedrock outcrop in the headwaters. Groundwater contribution to streamflow was estimated using Cl- concentrations of throughfall and groundwater as the two end members for a two-component hydrograph separation. For the study period, groundwater contributed 79% of the streamflow and from 1985 to 1995, contributed 75% of the streamflow. Rainfall was the source of 45% of the Cl- flux from the watershed in the long term; the remaining Cl- is hypothesized to be derived from dry deposition, consistent with the enrichment noted for throughfall. At peak flow during individual rainstorms, "new" water can contribute 95% of the runoff.     

地表粗糙度对黄土坡面产流机制的影响

为探明地表粗糙度对坡面产流机制的影响,该研究通过室内与室外径流小区模拟降雨试验相结合,分析在3种雨强(60、90、120 mm/h)下粗糙坡面与平整坡面(坡度5°、10°、15°、20°)产流点位空间分布和坡面产流时间特征,阐明地表粗糙度对坡面产流机制的影响。结果表明:粗糙坡面与平整坡面产流点位沿径流方向的变异系数分别为34.4%~52.9%、15.5%~31.1%,即粗糙坡面产流点位较平整坡面更为分散。相较于平整坡面,地表粗糙度具有推迟坡面产流效应,且推迟效应随坡度、雨强增大而逐渐减弱。表明地表粗糙度在小坡度、小雨强条件下具有较强延迟坡面产流能力。地表粗糙度影响坡面产流一方面通过地表填洼的直接作用;另一方面通过增加降水入渗水头,增强坡面入渗能力的间接作用。通过坡面地表填洼量预测的初始产流时间与实测坡面产流时间比值范围为2.2%~36.2%,表明地表粗糙度间接作用为延迟坡面产流的主导作用。因此,该研究结果阐明了粗糙坡面的点状产流与坡面产流特征,进一步为粗糙坡面产流机制的揭示及地表粗糙度对坡面土壤侵蚀机理的影响提供了科学依据。     

The impact of climate change on geomorphology and desertification along a mediterranean-arid transect

From the perspective of geomorphology, three important aspects of climate should be considered if conditions become more arid: (a) any decrease that might occur in the annual rainfall amount; (b) the duration of rainfall events; and (c) any increase in the intervals between rainfall events. These, together with increasing temperature, lead to less available water, less biomass and soil organic matter content and hence to a decrease in aggregate size and stability. As a consequence, the soil permeability decreases, soils develop surface crusts and infiltration rates decrease dramatically. Such changes in vegetation cover and soil structure lead to an increase in overland flow and in the erosion of the fertile topsoil layer. Positive feedback mechanisms may reinforce these effects and lead to desertification. This paper considers the results of field investigations into the spatial variability of a number of ‘quick response’ variables at two scales: the regional and the plot scales. Concerning the regional scale spatial variability, results of experimental field work conducted along a climatic transect, from the Mediterranean climate to the arid zone in Israel, show that: (1) organic matter content, and aggregate size and stability decrease with aridity, while the sodium adsorption ratio and the runoff coefficient increase; and (2) the rate of change of these variables along the climatic transect is non-linear. A steplike threshold exists at the semiarid area, which sharply separates the Mediterranean climate and arid ecogeomorphic systems. This means that only a relatively small climatic change would be needed to shift the borders between these two systems. As many regions of Mediterranean climate lie adjacent to semiarid areas, they are threatened by desertification in the event of climate change. Concerning spatial variability at the plot scale, different patterns of overland flow generation and continuity characterize hillslopes under different climatic conditions. While in the Mediterranean climate area infiltration is the dominant process all over the hillslope, in the arid area overland flow predominates. In contrast to the uniform distribution of processes in these two zones, a mosaic-like pattern, consisting of locally ‘arid’ water contributing and ‘moist’ water accepting patches is typical of the transitional semiarid area. Such pattern is strengthened by fires or grazing which are characteristic of this area. The development of such mosaic pattern enables most rainfall to be retained on hillslopes. Changes in the spatial pattern of contributing versus accepting water areas can be used as an indicator of desertification and applied to developing rehabilitation strategies. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

桂西北岩溶山区峰丛洼地土壤水分动态变化初探

土壤水分是岩溶山区植被恢复和生态环境建设的关键性限制因素。在桂西北岩溶山区峰从洼地，分析了不同利用方式坡面、洼地土壤水分的动态变化规律，结果表明：坡面土壤水分（0～20cm）为中等变异，不同利用方式间具有一定的差异，自然灌丛、撂荒地土壤含水量较高，但板栗、木豆林地土壤含水量较低，且易受外界条件的干扰，其栽种早期应注意采取一定的蓄水保墒措施；与坡地相比，洼地受外界条件的干扰相对较小，土壤剖面含水量为增长型，其变化主要发生在表层，为中等变异；土壤水分沿坡面的分布规律较为复杂，在植被类型相对一致的条件下，坡位的影响相对较小。     

A multi-scale approach of runoff generation in a Sahelian gully catchment: a case study in Niger

Runoff production conditions in a small gully catchment are studied at four different scales: the point scale (0.001 m²), the local scale (1 m²), the field scale (of the order of 100 m²) and the catchment scale (0.2 km²). At the point scale, infiltration measurements were conducted using a tension infiltrometer. At the local and the field scale, runoff plots were setup on typical soil surface conditions of the catchment (plateau bare soil, hillslope bare soil and fallow grassland). At the catchment scale, stream discharges were measured at two gauging stations.The overland flow yield is significantly nonuniform in space, due to the high spatial variability of infiltration capacities and the depressional storage of the soil surface. The runoff and the infiltration data collected confirmed the major role played by soil crusting on runoff generation in that part of Sahel. At the point scale, hydraulic conductivity measurements have shown that infiltration and runoff were driven by the hydraulic properties of the crust. At the field scale, microtopography and heterogeneity in the soil surface crusting decreased discharge volumes. The influence of vegetation growth on runoff yield was evident in the case of the fallow sites. Analysis of discharge data at the catchment scale highlights that infiltration through the bottom of the gully between two gauging stations leads to considerable runoff water transmission losses.     

Linking fragipans,perched water tables,and catchment-scale hydrological processes

Soils with very slowly permeable fragipans and fragipan-like argillic horizons are extensive throughout the Palouse Region of northern Idaho and eastern Washington, USA. These soils develop seasonal perched water tables (PWTs) under the xeric moisture regime of the region. The objective of this study was to utilize a hydropedology approach to examine the linkages between fragipans, PWTs, and catchment-scale hydrological processes such as soil water storage, runoff, and lateral throughflow. A 1.7-ha catchment dominated by Fragixeralfs (Fragic Luvisols) was instrumented with 135 automated shallow wells to monitor PWTs. Soil water content was measured with water content reflectometry probes, and catchment outflow was measured with a flume. A 35 m × 18 m plot was isolated hydrologically from the surrounding hillslope using tile drains and plastic sheeting to measure perched water outflow. Results show that during the wet winter and spring months, the transition from unsaturated to saturated conditions is accompanied by changes in volumetric water storage of only 4–5%. PWT levels are at the surface of ∼ 26–45% of the catchment soils during periods of high rainfall and snowmelt, thereby generating saturation-excess surface runoff from hillslopes. Observed solute movement via subsurface flow is very rapid and ranges between 2.9 and 18.7 m d^− 1 when PWTs are maintained in more-permeable Ap and Bw horizons. Subsurface lateral flow accounts for as much as 90% of the incident precipitation and snowmelt during early spring. Data indicate that the relatively shallow depth to the fragipans and high K_sat in surface soil layers combine to create a very flashy hydrological system characterized by considerable temporal and spatial variation in patterns of saturation-excess runoff.     

The PESERA coarse scale erosion model for Europe. I. – Model rationale and implementation

The principles and theoretical background are presented for a new process‐based model (PESERA) that is designed to estimate long‐term average erosion rates at 1 km resolution and has, to date, been applied to most of Europe. The model is built around a partition of precipitation into components for overland flow (infiltration excess, saturation excess and snowmelt), evapo‐transpiration and changes in soil moisture storage. Transpiration is used to drive a generic plant growth model for biomass, constrained as necessary by land use decisions, primarily on a monthly time step. Leaf fall, with corrections for cropping, grazing, etc., also drives a simple model for soil organic matter. The runoff threshold for infiltration excess overland flow depends dynamically on vegetation cover, organic matter and soil properties, varying over the year. The distribution of daily rainfall totals has been fitted to a Gamma distribution for each month, and drives overland flow and sediment transport (proportional to the sum of overland flow squared) by summing over this distribution. Total erosion is driven by erodibility, derived from soil properties, squared overland flow discharge and gradient; it is assessed at the slope base to estimate total loss from the land, and delivered to stream channels.     

Aggregate stability in range sandy loam soils Relationships with runoff and erosion

The spatial variability of soil aggregate stability and its relationship to runoff and soil erosion were examined in a catena of soils and vegetation in a semiarid environment at the Rambla Honda field site (Tabernas, Almería, SE Spain) to evaluate the validity of structural stability as a soil erosion indicator in sandy loam range soils. The influence of soil properties and topography on the variability of aggregate stability was also examined. Methods include: 1) aggregate stability assessment at 12 sites (3 repetitions per site) on the hillslope by two methods: a) aggregate size distribution by dry sieving b) water drop test; 2) soil organic carbon content; 3) particle size distribution determination; 4) terrain attributes derived from a digital elevation model (1-m resolution); 5) monitoring runoff and erosion for nearly 3 years in eight (10 × 2 m) plots distributed over the hillslope. Results: 41% of the average soil mass is formed by > 2-mm aggregates. However, wet aggregate stability is poor, with a mean (of a total of 1440 aggregates) of only 26 drop impacts necessary to break up a wet aggregate (pF = 1). Significant relationships were found in the number of water drops required for aggregate breakdown and runoff and erosion rates. However, no significant relationships between the mean weight diameter of aggregates under dry conditions and runoff or erosion rates were observed. The relationships of aggregates with other soil properties, hillslope position and proximity to plants are also analysed. The most significant correlation found was between the number of drop impacts and soil organic matter content. The stability of topsoil aggregates seems to be a valuable indicator of field-assessed runoff and inter-rill erosion of sandy loam range soils under semiarid conditions.