Water erosion assessment using farmers' indicators in the West Usambara Mountains, Tanzania

The contribution of local knowledge to ecological sciences has not been fully exploited: there is still a gap between the recognition of farmers' knowledge as valid and an effective use of such knowledge in activities aimed at sustainable development. This study explores the use of farmers' indicators of erosion for developing a rapid tool for water erosion assessment at field level in the West Usambara Mountains (Tanzania). Two extensive field surveys were conducted in the research area concurrently. One survey consisted of applying an established erosion assessment method, the Assessment of Current Erosion Damage (ACED). According to the erosion features observed, fields were classified into five erosion classes, from very slightly eroded to very severely eroded. The second survey consisted of recording the type and number of indicators of erosion listed by farmers and present in the fields. The number of farmers' indicators per field increased with erosion intensity, from less than four in slightly eroded fields to more than eight in severely eroded fields. All farmers' indicators were positively correlated to the ACED erosion assessment classes. However, two groups of farmers' indicators could be distinguished in terms of erosion assessment: strong indicators, which were observed in more than 70% of cases in severely eroded fields, and weak indicators, which were observed more frequently in slightly and moderately eroded fields. Weak indicators appeared to be indicative of other land degradation phenomena, such as chemical fertility decline. Strong indicators and number of indicators were used to create a field erosion assessment tool in the form of a classification tree. The tree was built using one half of the field survey data and validated using the other half. The tree consisted of a hierarchical sequence of questions. Presence of rills and number of farmers' indicators were the most important factors of the tree. The validation yielded a highly significant Spearman's rho correlation coefficient (0.81). The contingency table showed that more than 80% of very severely eroded fields were correctly classified, whereas most misclassification occurred among slightly and moderately eroded fields. Farmers include land degradation phenomena and soil fertility decline in their definition of soil erosion. Soil and water conservation planning should address this broader farmers' perception by including, e.g., soil fertility improvements beside soil conservation. The distinction between strong and weak indicators of erosion is important in recommending the right intervention in the right spot, e.g., by counteracting soil erosion where strong indicators are present and by improving chemical fertility where weak indicators are present. The classification tree is of empirical nature and may need adaptation before being applied to other areas. The proposed methodology can be easily replicated and showed a high potential to provide extensionists with a field tool for erosion assessment. The classification tree was a successful example of integrating different types of knowledge for enhancing the co-operation between stakeholders involved in the erosion-control activities.     

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.     

Soil crusts and deposits as sheet erosion indicators in southern Mali

Rills are indicators of erosion, easily recognized by farmers and extension workers. However, they are rare on fields in Mali with slopes of 0–3%, even though run‐off and sheet erosion may be a problem. The suitability of three other soil surface features as erosion indicators was therefore investigated: (1) structural crusts formed by rainfall impact without lateral soil movement; (2) in situ depositional crusts, formed by sedimentation leaving the finest particles on top; and (3) run‐off deposits of fine and coarse sand, formed after the removal of finer particles. Feature (1) occurred on the elevated parts and ridges, whereas (2) and (3) occurred in lower parts and in furrows. Soil cover with a run‐off deposit of coarse sand proved to be a suitable indicator and this was well explained by erosion risk: a 2% increase in slope related to a 9% increase in deposit cover. The extent of this deposit also related well to cotton yield from the previous season: a 30% increase in deposit cover was reflected in a 23% decrease in cotton yield. Only a few farmers confirmed that the deposits were produced by erosion. It is recommended that soil and water conservation programmes pay more attention to the presence of crusts and deposits.     

Farmer perception of soil erosion and investment in soil conservation measures: emerging evidence from northern Taraba State,Nigeria

To combat soil erosion in the northern part of Taraba State, Nigeria, farmers are of major importance. Their perceptions vitally influence the levels of support and investment associated with solving problems of soil erosion through adoption of practices that are alternative to those in current use, including approaches focused on soil conservation. The objective of this study was to evaluate how farmer perceptions of soil erosion influence their investments in soil conservation, particularly soil or stone bunds, their applications of organic amendments and inorganic fertilizers and other soil conservation practices. In the study area, we undertook a field plot experiment and carried out a survey, using open‐ and closed‐ended questions. Water erosion and depletion of fertility were taken as the main indicators of soil erosion. The results of the experiment showed that farmers were aware of and perceived both indicators as having increased over the past decade. Farmer investments in water erosion control (3.7 US$/ha) and the prevention of soil fertility depletion (37.8 US$/ha) in the study area were found to be limited. The results also showed that awareness of water erosion was only marginally correlated with investment in water erosion control (χ² = 4.906, P = 0.09) and not associated with investments in soil fertility control measures (χ² = 0.175, P = 0.92). Those farmers who identified depletion of soil fertility as a problem, based on erosion, were not significantly more likely to make greater investments in soil conservation (χ² = 0.947, P = 0.62) but did invest more in fertility measures (χ² = 3.199, P = 0.20). Hence, further research is needed to determine other factors that may influence farmer investment in soil conservation, especially factors related to socio‐economic characteristics of farm households, institutional and technological innovations and field characteristics that were not addressed in this study.     

Mitigating soil erosion through farm-level adoption of soil and water conservation measures in Samanalawewa Watershed,Sri Lanka

Abstract

Soil erosion by water is currently one of the most notable types of land degradation in Samanalawewa Watershed in Sri Lanka, creating copious environmental and socioeconomic impacts. Thus, with the aim of detecting and mapping the rates of human-induced soil erosion in the watershed, remote sensing and geographic information system based modelling and field experiments were carried out. The results of the assessment disclosed that the present rate of human-induced soil erosion varies from 0 to 289 t ha^?1 yr^?1 with the majority of the area exceeding the natural rate of soil erosion by 14 to 33 times at present. However, the average rate of human-induced soil erosion has declined dramatically from 19.8 to 4.3 t ha^?1 yr^?1 from 1986 to 2008. In order to analyse the significant determinants of farm-level adoption of soil and water conservation measures, binary logistic regression procedure was applied using the data collected through a household survey (n = 201). The most significant (p<0.01) variables of the study were the farmers’ perceptions of soil erosion problems, gender of the household head, training on soil and water conservation, and ascertained advice from agricultural extension officers while the variables regarding past awareness about soil conservation technologies and off-farm income were significant at p<0.05. Furthermore, the study revealed that the majority (60.2%) of the farmers in the study area had been adopting different types of soil and water conservation measures for a prolonged period of time. Therefore, owing to the current decreasing rate of soil erosion, the soil and water conservation costs and the ratios of human-induced soil erosion vs natural soil erosion had declined significantly while the productivity of their lands had gone up.     

Participatory soil and water conservation planning using an erosion mapping tool in the central highlands of Kenya

Despite several approaches that aimed at mobilising East African farmers to embrace soil and water conservation (SWC) activities, farmers hardly responded since they were seldom involved in the planning of SWC activities. Two tools that employ farmers' participation were developed and applied at Gikuuri catchment in Kenya. The first tool involved farmers to map soil erosion using their own indicators and determine the soil erosion status at catchment scale. This formed the basis upon which they undertook to plan for SWC measures at catchment scale. Farmers also predicted crop yield losses based on the soil erosion status. Farmers widely approved the soil erosion status map since their own indicators and perceptions were used. The second tool provided cash flow trends for a variety of SWC activities and farmer situations. Farmers can use land with a high, moderate or low erosion status and often have rather different socio‐economic settings. The net benefits over 5 yr for bench terraces, fanya juu terraces and grass strips were illustrated to assist farmers in making informed decisions on SWC adoption. The two tools increased awareness on the need for collective actions among farmers and showed fields that cause run‐on on downslope fields. The improved awareness of erosion problems and the related financial consequences increased farmers' willingness to share the investment costs for cut‐off drains. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modelling tillage erosion in the topographically complex landscapes of southwestern Ontario, Canada

A tillage erosion model was developed for southwestern Ontario based on the relationship between tillage translocation and slope gradient and slope curvature. Two studies of tillage translocation and tillage erosion were used to calibrate this model, one a comparison of upslope and downslope tillage translocation on shoulder slopes, the other an examination of tillage translocation throughout topographically complex landscapes. Two field sites were used for validation of the model. For both sites, past tillage practices were known and past soil erosion was determined using ¹³⁷Cs as an indicator of soil redistribution. The model accurately predicted the pattern of soil redistribution that had occurred within the two field sites. Severe soil loss was observed and predicted on convex landscape positions and soil accumulation was observed and predicted on concave landscape positions. The model accounted for almost all of the soil lost from the convex upper slope positions where tillage erosion was expected to be the dominant erosion process. There was considerable soil loss and accumulation elsewhere in the landscapes which could not be accounted for by the model and was presumed to be primarily the result of water erosion. It was concluded that tillage erosion must be incorporated into soil erosion modelling for the purposes of soil conservation.     

Participatory soil and water conservation planning using a financial analysis tool in the West Usambara highlands of Tanzania

Despite decades of soil and water conservation (SWC) efforts in Tanzania, the adoption of the recommended SWC measures by farmers is minimal. In the past, SWC plans did not incorporate farmers' knowledge, and the economics of SWC was not given much attention at the planning stage. This research evaluated the applicability of two tools for participatory soil erosion mapping using farmers' indicators of soil erosion and financial analysis of SWC measures at the planning stage. The two tools were evaluated in Kwalei catchment in the West Usambara highlands, Tanzania. The participatory soil erosion‐mapping tool uses farmers' indicators of soil erosion to identify, classify and map soil erosion at the catchment level. The financial analysis tool involves farmers in a stepwise analysis of the costs and benefits of SWC measures before the implementation. The erosion‐mapping tool increased farmers' awareness on the severity of soil erosion problems, and they realised the need for SWC plans at both field and catchment scales. With the financial analysis tool farmers participated in the cost and benefits analysis and were able to select SWC options that were feasible under their socio‐economic situation. The two tools were able to demonstrate that farmers' participation in SWC planning increases the acceptance of SWC measures because they solve problems that are perceived by themselves. The financial analysis tool demonstrated how farmers could make selection of SWC measures that are feasible under their biophysical and economic condition if they are informed about the costs and benefits. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil erosion risk mapping with new datasets: An improved identification and prioritisation of high erosion risk areas

The numerous estuarine, marshy and marine ecosystems along the coastline of Mauritius Island are potential sinks for sediment especially during intense rainfall events when delivery ratios are high at basin outlets. For sustainable environmental management, soil and water conservation measures are needed, as these will better protect the cultivated lands and aquatic ecosystems from the damages associated with excessive soil loss and sediment deposition. Conservation program usually requires focusing available resources on a limited number of priority action areas. Such areas typically have the highest erosion risk and are connected to aquatic ecosystems. An erosion risk mapping model has been applied in this work to find the priority action areas of Mauritius and new datasets representing rainfall erosivity and topographic factors were used compared to a previous application of the same model. Rainfall erosivity was mapped with Fournier Index instead of rainfall depth. The topographic effect was mapped using a function combining slope length and slope gradient (LS) and was based on the unit contributing area algorithm along with land parcels effect. These new datasets improved the erosion risk mapping and the identification and prioritisation of high erosion areas. The prioritisation was done at basin and subbasin scales and considered the location of wetlands. This enabled the identification of basins and subbasins with the greatest erosion risk and towards which conservation measures can be directed for protecting lands on-site and wetlands off-site from environmental damages.     

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.     

三峡库区土壤侵蚀空间分布特征

结合三峡库区的区位特征和数据获取条件,对RUSLE模型的因子算法进行相应修正,最后基于GIS评估库区土壤侵蚀风险及其空间分布特征。结果表明:1)库区年均土壤侵蚀量为1亿8 359.43万t/a,平均土壤侵蚀模数为31.85 t/(hm2.a),水土流失面积占库区土地总面积的66.97%;2)库区土壤侵蚀强度与高程梯度间无直接线性关系,中度以上侵蚀主要分布在500～1 500 m高程带上,其中极强烈、剧烈侵蚀在500～1 000 m间出现频率最高,这应该与该区域强烈的人类活动有关;3)库区土壤侵蚀强度与坡度呈显著正相关,中度以上侵蚀在15°以上坡度带的发生频率急剧增加,其53.74%的面积比例贡献了89.06%土壤侵蚀量;4)库区土壤侵蚀强度在不同坡向上表现为半阴坡>正阴坡>半阳坡>正阳坡,阴坡的侵蚀量稍大于阳坡,占库区总侵蚀量的56.63%。说明500～1 500 m高程带、>15°坡度带以及阴坡是库区发生土壤侵蚀的主要区域,也是水土流失防治及治理的重点区域。     

Soil erosion under different harvesting managements in steep forestlands from northern Spain

In spite of the high risk of erosion, highly mechanized operations, in which humus layer removal and down-slope ploughing are practised, are often employed to prepare steep forestlands for planting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect on soil loss of three post-harvesting management systems usually used in a mountainous region of northern Spain. The techniques evaluated were (a) conventional stem-only harvesting, (b) whole-tree harvesting and humus layer removal and (c) whole-tree harvesting and humus layer removal followed by down-slope deep ploughing. Soil erosion was measured in a total of 39 recently clear-felled Pinus radiata plantations over the period between the stand harvesting and establishment of understorey vegetation. They were located on slopes with gradients of between 40 and 50 per cent. For all treatments the associated runoff–rainfall ratios were high, indicating inherent low permeability of the soil. Intense site preparation resulted in considerable decreases in soil organic matter and increases in bulk density, which decreased the hydraulic conductivity and subsequently produced higher runoff. These deteriorations of soil properties delayed the establishment of pioneer vegetation thus extending the period of high erosion. In the ploughed soils, the higher soil erodibility and the removal of slash and vegetation cover resulted in a four-fold increase of soil losses when compared with no mechanical site preparation. The results indicate that, in order to maintain the soil productivity, and for conservation purposes, harvesting management should minimize the soil disturbances and maintain the slash and vegetation cover. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

近十年土壤侵蚀与水土保持研究进展与展望

在当今生态文明背景下,土壤侵蚀与水土保持研究迎来了新的发展机遇和挑战。本文首先采用文献计量学方法,定量分析了近10年来国内外土壤侵蚀与水土保持学科发展现状。在此基础上,结合社会需求的变化,阐明了学科发展需求与存在问题。最后,提出了本学科研究的重点领域与方向:水文过程与侵蚀产沙机理,土壤侵蚀过程及其定量模拟,全球变化下土壤侵蚀演变及其灾变机理,社会经济系统—水土流失的互馈过程,以生态功能提升为主的土壤侵蚀防治,以及土壤侵蚀研究新技术与新方法等。     

Conservation management decreases surface runoff and soil erosion

Conservation management practices – including agroforestry, cover cropping, no-till, reduced tillage, and residue return – have been applied for decades to control surface runoff and soil erosion, yet results have not been integrated and evaluated across cropping systems. In this study we collected data comparing agricultural production with and without conservation management strategies. We used a bootstrap resampling analysis to explore interactions between practice type, soil texture, surface runoff, and soil erosion. We then used a correlation analysis to relate changes in surface runoff and soil erosion to 13 other soil health and agronomic indicators, including soil organic carbon, soil aggregation, infiltration, porosity, subsurface leaching, and cash crop yield. Across all conservation management practices, surface runoff and erosion had respective mean decreases of 67% and 80% compared with controls. Use of cover cropping provided the largest decreases in erosion and surface runoff, thus emphasizing the importance of maintaining continuous vegetative cover on soils. Coarse- and medium-textured soils had greater decreases in both erosion and runoff than fine-textured soils. Changes in surface runoff and soil erosion under conservation management were highly correlated with soil organic carbon, aggregation, porosity, infiltration, leaching, and yield, showing that conservation practices help drive important interactions between these different facets of soil health. This study offers the first large-scale comparison of how different conservation agriculture practices reduce surface runoff and soil erosion, and at the same time provides new insight into how these interactions influence the improvement or loss of soil health.     

Quantifying spatial distribution of interrill and rill erosion in a loess at different slopes using structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry

The spatial distribution of interrill and rill erosion is essential for unravelling soil erosion principles and the application of soil and water conservation practices. To quantify interrill and rill erosion and their spatial development, four 30-min rainfalls at 90 mm h^?1 intensity were consecutively simulated on runoff plots packed with a loess at six slopes of 10°, 15°, 20°, 25°, 30° and 35°. The soil surface was measured using the structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry upon each simulation run, and the runoff and sediment samples were collected and measured at every 10 min. Rills did not develop until the third simulation run. During the initial two runs, the lower third section was more severely eroded than the upper and middle thirds along the slope direction, yet the interrill erosion was statistically uniform from left to right. Rills tended to emerge by both sidewalls and in the lower portion in the third run. The corresponding rill erosion increased with slope from 10° to 20° and then decreased for the slopes steeper, which was consistent with the slope trend of the sediment yield directly measured. The rills expanded substantially primarily via head retreat and to a lesser extent via sideward erosion after receiving another 30-min rainfall. Rill erosion contributed 69.3% of the total erosion loss, and shifted the critical slope corresponding to the maximum loss from 20° to 25°. These findings demonstrate the significance of rill erosion not only in total soil loss but also in its relation to slope, as well as the effectiveness of SfM photogrammetry in quantifying interrill and rill erosion.     

黄土丘陵区不同坡度、土地利用类型与降水变化的水土流失分异

 为了确定不同坡度、土地利用类型及降水参数对水土流失的影响,通过黄土丘陵区坡耕地、草地的3个坡度(10°,15°和20°)小区连续14年的径流、侵蚀观测数据,分析不同坡度、土地利用模式和降水变化的水土流失分异。试验结果表明:1)坡耕地水土流失量随坡度的升高而增加,20°小区显著大于10°和15°小区;草坡地小区的年水土流失量也随坡度变化,不同坡度小区之间没有显著性差异。2)坡耕地与草地的水土流失量具有显著性差异,坡耕地年均径流量和侵蚀量分别为草地的1．8倍和13．9倍,与草地比较,坡耕地明显地增加水土流失风险。3)不同土地类型水土流失模数受年降水变化的影响效应不同。坡耕地水土流失量受少数强降水控制,年径流量、侵蚀量与年降水量、产流降水量之间无显著性相关;草地的年径流量、侵蚀量分别与年产流降水量、年降水量显著相关。4)坡耕地的水土流失受降水量(P)、最大30min降水强度(I30)和综合降水指数(PI30)的显著影响,但各因素的决定系数不同,影响系数次序为PI30>I30>P。草地的径流与降水变量关系与坡耕地一致,但次侵蚀量仅与I30变化的显著性影响,而与P、PI30无显著性相关。草地的水土流失量受坡度差异以及降水变化的影响较弱,表明草地能够有效地控制水土流失,对荒坡草地采取保护措施以促进植被、土壤的进展恢复。坡耕地水土流失变化与坡度、降水变量的关系更为直接,通过降低坡度、休耕和免耕等耕作模式,减少土壤扰动和增加地面植被盖度,可有效减少水土流失。     

Landscape analysis of dynamic soil erosion in Subtropical China: A case study in Xingguo County, Jiangxi Province

As a case study on landscape pattern analysis of soil erosion change, Xingguo County in Jiangxi Province, China, was once one of the most severely eroded regions in Subtropical China. However, its soil erosion has been completely controlled in recent years. This county was historically full of forest as well as waterways that were well protected and soil erosion was seldom seen even by the mid-19th century. However, large areas of forest were destroyed after that period due to over-logging, which resulted in excessive erosion, bare hills, and mountains devoid of vegetation. Fortunately, soil erosion in Xingguo has been controlled gradually since 1982 after the county was appointed as 1 of the 8 Key National Level Erosion Control Regions. In this study, a raster (grid) soil erosion map was collected on the basis of soil erosion intensity maps from 1958, 1975, 1982 and 2000 with the aid of GIS software (ARC/INFO). Over 10 landscape indices were calculated using FRAGSTATS software for landscape pattern analysis. A set of free spatial statistics that address a fundamental problem in GIS, and soil erosion distribution patterns and their changes in the county were quantitatively analyzed at the landscape and class levels, respectively. Moreover, transformations of soil erosion types from 1958 to 1975, 1975 to 1982, and 1982 to 2000 were also calculated using the CROSSTAB module in IDRISI software. Results showed that at the landscape level, heterogeneity of soil erosion decreased. This was supported by decreasing tendencies of patch indices SHDI (Shannon’s diversity index), SHEI (Shannon’s evenness index), and IJI (Interspersion and juxtaposition index). This indicates that most of the severely eroded soil types were transformed into non-apparently eroded or slightly eroded types. Meanwhile, at the class level, a consistent pattern was found where the surface areas of non-apparently eroded or slightly eroded lands increased, and moderately, severely, very severely and extremely eroded lands deceased. In general, soil erosion in Xingguo County experienced three pronounced phases during the study periods: the exacerbation phase (1958–1975), the alleviation phase (1975–1982), and the overall alleviation phase (1982–2000). By the year 2000, 74.6% of total territory of this county was covered by land with no significant soil loss, indicating that severe soil erosion had been substantially controlled.     

放水冲刷条件下工程堆积体边坡径流侵蚀水动力学特性

煤炭开采过程形成的工程堆积体可导致严重水土流失。该文以重庆市煤矿工程堆积体为研究对象,该文采用土工试验方法和野外实地放水冲刷试验研究了煤矿工程堆积体边坡径流侵蚀特征及其临界水动力条件。结果表明：1）随着径流侵蚀冲刷过程进行,工程堆积体边坡的径流流速、径流剪切力和径流功率均呈现出程度不一波动现象,其变化范围分别为0.187～0.526 m/s、24.336～126.542 Pa、2.763～46.861 N/(m·s),而阻力系数在2.236～19.337之间波动变化。2）除10 L/min放水条件,工程堆积体边坡产流率、产沙率随径流冲刷过程呈先增加、后稳定变化趋势;在不同放水条件（10～30 L/min）下,边坡产流率依次趋于0.5、3.0、3.8、6.3和9.0 L/min,而产沙率在0～27.51 kg/min之间变化,土壤剥蚀率在9.570～4616.064 g/(m2·min)。3）不同坡度工程堆积体边坡临界径流剪切力及径流功率存在较大差异,面蚀阶段临界径流剪切力和临界径流功率以30°堆积体最小,分别为23.95 Pa和1.76 N/(m·s);而细沟侵蚀阶段以25°堆积体临界径流剪切力最小,以40°堆积体临界径流功率最小;土壤侵蚀速率与径流剪切力、径流功率之间具有显著线性关系。4）在放水条件下（10～30 L/min）,工程堆积体径流侵蚀临界坡度分别为34.8°、35°、33.7°、34°、35.2°。研究结果可为煤矿工程堆积体水土流失量预测、水土保持生态修复措施布置提供技术参数和依据。     

北方农牧交错带风水蚀复合区水土流失现状与综合治理对策

风水蚀复合区是中国北方农牧交错带的一部分。区域的东面与南面毗邻水蚀地貌形态,东南界为沙漠化土地发生、发展的东南界;区域的西面与北面与风蚀地貌形态接壤,西北界为旱作农业的西北界。复合区包括74个县（旗）,面积42．77万km^2,总人口2400万（2004年）。主要生态问题为：沙漠化持续发展,沙尘暴频发;土地退化严重,承载力急剧下降;生态环境恶化,自然灾害频繁。复合区水土流失的主要特点表现为风水蚀在时间上交错,空间上叠加。受侵蚀营力系统与环境系统的制约,水土流失类型表现出明显的地域分异规律。2000年水土流失面积26万1517．35km^2,占全区土地面积的61．14％;复合区每年流失土壤11．97亿t,其中水力侵蚀量5．55亿t,风力侵蚀量6．42亿t。近20多年来,复合区大部分地区的水土流失面积有所减少,侵蚀强度有所降低。随着国家加大生态建设的力度,预计在未来的十到几十年,复合区的水土流失态势将呈现逐步逆转的趋势,但局部的水土流失状况依然很严峻。风水蚀复合区水土流失治理要以预防为主、保护领先为原则,生物措施、农业技术与工程措施相结合综合治理,把国家的生态需求与农户的经济需求相结合,依法协调经济开发与环境保护的关系,注重科学研究,提高科技含量。根据风水蚀复合区现状,提出了一些治理工程项目,主要包括复合区黄河粗泥沙综合治理工程和生态修复工程。这些工程的实施,将大大减少进入黄河的粗泥沙量,风水蚀复合区水土流失状况可以得到改善。     

区域土壤侵蚀普查方法的初步讨论

区域土壤侵蚀调查制图和动态分析,是国家和省区编制土壤侵蚀宏观规划的数据基础,也是一个重大前沿性研究命题。在综述国内外区域土壤侵蚀调查制图、区域土壤侵蚀因子、土壤侵蚀尺度效应和土壤侵蚀模型等研究现状的基础上,对即将开展的全国土壤侵蚀普查工作提出以下建议：土壤侵蚀普查需要充分利用我国土壤侵蚀模型研究的最新成果,采用模拟计算方法实现对土壤侵蚀强度的定量估算;调查内容应包括区域土壤侵蚀因子、土壤侵蚀类型与强度、水土保持措施、典型区域抽样调查等;对土壤侵蚀尺度效应、区域土壤侵蚀模型应用示范和区域土壤侵蚀数据库建设方法等关键技术展开攻关研究。