Potential of mine land reclamation for soil organic carbon sequestration in Ohio

Soils are an effective sink for carbon storage and immobilization through biomass productivity and enhancement of soil organic carbon (SOC) pool. The SOC sink capacity depends on land use and management. Degraded lands lose large amounts of C through SOC decomposition, erosion, and leaching. Thus, restoration of disturbed and degraded mine lands can lead to increase in biomass productivity, improved soil quality and SOC enhancement and sequestration. Reclamation of mined lands is an aggrading process and offers significant potential to sequester C. A chronosequence study consisting of 0‐, 5‐, 10‐, 15‐, 20‐ and 25‐year‐old reclaimed mine soils in Ohio was initiated to assess the rate of C sequestration by pasture and forest establishment. Undisturbed pasture and forest were used as controls. The SOC pool of reclaimed pasture sites increased from 15·3 Mg ha⁻¹ to 44·4 Mg ha⁻¹ for 0–15 cm depth and from 10·8 Mg ha⁻¹ to 18·3 Mg ha⁻¹ for 15–30 cm depth over the period of 25 years. The SOC pool of reclaimed forest sites increased from 12·7 Mg ha⁻¹ to 45·3 Mg ha⁻¹ for 0–15 cm depth and from 9·1 Mg ha⁻¹ to 13·6 Mg ha⁻¹ for 15–30 cm depth over the same time period. The SOC pool of the pasture site stabilized earlier than that of the forest site which had not yet attained equilibrium. The SOC sequestered in 0–30 cm depth over 25 years was 36·7 Mg ha⁻¹ for pasture and 37·1 Mg ha⁻¹ for forest. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A New Assessment of Soil Loss Due to Wind Erosion in European Agricultural Soils Using a Quantitative Spatially Distributed Modelling Approach

Field measurements and observations have shown that wind erosion is a threat for numerous arable lands in the European Union (EU). Wind erosion affects both the semi‐arid areas of the Mediterranean region as well as the temperate climate areas of the northern European countries. Yet, there is still a lack of knowledge, which limits the understanding about where, when and how heavily wind erosion is affecting European arable lands. Currently, the challenge is to integrate the insights gained by recent pan‐European assessments, local measurements, observations and field‐scale model exercises into a new generation of regional‐scale wind erosion models. This is an important step to make the complex matter of wind erosion dynamics more tangible for decision‐makers and to support further research on a field‐scale level. A geographic information system version of the Revised Wind Erosion Equation was developed to (i) move a step forward into the large‐scale wind erosion modelling; (ii) evaluate the soil loss potential due to wind erosion in the arable land of the EU; and (iii) provide a tool useful to support field‐based observations of wind erosion. The model was designed to predict the daily soil loss potential at a ca. 1 km² spatial resolution. The average annual soil loss predicted by geographic information system Revised Wind Erosion Equation in the EU arable land totalled 0·53 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, with the second quantile and the fourth quantile equal to 0·3 and 1·9 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, respectively. The cross‐validation shows a high consistency with local measurements reported in literature. © 2016 The Authors. Land Degradation and Development published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Spatial Estimation of Soil Erosion Risk by Land‐cover Change in the Andes OF Southern Ecuador

Ecuador has the highest deforestation rate in South America, causing large‐scale soil erosion. Inter‐Andean watersheds are especially affected by a rapid increase of the population leading to the conversion of large areas of montane forest into pasture and cropland. In this study, we estimate soil erosion risk in a small mixed land‐use watershed in the southern Andes of Ecuador. Soil loss was estimated at a spatial resolution of 30 m, using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) where the RUSLE factors were estimated on the basis of limited public available data. Land‐cover maps for 1976, 2008 and 2040 were created assuming increasing deforestation rates over the ensuing decades. Greater erosion rates are estimated for succession areas with agricultural cropland and pasture with maximum values of 936 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, where slopes and precipitation amounts are the greatest. Under natural forest vegetation, the estimated soil erosion rates are negligible (1·5 to 40 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) even at steep slopes and higher elevations where rainfall amounts and intensities are generally higher. When the entire watershed has undergone substantial deforestation in 2040, erosion values may reach 2,021 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. Vegetation cover is the most important factor for potential soil erosion. Secondary factors are related to rainfall (R‐factor) and topography (LS factors). Although the spatial predictions of potential soil erosion have only limited meaning for erosion risk, this method provides an important screening tool for land management and assessment of land‐cover change. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface Disturbance and Erosion by Pigs: A Medium Term Assessment for the Monsoonal Tropics

Introduced pigs (Sus scrofa ) are recognised as having significant environmental impacts. Here, we quantify the effect of feral pigs in a catchment (undisturbed by Europeans) in the monsoonal tropics of northern Australia. Field data collected over a 5‐year period showed that the areal extent of pig disturbance ranged from 0·3 to 3·3% of the survey area (average 1·2%, σ = 0·9%). Mass of exhumed material was considerable and ranged from 4·3 to 36·0 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ (average 10·9 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹). The excavations produce surface roughness which acts as sediment traps. Over the 5‐year study period, there was no evidence to suggest that pigs produce any rill or gully erosion. There does not appear to be any relationship between rainfall amount and area disturbed or volume of material exhumed. However, a significant positive relationship was observed between number of disturbances and rainfall. The location of any disturbance appears to be random and has no relationship with topography or geomorphic attributes such as slope, upslope contributing area or wetness indices derived from a high‐resolution digital elevation model of the site. While pigs are disturbingly relatively large volumes of soil, there is no clear evidence to support any increase in local erosion and soil structural change may be occurring slowly and only be observable over the long term. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

CARBON BUDGET AND SEQUESTRATION POTENTIAL IN A SANDY SOIL TREATED WITH COMPOST

The effects of compost application on soil carbon sequestration potential and carbon budget of a tropical sandy soil was studied. Greenhouse gas emissions from soil surface and agricultural inputs (fertiliser and fossil fuel uses) were evaluated. The origin of soil organic carbon was identified by using stable carbon isotope. The CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O emissions from soil were estimated in hill evergreen forest (NF) plot as reference, and in the corn cultivation plots with compost application rate at 30 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ (LC), and at 50 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ (HC). The total C emissions from soil surface were 8·54, 10·14 and 9·86 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ for NF, HC and LC soils, respectively. Total N₂O emissions from HC and LC plots (2·56 and 3·47 kg N₂O ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) were significantly higher than from the NF plot (1·47 kg N₂O ha⁻¹ y⁻¹). Total CO₂ emissions from fuel uses of fertiliser, irrigation and machinery were about 10 per cent of total CO₂ emissions. For soil carbon storage, since 1983, it has been increased significantly (12 Mg ha⁻¹) under the application of 50 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ of compost but not with 30 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. The net C budget when balancing out carbon inputs and outputs from soil for NF, HC and LC soils were +3·24, −2·50 and +2·07 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, respectively. Stable isotope of carbon (δ¹³C value) indicates that most of the increased soil carbon is derived from the compost inputs and/or corn biomass. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil and Water Assessment Tool Soil Loss Simulation at the Sub‐Basin Scale in the Alt Penedès–Anoia Vineyard Region (Ne Spain) in the 2000s

This paper evaluates soil loss due to water erosion in an area of 32,362 ha with a predominant land use of vineyards (Alt Penedès–Anoia region, Catalonia, Spain). The Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used incorporating daily climatic data for the period 2000–2010 and also detailed soil and land use maps. Particular attention was given to the universal soil loss equation cover and management factor (C factor) of vineyards, with a minimum value of 0·15 being determined for this crop. The model was calibrated using daily flow data for the year 2010, which yielded satisfactory results. Even so, significant differences were obtained on days with high‐intensity rainfall events, when the model overestimated runoff and peak discharge. In these vineyards, the simulated average soil losses per sub‐basin ranged between 0·13 and 9·73 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, with maximum values of between 26·32 and 42·60 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ registered in fine‐loamy soils developed on unconsolidated Tertiary marls. Other findings were related to problems associated with SWAT calibration under Mediterranean conditions characterised by major climate variability and high‐intensity rainfall events. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Methods for Soil Erosion Assessments: An Application in a Sloping Mediterranean Watershed,Cyprus

In arid and semi‐arid regions, water erosion is difficult to model because of highly irregular precipitation regimes and changes in vegetation cover. The application of quantitative, process‐based models at the catchment scale is often problematic because of large data requirements. Qualitative methods require less data and can be more easily performed in a relatively short time, but they are more subjective. The objective of this research is to develop an erosion assessment methodology that combines qualitative field surveys with quantitative model estimates. The qualitative World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) methodology is based on expert observations per mapping unit, while the Pan‐European Soil Erosion Risk Assessment (PESERA) model simulates hill slope soil loss based on land cover, soil texture, meteorological data and slope profile. This study was conducted in the 106·4‐km² Peristerona watershed in Cyprus with a mean local slope higher than 40% in the mountainous upstream area and less than 8% in the plain. Out of 68 units, PESERA and WOCAT results were in agreement in 40 units, while PESERA results were lower in 25 and higher in 3 units. Both methods identified burnt areas and complex cultivation patterns as the most degraded. The total PESERA‐based sediment yield for the watershed was 1·2 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, which fell within the range of the sediment yield measured at the check‐dam downstream (0·2–2 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹). This study provides a linkage between qualitative and quantitative soil erosion methods and helps to translate the outcomes of the former into the latter, thus providing a good tool for local erosion assessment. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Using Cs‐137 fingerprinting technique to estimate sediment deposition and erosion rates from Yongkang depression in the karst region of Southwest China

Understanding the erosion and deposition rates is very important for designing soil and water conservation measures. However, existing methods of assessing the rates of soil loss present many limitations and are difficult to apply to in karst areas, and there is still very little data in this areas. Karst depressions comprise geomorphologically important sources and sinks for sediments and can provide the long‐term history records of environmental changes. But there have been few similar studies focused on its sediments in the world. In this paper, the Cs‐137 technique was employed to estimate the sediment deposition rate of karst depression to assess the surface erosion. The results indicate that the average deposition rate, deposition amount and specific deposit yield for the Yongkang catchments since 1963 were estimated to be 4·32 mm y⁻¹, 3·16 t y⁻¹and 20·53 t km⁻² y⁻¹, respectively. The results obtained were consistent with the actual monitoring data of local runoff plots, and confirm the validity of the overall approach. So it was suggested that the mean specific sediment yields of 20 t km⁻² y⁻¹ can be representative of the soil loss rates in the regions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

LONG‐TERM MANURING AND FERTILIZER EFFECTS ON DEPLETION OF SOIL ORGANIC CARBON STOCKS UNDER PEARL MILLET‐CLUSTER BEAN‐CASTOR ROTATION IN WESTERN INDIA

Soil organic carbon (SOC) pools are important for maintaining soil productivity and reducing the net CO₂ loading of the atmosphere. An 18‐year old long‐term field experiment involving pearl millet‐cluster bean‐castor sequence was conducted on an Entisol in western India to examine the effects of chemical fertilizers and manuring on carbon pools in relation to crop productivity and C sequestration. The data showed that even the addition of 33.5 Mg ha⁻¹ C inputs through crop residues as well as farm yard manure could not compensate the SOC depletion by oxidation and resulted in the net loss of 4.4 Mg C ha⁻¹ in 18 years. The loss of SOC stock in the control was 12 Mg C ha⁻¹. Conjunctive use of chemical fertilizers along with farm yard manure produced higher agronomic yields and reduced the rate of SOC depletion. The higher average seed yields of pearl millet (809 kg ha⁻¹), cluster bean (576), and castor (827) over six cropping seasons were obtained through integrated use of fertilizers and manure. For every Mg increase in profile SOC stock, there was an overall increase of 0.46 Mg of crop yield, comprising increase in individual yield of pearl millet (0.17 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ Mg⁻¹ SOC), cluster bean (0.14) and castor (0.15). The magnitude of SOC build up was proportional to the C inputs. Carbon pools were significantly correlated with SOC, which increased with application of organic amendments. Threshold C input of 3.3 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ was needed to maintain the SOC stock even at the low antecedent level. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Establishing permissible erosion rates for various landforms in Delhi State,India

Permissible erosion rate also known as soil loss tolerance (‘T’ value) is defined as maximum erosion that can take place on a given soil without degrading its long‐term productivity. In India, default ‘T’ value of 11·2 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ is used for devising land restoration strategies for different types of soils. However, ability of soil to resist degradation varies with soil type, depth and physico‐chemical characteristics. Therefore, the present investigation was undertaken to determine ‘T’ value of different landforms of Delhi State by taking into account the soil saturated hydraulic conductivity (SHC), bulk density (BD), organic carbon, erodibility and soil pH. Soil state was defined by a quantitative model and scaling functions were used to convert soil parameters to a 0–1 scale. The normalised values were multiplied by appropriate weighting factors based on relative importance and sensitivity analysis of each indicator. Categorical rankings of I, II or III were assigned to soil groups based on overall aggregate score. ‘T’ value of different landforms of Delhi State was computed using the guideline of USDA‐Natural Resource Conservation Services. Majority of landforms of Delhi had ‘T’ value of 12·5 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, except for the soils of hill terrain, dissected hill, pediment and piedmont plain, where ‘T’ value ranged from 5 to 10 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. These ‘T’ values could be used for conservation planning and will help the planners in devising suitable land restoration strategies. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Carbon Depletion by Plowing and its Restoration by No‐Till Cropping Systems in Oxisols of Subtropical and Tropical Agro‐Ecoregions in Brazil

The continuous use of plowing for grain production has been the principal cause of soil degradation. This project was formulated on the hypothesis that the intensification of cropping systems by increasing biomass‐C input and its biodiversity under no‐till (NT) drives soil restoration of degraded agro‐ecosystem. The present study conducted at subtropical [Ponta Grossa (PG) site] and tropical regions [Lucas do Rio Verde, MT (LRV) site] in Brazil aimed to (i) assess the impact of the continuous plow‐based conventional tillage (CT) on soil organic carbon (SOC) stock vis‐à‐vis native vegetation (NV) as baseline; (ii) compare SOC balance among CT, NT cropping systems, and NV; and (iii) evaluate the redistribution of SOC stock in soil profile in relation to soil resilience. The continuous CT decreased the SOC stock by 0·58 and 0·67 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ in the 0‐ to 20‐cm depth at the PG and LRV sites, respectively, and the rate of SOC sequestration was 0·59 for the PG site and ranged from 0·48 to 1·30 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ for the LRV site. The fraction of C input by crop residues converted into SOC stock was ~14·2% at the PG site and ~20·5% at the LRV site. The SOC resilience index ranged from 0·29 to 0·79, and it increased with the increase in the C input among the NT systems and the SOC sequestration rates at the LRV site. These data support the hypothesis that NT cropping systems with high C input have a large potential to reverse the process of soil degradation and SOC decline. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Reducing Sediment Connectivity Through man‐Made and Natural Sediment Sinks in the Minizr Catchment,Northwest Ethiopia

Man‐made and natural sediment sinks provide a practical means for reducing downstream reservoir sedimentation by decreasing soil erosion and enhancing the rate of sedimentation within a catchment. The Minizr catchment (20 km²) in the northwest Ethiopian highlands contains numerous man‐made soil and water conservation (SWC) structures such as soil bunds (Erken), fanya juu ridge (Cab) and micro‐trenches and natural sediment sinks such as wetlands, floodplains and grassed waterways. These sediment sinks reduce downstream sedimentation into the Koga reservoir, located at the catchment outlet, however, a large quantity of sediment is still reaching the reservoir. This study evaluates the function and effectiveness of both man‐made SWC structures and natural sediment sinks in reducing sediment export from the Minizr catchment. SWC structures and natural sediment sinks were digitized using Google Earth Imagery. Sediment pins and vertical sampling through the deposit were used to quantify the amount of deposited sediment. In addition, inflow and outflow of suspended sediment data were used to calculate the sediment‐trapping efficacies (STE) of man‐made SWC structures (soil bunds and fanya juu ridges) and natural sediment sinks. Results reveal that 144 km soil bunds and fanya juu ridges trapped 7,920 Mg y⁻¹ (55 kg m⁻¹ y⁻¹) and micro‐trenches trapped 13·26 Mg y⁻¹, each micro‐trench on average trapped 23 kg y⁻¹. The 17 ha floodplain located in the centre of the catchment trapped 9,970 Mg y⁻¹ (59 kg m⁻² y⁻¹), while a wetland with a surface area of 24 ha, located near the outlet of the catchment, trapped 8,715 Mg y⁻¹ (36 kg m⁻² y⁻¹). The STEs of soil bunds and fanya juu ridges, wetlands and floodplains were 54%, 85% and 77%, respectively. Substantial differences were observed between the STE of grassed and un‐grassed waterways at 75% and 21%, respectively. Existing man‐made and natural sediment sinks played an important role in trapping sediment, with 38% (26,600 Mg y⁻¹) of transported sediment being trapped, while 62% (43,000 Mg y⁻¹) is exported from the catchment and thus enters the Koga reservoir. Therefore, additional catchment treatment measures are required as an integrated catchment scale sediment trapping approach to help reduce sediment loads entering Koga reservoir. Moreover, to maximize the effectiveness of sediment trapping measures, avoid structural failure and ensure their sustainability, regular maintenance is needed. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil Erosion in Steep Road Cut Slopes in Palencia (Spain)

Construction associated to land development, such as roads and railroads, promote severe land degradation. Cutslope sediment yield is one of the major pollutants on waters close to the road and railroad network. To estimate road impact, soil erosion (E), sediment yield (SY) and morphological evolution of a railroad cut in Palencia (Spain), were studied using erosion nails, during the periods 1998–1999, 1999–2000 and 2000–2010. Data from two sample plots were analyzed by an ANOVA for repeated measures. Slope morphological evolution was estimated using a cubic polynomial regression, while E and SY were calculated by integration. The top and the toe of the slope eroded and accumulated 0·5 m respectively, evolving into a concave/convex slope profile. The mean measured E was 220 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. SY was 31 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹, ranging from 109 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ to 24 Mg ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. Sediment yield was 4·5 times higher during the first year, than in all subsequent years. Results showed a decreasing trend and a stabilization in E and SY rates. However, both rates remain high and critical over the analyzed time, with regards to soil formation, water protection, land degradation and infrastructure maintenance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Long‐Term Durum Wheat‐Based Cropping Systems Result in the Rapid Saturation of Soil Carbon in the Mediterranean Semi‐arid Environment

Climate, soil physical–chemical characteristics, land management, and carbon (C) input from crop residues greatly affect soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration. According to the concept of SOC saturation, the ability of SOC to increase with C input decreases as SOC increases and approaches a SOC saturation level. In a 12‐year experiment, six semi‐arid cropping systems characterized by different rates of C input to soil were compared for ability to sequester SOC, SOC saturation level, and the time necessary to reach the SOC saturation level. SOC stocks, soil aggregate sizes, and C inputs were measured in durum wheat monocropping with (Ws) and without (W) return of aboveground residue to the soil and in the following cropping systems without return of aboveground residue to soil: durum wheat/fallow (Wfall), durum wheat/berseem clover, durum wheat/barley/faba bean, and durum wheat/Hedysarum coronarium. The C sequestration rate and SOC content were lowest in Wfall plots but did not differ among the other cropping systems. The C sequestration rate ranged from 0.47 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ in Ws plots to 0.66 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ in W plots but was negative (−0.06 Mg C ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) in Wfall plots. Increases in SOC were related to C input up to a SOC saturation value; over this value, further C inputs did not lead to SOC increase. Across all cropping systems, the C saturation value for the experimental soil was 57.7 Mg ha⁻¹, which was reached with a cumulative C input of 15 Mg ha⁻¹. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil erosion assessment of Lake Alemaya catchment,Ethiopia

Land degradation due to soil erosion is the major problem facing Ethiopia today. In the Lake Alemaya catchment soil erosion is caused by the intense rainfall, steep topography, and poor vegetation cover coupled with cultivation of steep lands, and inadequate conservation practices. Sediment from the catchment has affected the storage capacity of Lake Alemaya. This study has integrated the Agricultural Non‐point Source Pollution Model (AGNPS) and the technique of the Gographic Information System (GIS) to quantify soil erosion in the Lake Alemaya catchment. After application of the AGNPS, it appears that 66 per cent of the catchment has a soil erosion rate of 10 to more than 80 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹. The annual soil loss is estimated at 31 t ha⁻¹, which is more than the permissible value of 1–16 t ha⁻¹ for different agro‐ecological zones of Ethiopia. The sediment yield of the catchment is about 10 148 ton with a delivery ratio of 6·82 per cent. Therefore, an effective management plan is needed for the conservation and rehabilitation of the catchment and to maintain the storage capacity of Lake Alemaya. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessment of soil erosion at large watershed scale using RUSLE and GIS: a case study in the Loess Plateau of China

Soil erosion is a serious problem in the Loess Plateau of China, and assessment of soil erosion at large watershed scale is urgently need. This study used RUSLE and GIS to assess soil loss in the Yanhe watershed. All factors used in the RUSLE were calculated for the watershed using local data. RUSLE‐factor maps were made. The mean values of the R‐factor, K‐factor, LS‐factor, C‐factor and P‐factor were 970 209 MJ km⁻² h⁻¹ a⁻¹, 0·0195 Mg h MJ⁻¹ mm⁻¹, 10·27, 0·33359 and 0·2135 respectively. The mean value of the annual average soil loss was found to be 14 458 Mg km⁻² per year, and the soil loss rate in most areas was between 5000 and 20 000 Mg km⁻² per year. There is more erosion in the centre and southeast than in the northwest of Yanhe watershed. Because of the limitations of the RUSLE and spatial heterogeneity, more work should be done on the RUSLE‐factor accuracy, scale effects, etc. Furthermore, it is necessary to apply some physical models in the future, to identify the transport and deposition processes of sediment at a large scale. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Land use and soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River: some socio‐economic considerations on China's Grain‐for‐Green Programme

Soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China is a major concern and the Central Government has initiated the Grain‐for‐Green Programme to convert farmland to forests and grassland to improve the environment. This paper analyses the relationship between land use and soil erosion in Zhongjiang, a typical agricultural county of Sichuan Province located in areas with severe soil erosion in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River. In our analysis, we use the ArcGIS spatial analysis module with detailed land‐use data as well as data on slope conditions and soil erosion. Our research shows that the most serious soil erosion is occurring on agricultural land with a slope of 10∼25 degrees. Both farmland and permanent crops are affected by soil erosion, with almost the same percentage of soil erosion for corresponding slope conditions. Farmland with soil erosion accounts for 86·2 per cent of the total eroded agricultural land. In the farmland with soil erosion, 22·5 per cent have a slope of < 5 degrees, 20·3 per cent have a slope of 5∼10 degrees, and 57·1 per cent have a slope of > 10 degrees. On gentle slopes with less than 5 degrees inclination, some 6 per cent of the farmland had strong (5000∼8000 t km⁻² y⁻¹) or very strong (8000∼15000 t km⁻² y⁻¹) erosion. However, on steep slopes of more than 25 degrees, strong or very strong erosion was reported for more than 42 per cent of the farmland. These numbers explain why the task of soil and water conservation should be focused on the prevention of soil erosion on farmland with steep or very steep slopes. A Feasibility Index is developed and integrated socio‐economic assessment on the feasibility of improving sloping farmland in 56 townships and towns is carried out. Finally, to ensure the success of the Grain‐for‐Green Programme, countermeasures to improve sloping farmland and control soil erosion are proposed according to the values of the Feasibility Index in the townships and towns. These include: (1) to terrace sloping farmland on a large scale and to convert farmland with a slope of over 25 degrees to forests or grassland; (2) to develop ecological agriculture combined with improving the sloping farmland and constructing prime farmland and to pay more attention to improving the technology for irrigation and cultivation techniques; and (3) to carry out soil conservation on steep‐sloping farmland using suggested techniques. In addition, improving ecosystems and the inhabited environment through yard and garden construction for households is also an effective way to prevent soil erosion. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sediment Yield Deduction from Check–dams Deposition in the Weathered Sandstone Watershed on the North Loess Plateau,China

As the basic unit of erosion and sediment yield, it was critical to determine the amount of soil erosion and sediment yield in the small watersheds for sustaining a reasonable water resource and sediment regulation system. In this study, we determined the sediment yield from the dams‐controlled watershed on the North Loess Plateau. Three check dams in the watershed were investigated by drilling ten‐hole sedimentation cores. The corresponding flood couplets were dated according to thickness of deposition layers, distribution of sediment particle size and historical erosive rainfall events. On the basis of the check dams capacity curve, the soil bulk density and the thickness of couplets, the deposit mass of check dams, and then the sediment yield of watershed at different temporal and spatial scale were deducted. In total of the 33, 60 and 55 couplets were corresponded to individual flood events in the dam MH1# from 1976 to 1984, the dam MH2# from 1985 to 2007, and the dam MH4# from 1981 to 2009, respectively. The specific sediment yield for flood events was 1,188.5–11,527.9 Mg km⁻², 1,278.6–17,136.7 Mg km⁻², and 3,395.9–33,698.5 Mg km⁻², and the annual average sediment yield was 10,728.6 Mg (km² · a)⁻¹, 12,662.9 Mg (km² · a)⁻¹, and 16,753.3 Mg (km² · a)⁻¹ in dam MH1#, MH2# and MH4# controlled watershed, respectively. The sediment yields were inversely proportional to the dams – controlled areas. For the whole watershed, the annual average sediment yield was 14,011.1 Mg (km² · a)⁻¹ from 1976 to 2009. There were large amounts of sediments (42.3–50.5%) were intercepted gradually along the way from small watersheds to the river channel. And the minimum rainfall for sediment deposited in the dams was greater than 20 mm in this watershed. The results of this study suggested that the sediments retained behind check dams were helpful to quantifying the amount of erosion sediment yield and understanding the soil erosion evolution in the small and ungauged watersheds. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil carbon sequestration in sub‐Saharan Africa: a review

Restoration of degraded soils is a development strategy to reduce desertification, soil erosion and environmental degradation, and alleviate chronic food shortages with great potential in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA). Further, it has the potential to provide terrestrial sinks of carbon (C) and reduce the rate of enrichment of atmospheric CO₂. Soil organic carbon (SOC) contents decrease by 0 to 63 per cent following deforestation. There exists a high potential for increasing SOC through establishment of natural or improved fallow systems (agroforestry) with attainable rates of C sequestration in the range of 0·1 to 5·3 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Biomass burning significantly reduces SOC in the upper few centimeters of soil, but has little impact below 10 to 20 cm depth. The timing of burning is also important, and periods with large amounts of biomass available generally have the largest losses of SOC. In cultivated areas, the addition of manure in combination with crop residues and no‐till show similar rates of attainable C sequestration (0 to 0·36 Mg C ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹). Attainable rates of SOC sequestration on permanent cropland in SSA under improved cultivation systems (e.g. no‐till) range from 0·2 to 1·5 Tg C yr⁻¹, while attainable rates under fallow systems are 0·4 to 18·5 Tg C yr⁻¹. Fallow systems generally have the highest potential for SOC sequestration in SSA with rates up to 28·5 Tg C yr⁻¹. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

SOIL ORGANIC CARBON STOCK AND FRACTIONS IN RELATION TO LAND USE AND SOIL DEPTH IN THE DEGRADED SHIWALIKS HILLS OF LOWER HIMALAYAS

The proportional differences in soil organic carbon (SOC) and its fractions under different land uses are of significance for understanding the process of aggregation and soil carbon sequestration mechanisms. A study was conducted in a mixed vegetation cover watershed with forest, grass, cultivated and eroded lands in the degraded Shiwaliks of the lower Himalayas to assess land‐use effects on profile SOC distribution and storage and to quantify the SOC fractions in water‐stable aggregates (WSA) and bulk soils. The soil samples were collected from eroded, cultivated, forest and grassland soils for the analysis of SOC fractions and aggregate stability. The SOC in eroded surface soils was lower than in less disturbed grassland, cultivated and forest soils. The surface and subsurface soils of grassland and forest lands differentially contributed to the total profile carbon stock. The SOC stock in the 1.05‐m soil profile was highest (83.5 Mg ha⁻¹) under forest and lowest (55.6 Mg ha⁻¹) in eroded lands. The SOC stock in the surface (0–15 cm) soil constituted 6.95, 27.6, 27 and 42.4 per cent of the total stock in the 1.05‐m profile of eroded, cultivated, forest and grassland soils, respectively. The forest soils were found to sequester 22.4 Mg ha⁻¹ more SOC than the cultivated soils as measured in the 1.05‐m soil profiles. The differences in aggregate SOC content among the land uses were more conspicuous in bigger water‐stable macro‐aggregates (WSA > 2 mm) than in water‐stable micro‐aggregates (WSA < 0.25 mm). The SOC in micro‐aggregates (WSA < 0.25 mm) was found to be less vulnerable to changes in land use. The hot water soluble and labile carbon fractions were higher in the bulk soils of grasslands than in the individual aggregates, whereas particulate organic carbon was higher in the aggregates than in bulk soils. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.