Farmers' knowledge of wind erosion processes and control methods in Niger

Field research on wind erosion processes in Sahelian Africa has revealed that wind-blown particle transport forms a constraint for local crop production systems. This paper describes the results of an on-farm survey on wind-erosion processes and soil conservation practices. Interviews were held with 138 farmers from seven villages in southern Niger. Of the interviewed farmers, 63 per cent consider wind-blown particle transport as damaging to their cropping systems. Nearly all farmers reported to observe differences between fields with respect to wind erosion. Fields that are mainly eroded were said to lose fertility and produce less, whereas deposition of material results in a better fertility and production. These differences occur also on a smaller scale, with erosion and deposition spots in the same field. Most farmers (96 per cent) are familiar with techniques to reduce wind erosion, and 92 per cent applied one or more of these techniques in the field. The indigenous soil conservation techniques are application of manure and mulching with crop residues or tree branches. New techniques are tree planting, natural regeneration of woody vegetation, and application of zai , a method of soil preparation from Burkina Faso, using pits filled with compost for sowing crops. The farmers who have applied these new techniques reported to have less wind-erosion problems in their fields. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Local perceptions and regional climate trends on the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso

Due to devastating droughts in the 1970s and 1980s, climatic and environmental change in the West African Sahel has attracted a great deal of scientific research. While many of these studies documented a long‐term trend of declining rainfall, analyses conducted in the last few years suggest that a ‘recovery’ is underway. Drawing on ethnographic interviews, focus groups, and participant observation in two Provinces of the Central Plateau of Burkina Faso, we elicited local perspectives on these rainfall trends from the people who are most directly affected, namely local farmers. Fieldwork revealed that farmers in the research sites perceive that both overall seasonal rainfall and the number of ‘big rains’ during the rainy season have decreased over the last 30 years. We then tested these perceptions against rainfall records from nearby meteorological stations and found them to be corroborated. This paper illustrates how farmers of the Central Plateau now view drought as ‘normal’, having incorporated drought‐mitigation adaptations into their agricultural systems. Our case study highlights the need for ground truthing scientific analyses and assessing livelihood implications at the local level. It also advocates for sustained institutional support for rural communities, to increase their ability to adapt to climate change. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Nutrient dynamics—wind and water erosion at the village scale in the Sahel

The loss of nutrients by wind erosion is generally attributed to losses by suspension, since suspension selectively removes the finest particles. However, because the main mass of sediment is moved by saltation during an event, the main mass of nutrients is also moved by saltation. Nutrient losses from one field during one wind erosion event can be as high as 73 per cent of the N and 100 per cent of the P needs for crop production. Vegetated areas have a higher dust deposition because of the filtering effect of the vegetation and the reduction of drag forces causing a higher deposition. This refutes the general assumption that deposition of suspended dust is homogeneous for a larger area. In the Sahel, two types of dust can be distinguished, the Harmattan dust is richer in nutrients and regarded as a real input of nutrients. The convectional storm dust has a nutrient content comparable with the nutrient content of the dust fraction of the topsoil and can't be regarded as input of nutrients. From research on nutrient losses by water erosion at the plot scale, it is concluded that nutrient erosion by water can cause serious losses of nutrients. But at the village scale, the losses are considerably smaller than at the plot scale. Measurement and subsequent nutrient budget analyses around the village Dangadé in Burkina Faso indicated that this area is especially vulnerable for wind erosion by saltation transport. This demonstrates that in the Sahelian environment, the effect of wind erosion at the village scale can't be ignored. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

黄羊滩沙地不同造林措施对植被恢复和土壤风蚀的影响

为给黄羊滩及类似地区流动沙地人工造林提供科学依据,在黄羊滩流动沙地营造不同树种的人工林,探讨不同人工林地天然植被恢复效果和防止风蚀的差异。造林7年后调查资料表明：从物种丰富度衡量,小叶锦鸡儿和侧柏人工林加快了天然植被的恢复进程,新疆杨和欧美杨107人工林延缓了天然植被的恢复进程,沙枣和榆树人工林对天然植被恢复的影响不大;欧美杨107和新疆杨人工林1年生草本占绝对优势,随林地环境条件的改善,1年生草本逐渐减少,多年生草本、灌木逐渐增加,侧柏和小叶锦鸡儿人工林地天然植物种生活型结构已趋于多样化。新疆杨和欧美杨107人工林地处于流动沙地阶段,沙枣和榆树人工林地处于半固定沙地阶段,侧柏和小叶锦鸡儿人工林地处于固定沙地阶段。相同沙漠化阶段林地间天然植被的相似性系数较大,不同沙漠化阶段林地间相似性系数较小。该地区人工造林树种以小叶锦鸡儿和侧柏最佳,沙枣和榆树次之,不宜选择新疆杨和欧美杨107等杨树品种。     

Farmers' perceptions of soil erosion and its consequences in India's semiarid tropics

This paper investigates farmers' perceptions of soil erosion and how it affects crop yields, land values, and private conservation investments in India's semiarid tropics. It is based on three types of data: (1) a survey of farmers in three study villages; (2) a plot survey by a professional soil surveyor in the same villages; and (3) experimental and simulated data from nearby research stations with similar conditions. Farmers' perceptions of erosion are compared to the surveyor's using kappa, a statistical measure of interrater agreement. Perceived erosion–yield relationships are estimated econometrically and compared to experimental and simulated data. Effects on land values and conservation investments are estimated econometrically. Findings suggest that farmers are keenly aware of rill erosion but less aware of sheet erosion; kappa values ranging from 0 to 0·28 suggest low agreement with the soil surveyor. They anticipate annual yield losses of 5·8–11 per cent due to rill erosion; these figures are reasonably consistent with those from nearby research stations. They anticipate yield increases of 3·8–14·5 per cent due to installation of soil conservation bunds, largely because they can harvest soil from up the slope and capture organic matter. Perceived erosion has some effect on land values and soil conservation investments, but other factors such as irrigation and soil type have a much greater effect. These findings suggest that promoting soil conservation requires capitalizing on farmers' interest in short‐term gains, such as from water and nutrient management. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Population structure of three woody species in four ethnic domains of the sub‐sahel of Burkina Faso

In developing countries many people depend on woody resources for their livelihoods. Monitoring human impact on the populations of socio‐economically important species is therefore important for the conservation of vulnerable plants. In order to assess and compare the population structure and regeneration patterns of three multipurpose species, namely Acacia seyal Del., Balanites aegyptiaca Delile and Pterocarpus lucens Lepr. in four ethnic areas of the sub‐Sahel of Burkina Faso (Samo, Gourmantché, Fulani and Mossi), we used the size‐class distribution method (SCD) (Condit et al., 1998 ). Diameter at breast height (Dbh) of adult individuals of each species were sampled on 1000 m² (20 m × 50 m) plots in each ethnic domain. Recorded Dbhs were distributed among eight size‐classes of 5 cm intervals. For each species, the slope of the regression of the SCD was considered to be an indicator of the population structure. Seedlings and saplings were recorded on five nested 25 m² plots and fell into five height classes of 0·5 m intervals. The target species had significant (p < 0·001) negative SCD slopes with an inverse J‐shape distribution in all ethnic areas; indicating stable populations with good regeneration. Kruskal–Wallis test for the SCDs of A. seyal, B. aegyptiaca and P. lucens did not differ significantly among the ethnic areas (p > 0·1). This suggests that the dynamics of each of the three species is similar across ethnic domains and the sub‐Sahel. Data from P. lucens depicted an apparent stable population structure which contrasted with our field observations, perception of local people and previous studies. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Farmers' knowledge and perceptions of soil erosion and conservation measures in the Central Highlands,Kenya

A lack of appreciation of Kenyan farmers' knowledge and their perceptions of soil erosion and soil conservation measures was the reason for low adoption of recommended technologies. This research was carried out to identify the criteria that farmers used to distinguish farm‐types and to use these types to evaluate different knowledge levels and perceptions of soil erosion and existing soil and water conservation (SWC) measures in the Central Highlands of Kenya. Community meetings and semi‐structured household surveys were carried out in a small catchment, with 120 households. Results partly support the idea of using farmer‐developed criteria to distinguish among land managers with reference to a farm‐type classification. Criteria distinguishing three classes of land managers (good, moderate and poor) were significant with regard to the following land husbandry practices: use of hybrid or recycled seed and use of organic and/or inorganic fertilizers. Farmers were aware of on‐going soil erosion and of several erosion control measures. Whereas a majority of farmers preferred grass‐strips as a SWC measures, they did not recognize agroforestry as a form of SWC measure. Farmers perceived that SWC measures could successfully increase crop yields and soil‐water retention, and increase land value. In general, farmers did not perceive that SWC measures successfully prevented erosion phenomena, given the evidence of on‐site erosion indicators. They attributed the continued erosion to high rainfall, steep slopes, lack of maintenance and poorly designed SWC measures. They did not consider poor soil‐cover, up‐down tillage and tall trees to be the causes of erosion. Farmers faced several constraints in adopting SWC measures: lack of labour, tools, capital and know‐how to construct the measures. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of combined water and nutrient management on runoff and sorghum yield in semiarid Burkina Faso

Abstract. In the semiarid regions of sub-Saharan Africa, fertilizer recovery and nutrient release from organic sources are often moisture limited. Moreover, in these regions runoff brings about large nutrient losses from fertilizer or organic inputs. This study was conducted in the north sudanian climate zone of Burkina Faso (annual rainfall 800 mm, PET 2000 mm yr⁻¹). We assessed the combined and interactive effects of two types of permeable barriers (stone rows and grass strips of Andropogon gayanus Kunth cv. Bisquamulatus (Hochst.) Hack .) and organic or mineral sources of nitrogen on erosion control and sorghum yield. The field experiment (Ferric Lixisol, 1.5% slope) was carried out during three rainy seasons and consisted of 2 replications of 9 treatments, in which the barriers were put along contours and combined with compost, manure and fertilizer nitrogen (N). Compared with the control plots, the average reduction in runoff was 59% in plots with barriers alone, but reached 67% in plots with barriers + mineral N and 84% in plots with barriers + organic N. On average, stone rows reduced soil erosion more than grass strips (66% versus 51%). Stone rows or grass strips without N input did not induce a significant increase of sorghum production. Supplying compost or manure in combination with stone rows or grass strips increased sorghum grain yield by about 142%, compared with a 65% increase due to mineral fertilizers. The sorghum grain yields at 1 m upslope from the grass strips were less than those 17 m from the grass strips. As stones do not compete with plants, the opposite trend was observed with stone rows. We conclude that for these nutrient depleted soils, permeable barriers improve nutrient use efficiency and therefore crop production. However, grass strips must be managed to alleviate shade and other negative effects of the bunds on adjacent crops.     

Farmers' perceptions of soil erosion and soil fertility loss in Southern Ethiopia

Data and information about farmers' perceptions of soil degradation were collected using household survey, focus group discussion and field observations. The results indicate that farmers in the Sidama zone of southern Ethiopia are able to identify soil erosion and fertility loss indicators, take a holistic view of soil degradation and have a broad knowledge of the reasons for soil degradation. They perceive soil degradation mainly by reduced yields, soil changing in appearance and becoming stoney or coarse. The most frequently mentioned soil erosion indicator was soil becoming coarse and stony, followed by rill formation, dissection of fields and gullies and topsoil removal. The most important perceived indicator of soil fertility loss was reduced crop yield, followed by poor crop performance and yellowing of the crop. Farmers also have knowledge of solutions; however, participation in soil conservation activities is minimal because of the immediate threat of food insecurity. Any programme designed to address soil degradation in the region will have to be cognisant of farmers' knowledge and holistic view of soil degradation, and be integrated with aid measures to guarantee food security. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long-term effect of ploughing, and organic matter input on soil moisture characteristics of a Ferric Lixisol in Burkina Faso

Soil moisture characteristic curves were determined in long-term trials at the agronomic research center of Saria (latitude 12°16′ N, longitude 2°09′ W) in West-central Burkina Faso. The agronomic treatments combined soil tillage with organic and chemical fertilizers. The twin values for soil moisture and water potential showed that on ploughed plots, moisture content was higher at low suction and lower at high suction than the hand hoed plots. Moisture contents were higher for extreme suctions (pF < 1.5 and >3) on plots that received high dose of animal manure. The bush fallow plots behaved as a ploughed plot at low suction and like a hand hoed plot at the high suction. Field capacities were around 9.50% (g/g) and 8% (g/g), respectively, for hand hoed and ploughed plots, while the wilting points for both were of 5–6% (g/g). Organic matter input improved field capacity and soil water content at wilting point but not the useful available water (UAW). The UAW ≥10 mm on the fallow and the control, while it was <9 mm on the other treatments in 0–20 cm soil layer. Soil structural modifications induced by tillage and organic matter input explained these differences in soil hydrologic regime.     

植被盖度和残茬高度对保护性耕作农田防风蚀效果的影响

为定量评价植被盖度、残茬高度对保护性耕作农田的防风蚀效果,以空气动力学粗糙度和抗风蚀效率为评价指标,利用移动式风蚀风洞对内蒙古武川县保护性耕作农田和对照秋翻地进行了原位测试。结果表明,随植被盖度和残茬高度的增加,空气动力学粗糙度和抗风蚀效率均增加,抑制风蚀效果加强;在30 cm残茬高度、50%植被盖度下保护性耕作农田的平均抗风蚀效率可达80.55%,具备了很好的防风蚀效果。因此,要有效防治农田土壤风蚀,保护性耕作农田应具有50%以上的植被盖度和30 cm以上的留茬高度。     

Effects of ploughing frequency and compost on soil aggregate stability in a cotton–maize (Gossypium hirsutum-Zea mays) rotation in Burkina Faso

Cropping systems have a strong influence on soil structural characteristics, including aggregate stability. An experiment combining compost (Co) and mineral fertilizer inputs with different tillage frequencies was conducted in a cotton–maize rotation system on two soil types (Lixisol and Luvisol) in Burkina Faso. The objective was to investigate an alternative soil fertility management regime that protects soil structure for cotton and maize production. We tested the hypothesis that organic fertilizer applications and reduced ploughing frequency can improve aggregate stability. The effects of reduced tillage (RT; ox‐ploughing/hand hoe scarifying the next year) and annual ox‐ploughing (AP) combined with Co and no compost (nCo) applications on the stability of soil aggregates subjected to wet sieving, were assessed. In the second year of the experiment (maize), the macroaggregate stability in the RT plots was 87% higher than in the AP plots on the Lixisol, 26% higher on the Luvisol. In the third year (cotton) the difference in treatment effects was less. The treatments influenced macroaggregate stability in the year of scarification, and the microaggregate stability in the year they were ploughed. We concluded that a soil management regime, with ploughing only every second year and with compost as well as mineral fertilizer inputs, is appropriate to replace the common practice of annual ploughing with application of mineral fertilizers in this cotton–maize cropping system.     

Effectiveness of combined application of Kodjari phosphate rock,water soluble phosphorus fertilizer and manure in a Ferric Lixisol in the centre west of Burkina Faso

Increasing soil phosphorus and organic matter content for crop production while reducing the cost of production are required to facilitate the achievement of green revolution in Africa. Field and pot experiments were laid out during 2012 and 2013 to assess the effects of combined application of Kodjari phosphate rock (PR) and water soluble phosphorus on sorghum yields, P uptake and Lixisol characteristics in the centre west of Burkina Faso. Five P fertilizers treatments (zero P, 100% TSP (triple super phosphate), 100% PR, 50% PR + 50% TSP, 75% PR + 25% TSP) and two cow manure treatments (zero, 5 t ha^?1) were tested. In field experiment, 50% PR + 50% TSP was as effective as 100% TSP in increasing sorghum yield above the control by 30% in 2012 and 50% in 2013 and P uptake by 30% in both years. Manure had an additive effect on phosphorus fertilizers in increasing sorghum yields and P uptake. In pot experiment, increases of Ca uptake, soil pH and microbial P were observed with the application of 50% PR + 50% TSP. Our results suggest that formulation of fertilizer combining phosphate rock and mineral P would improve sorghum yields and income of smallholders.     

Effects of vegetation pattern and of biochar and powdery soil amendments on soil loss by wind in a semi-arid region

Dust emission from wind erosion is a widespread phenomenon in arid and semi-arid areas having considerable implications for ecosystems and human well-being. However, few studies have examined the efficiency of biochar amended to soil on wind erosion control. Aimed at studying the effect of biochar on resistance of soils against wind erosion, a wind tunnel experiment was conducted. We tested (a) soils amended with hard waste walnut wood biochar and soft maize cob biochar, and (b) soils amended with powdery waste wood and powdery maize cob, and compared them with (c) non-treated soil, in their susceptibility to wind erosion and also the additional effect of various patterns of vegetation cover. Amending soil with biochar and powdery material did significantly increase their resilience to wind erosion because of increased soil aggregation. In comparison with the non-treated control, the mass flux of un-vegetated soil reduced from 4.42 to 1.86 g m⁻² s⁻¹ for the waste walnut wood biochar, from 4.28 to 1.50 g m⁻² s⁻¹ for maize cob biochar, from 4.11 to 1.44 g m⁻² s⁻¹ for powdery maize cob and from 3.97 to 1.14 g m⁻² s⁻¹ for powdery waste walnut wood. When combining amendments with vegetation, there was still a substantial improvement, though the soil treatments responded differently in terms of soil loss to different vegetation patterns. A single row vegetation pattern had the highest mass flux, while a zigzag vegetation pattern had the lowest. In conclusion, waste wood or maize cobs, whether applied as biochar or as powdery material, are able to fix soil and reduce wind erosion.     

油葵秆生物篱和作物残茬组合抗风蚀效果研究

土壤风蚀是干旱半干旱地区主要的土地退化过程，在最不适宜种植乔木防风林的半干旱农牧交错带地区，生物篱是一种有效的风障形式，它能减轻风速从而减轻风蚀。试验结果表明，在近地面(距地面5 cm)生物篱保护下的留茬地风速比对照裸地近地面平均降低81.25％，风蚀量减少53.96％；在篱高或茬高0～5倍范围内，随着离生物篱或留茬的距离增大，生物篱的保护作用逐渐增强，贡献率逐渐增大，更远则保护作用下降。在与不同作物残茬的组合中，生物篱与草谷子留茬组合下的抗风蚀效果更为突出，其次是油菜茬，最后是苜蓿茬，并且得出在残茬影响下，风速随高度递增的变化规律都符合指数递增规律，相关系数都达到0.84以上。     

纳米碳对不同植被覆盖下黄土坡地降雨侵蚀的抑制效果

纳米碳对黄土高原地区土壤水分运动具有显著影响。该文基于野外人工模拟降雨试验,研究了不同植被覆盖(空地、柠条、苜蓿、黄豆和玉米)条件下,在黄土坡面上中下位置条施不同质量分数纳米碳(0、0.1%、0.5%、0.7%和1.0%)对坡地产流产沙过程的影响。该文试验设计1.0 m×1.0 m降雨小区,前期在小区坡面种植植被以及埋入不同质量分数纳米碳,其中未做植被覆盖处理和未施加纳米碳的小区作为对照,共25个试验小区。采用针孔式人工模拟降雨器进行模拟降雨,雨强为60 mm/h,降雨历时40 min。降雨过程中定时收集径流及泥沙,用以研究在不同植被覆盖条件下纳米碳对黄土区坡地径流与泥沙的调控机理影响。研究结果显示,在土壤中施入纳米碳,对坡面初始产流时间的影响显著。随着施入纳米碳质量分数的增加,不同植被覆盖的初始产流时间总体随之增加,在4种植被覆盖中,苜蓿延缓产流时间效果最明显,较之空白对照最大增加了287.1%。纳米碳的施入,使各植被覆盖中坡面径流量明显降低,施入不同质量分数纳米碳,各植被覆盖中减流效果最显著的仍为苜蓿,径流量较之对照减少了66.47%,而空地、柠条、黄豆、玉米这4种处理减流幅度均在31.5%~33.6%之间。同时,纳米碳对于坡面径流减沙效果亦非常显著。施入纳米碳后,各植被减沙效果排序依次是:苜蓿柠条玉米黄豆。通过纳米碳对产流产沙量的影响进行相关性分析,得出纳米碳对试验结果具有显著的影响;在水土流失调控效果评价值影响分析中,纳米碳对水土流失调控效果较合适的质量分数为0.5%。综上,在黄土区土壤中施加纳米碳并提高施入纳米碳的比例,对于该地区水土流失的治理具有积极作用。     

A wind tunnel experiment to investigate the effect of polyvinyl acetate,biochar, and bentonite on wind erosion control

Due to the heavy costs of wind erosion control measures, the correct selection of technical methods is indispensable for a sustainable land management in arid and semiarid regions. Thus, the main goal of this research was to investigate the feasibility of using the clay minerals (i.e., bentonite), polyvinyl acetate and palm biochar for reducing the wind erosion in deserts surrounding the cities. The treatments were sprayed uniformly onto the containers (5 × 35 × 105 cm, 0.37 m²) with sand (collected from sand dunes surrounding Isfahan city, central Iran) in 3 replicates. The experiments were conducted in a wind tunnel with sequential repetitions after 1, 10, and 20 weeks. Among the studied treatments, the bentonite planters demonstrated to be the most effective soil erosion control measure by reducing soil loss and improving sand ablation. On the contrary, the palm biochar had less influence on the soil erosion control and only a slight effect on the threshold speed. For the future, further studies are required to select the best and most relevant soil erosion control measures under field conditions considering all the environmental aspects in arid regions of Iran.     

植被和梯田措施对坡沟系统细沟侵蚀调控作用

坡沟系统作为黄土丘陵沟壑区基本的地貌单元,也是黄土高原侵蚀泥沙的主要来源区。植被和梯田作为坡面水土流失治理的主要措施,对于土壤侵蚀控制和生态恢复发挥着重要的作用,定量评估林草、梯田对坡面细沟侵蚀的调控作用以及多措施协同配置问题对于黄土高原水土流失治理和生态保护具有重要意义。为了揭示植被和梯田的格局和配置对坡沟系统细沟侵蚀的协同调控作用,该研究采用人工模拟降雨,结合三维激光扫描技术,分析了坡面4种措施：上坡位植被（措施A）、下坡位植被（措施B）、梯田（措施C）、梯田+植被（措施D）对细沟侵蚀发生和演变过程的影响。结果表明：1）相同植被覆盖度下,下坡位的植被布设细沟最大长度较上坡位的植被布设细沟最大长度减小量更大;2）第1次降雨中,侵蚀率最大值达到3 500 g/min以上,第2次降雨过程中侵蚀率最大值仅为1 100 g/min以上,在各产流时间内第2次降雨侵蚀率均为第1次降雨侵蚀率的1/3～1/2;3）对于各措施下细沟沟长发育率由大到小表现为措施A(6.55 cm/min)、措施C(5.71 cm/min)、措施B(3.60 cm/min)、措施D(2.69 cm/min);4）梯田与植...     

Direct field measurement of wind drag on vegetation for application to windbreak design and modelling

A field instrument was designed and field tested for measuring the applied wind load on trees and surface-mounted obstacles in a natural boundary layer. Using this instrument, the effect of vegetation porosity on the drag coefficient of small conifer trees (h=1·4 m) was determined directly in the field. Drag coefficients for two simple solid geometric forms (cone and cylinder) having approximately the same size (height and diameter) as the conifer trees were also measured over a relatively wide range of Reynolds numbers and the results compared to published drag curves for these shapes. The field study found that the porous element had a higher drag coefficient than a solid element, both for the solid element tested and for the drag coefficient suggested for surface-mounted solid obstacles. The drag coefficient changed on a continuum with porosity, rising initially from the value measured for the element as a solid, reaching a peak at an intermediate value and eventually falling to zero when the element was removed. This peak in the drag coefficient versus porosity curve corresponds to reports that shelterbelt efficiency peaks at medium-porosities, and is an important relationship in terms of modelling momentum extraction of vegetation, one which has not been shown previously in the literature. Findings of this study have direct application to the modelling of shelterbelts and windbreaks and the assessment of the amount of vegetation cover required to suppress wind erosion in rangeland vegetation communities. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of vegetation changes on soil erosion on the loess plateau

Vegetation is one of the key factors affecting soil erosion on the Loess Plateau. The effects of vegetation destruction and vegetation restoration on soil erosion were quantified using data from long-term field runoff plots established on the eastern slope of the Ziwuling secondary forest region, China and a field survey. The results showed that before the secondary vegetation restoration period （before about 1866-1872）, soil erosion in the Ziwuling region of the Loess Plateau was similar to the current erosion conditions in neighboring regions, where the soil erosion rate now is 8 000 to 10 000 t km^-2 year^-1. After the secondary vegetation restoration, soil erosion was very low; influences of rainfall and slope gradient on soil erosion were small; the vegetation effect on soil erosion was predominant; shallow gully and gully erosion ceased; and sediment deposition occurred in shallow gully and gully channels. In modern times when human activities destroyed secondary forests, soil erosion increased markedly, and erosion rates in the deforested lands reached 10 000 to 24000 t km^-2 year^-1, which was 797 to 1682 times greater than those in the forested land prior to deforestation. Rainfall intensity and landform greatly affected the soil erosion process after deforestation. These results showed that accelerated erosion caused by vegetation destruction played a key role in soil degradation and eco-environmental deterioration in deforested regions.