Gully erosion: Impacts, factors and control

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

Gully development in the Moldavian Plateau of Romania

Gully erosion has been recognized as an important environmental threat in the Moldavian Plateau of Eastern Romania. The main objective of this study was to define the process-based gully development by providing quantitative information from long-term field measurements in small catchments.Three main areas of monitoring gullies were explored: aerial photographs of flights in 1960 and 1970, classical leveling and repeated survey through a particular close stakes grid after 1980. The Caesium-137 technique has been used effectively in the areas of deposition of gully sediments to obtain reliable information on dating specific levels of sediments and to provide chronological measures of gully development.Most of the discontinuous gullies exhibit both proper gullying, mainly if not exclusively by gully head advance, and aggradation of the gully basin floor. Results indicated that the mean gully head retreat was 0.92 m year^− 1 and the mean areal gully growth was 17.0 m² year^− 1. Both values indicate a slow erosion rate for this area. The average annual regime of gullying is pulsatory, one that is best described by great fluctuations. Conventional measurements on sedimentation over the period 1987–1997 indicate a higher rate of aggradation in the upper half of the gully floor. Information on the Caesium-137 depth profile was used to provide estimates of a mean sedimentation rate of 4.4 cm year^− 1 over the period 1963–1996 and 2.5 cm year^− 1 after 1986 for the short successive discontinuous gullies. A new classification of the discontinuous gullies based on two criteria, respectively, the field patterns and the rate of aggradation within the gully basin floor was established.For continuous gullies, linear gully head retreat, areal gully growth and eroded material rates were quantified for three periods (1961–1970, 1971–1980 and 1981–1990). Results indicate that gully erosion has decreased since 1960. This gullying decline is due to the rainfall distribution, and the increased influence of soil conservation practices. The mean gully head retreat of 12.5 m year^− 1 between 1961–1990 was accompanied by a mean areal gully growth of 366.8 m² year^− 1 and a mean erosion rate of 4168 t year^− 1. As with discontinuous gullies, continuous gullies showed pulsatory development.The critical period for gullying over 1981–1996 covers 4 months from Mid March to Mid July in an area with mean annual precipitation around 500 mm. Another main finding of this 16-year stationary monitoring was that 57% of the total gullying occurred during the cold season, with the remainder during the warm season. Of the total gully growth, 66% results from only four years (1981, 1988, 1991 and 1996), when a greater amount of precipitation fell.     

Rill and gully development during an extreme winter runoff event in Norway

Erosion on agricultural fields in Norway has earlier been reported to be mainly sheet and minor rill erosion. Exceptional rainfall events during January and February (230% of 30 years monthly mean) in 1990 led to extreme runoff and widespread erosion also on areas normally not considered to have a high erosion risk. This study presents the results of a field survey in three counties where rills and ephemeral gullies were measured after this event. Shifting weather conditions with freezing and thawing had given frozen subsoil. Topsoil conditions varied from ice- and snow-covered surface to thawed surface with frozen subsoil. In one of the areas with a high clay content, only the upper topsoil layer was unfrozen during this event. Extended sheet erosion and smaller rills occurred. In the southernmost locations, more of the topsoil profile was unfrozen. Combined with a high silt/sand content, more severe rilling and ephemeral gullies developed. Gullies developed down to the depth of the drainpipes in all locations. This erosion equals soil losses of more than 100 tons ha⁻¹ or 8–9 mm soil lost from the entire field area. Different mechanisms for gully development were registered. Gullies developed as enlarged rills with headward migration and sidewall sloughing. Knickpoints in the slope could also lead to gully development. Concentrated water flow entering the field from farmyards, roads, neighbouring fields and woods could be the starting point for uncontrolled rilling and ephemeral gullying. The combination of frozen subsoil, saturated soil with low strength and intense rainfall led to gully development also on areas with gentle slopes, especially sandy soils. Management practices like crop cover, tillage and lack of surface water control highly influenced the development of gullies.     

Effects of land use and landscape on spatial distribution and morphological features of gullies in an agropastoral area in Sardinia (Italy)

According to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), soil erosion is one of the main causes of desertification in the Northern Mediterranean. Recently, the role of channelled erosion in sediment delivery has been underlined by several studies. The aim of this paper is to describe a simplified experimental methodology settled up for studying the relationships between gully erosion and land use.The experimental site, which is wide about 720 ha, is located in a hilly area threatened by desertification in Central Eastern Sardinia (Italy). This area is characterised by irregular morphology with steep slopes, where agropastoral activities, particularly tillage with heavy machinery and overgrazing, are causing severe soil erosion and compromising agricultural productivity. Previous studies carried out in the same area highlighted the need to quantify and monitor soil erosion in order to outline management guidelines for farmers. In this study, an integrated methodology that uses aerial photographs and field surveys was applied to inventory the gullies of the area. The degree of activity and morphological characteristics of gullies were assessed in the field by measuring the position and shape of gully heads, and their width and depth. Total gully volume was also estimated. Relationships among distribution, density and morphological characteristics of gullies, and geomorphological features, land use and land use historical dynamics of the area have been studied. The results show the very significant impact of agricultural activities on gully activity and density.     

Geomorphological investigation on gully erosion in the Rift Valley and the northern highlands of Ethiopia

Gully erosion phenomena are very common in Ethiopia. They affect large areas with different morphological, pedological and climatic characteristics. The amount of soil loss due to gullying has become a very serious problem in the recent decades as it was associated to remarkable depletion of cultivated land. Field investigations on gully morphology and its genetic processes were carried out in two study areas of Ethiopia, representative of different geo-environmental conditions: the Lakes Region in the Rift portion north of Shashamene and the area surrounding the town of Mekele in Tigray.Two main types of gullies were identified on the basis of their morphological and hydraulic geometry characteristics: (1) discontinuous gullies which generally develop on low gradient slopes (1–5° on average) and the hydraulic radius of which increases from an upstream minimum to a maximum, at approximately their mid length, and decreases again to a relative minimum at their downstream end; and (2) stream gullies, formed by deep erosion processes typically migrating upslope. In order to investigate the main causes originating the different types of gullies, shear stress data were collected in the field from their hydraulic geometry. Hypotheses on the mechanisms responsible for both discontinuous and stream gullies development and for their different characteristics are discussed considering the pattern of shear stress variation in the downstream direction.     

黄土残塬区侵蚀沟道分类研究

黄土残塬区的沟道由于地质地貌基础及土壤侵蚀强度的不同而具有不同的形态特征。按沟道开析状况可将沟道划分为开析型、半开析型和深切型 ,按地面割裂程度可划分为强度割裂型、中度割裂型和弱度割裂型 ,按主支沟状况可划分为主沟型、半主沟型和支沟型。沟头从发生学角度可划分为原生侵蚀沟头和次生侵蚀沟头两类 ,从目前的发育程度和活跃状况可划分为顶极型、遏止型和前进型沟头。对不同类型的沟道和沟头提出了积极的防治建议。     

Equation for high-rate gully erosion

An approach to gully erosion is presented in this paper. The approach is based on general equations derived from theoretical considerations. The equations apply to a situation of intense erosion rate, such as at peak discharge during the few critical rainstorms, able to generate or to widen gullies.Equations linking gully widening to gully deepening are derived. They do not depend on the way in which concentrated flow aggressiveness is estimated. The equation expressing gully width/depth relationship was successfully compared with data from the literature.When runoff aggressiveness was estimated through unit stream power and bottom flow shear stress, the width/discharge relationships found were similar to those expected on the basis of previous studies (e.g., Leopold and Maddock [U. S. Geol. Surv. Prof. Pap. 252 (1953) 57 pp.]) even if slope gradient explicitly appears in contrast with empirical evidence. Only threshold conditions for gullies indicate that flow shear stress (for laminar flow conditions) can explain the observed trends. This astonishing result most probably indicates that gully initiation needs more complex contexts to be explained than the one here used (based on a Montgomery and Dietrich [1994. Landscape dissection and drainage area–slope thresholds. In: M.J. Kirkby (ed.), Process Models and Theoretical Geomorphology. Wiley, 221–246] approach).A selection of the proposed equations have been arranged into a research model and an example of the outcome has been given for two situations typical of cropland in southern Tuscany (Italy). The results indicate that the spatial distribution of soil characteristics and of land use influences significantly gully generation and evolution. This further confirms that gully morphological thresholds cannot be explained by simple approaches.     

The effect of some watershed,soil characteristics and morphometric factors on the relationship between the gully volume and length in Fars Province,Iran

A survey consisting of 146 first order gullies selected from five sites with different land use, soil and watershed properties was carried out to estimate the parameters of the empirical power function in order to describe the relationship between the gully volume and length in Fars province, Iran. Subsequently, the gullies were clustered into seven groups (“A” to “G”) based on nine morphometric factors. The linearized functions were fitted to the natural logarithms of the volume and length in each group and the parameters “a” and “b” were determined. The obtained “a” and “b” parameters are in the ranges of 1.0–10.8 and 0.8–1.4, respectively. Comparison of “a” and “b” parameters in each group with the mean of nine factors and the mean soil, watershed and land use characteristics in each group showed that the gully volume and average cross section are correlated with the gully depths in different sections and the gully head slopes. Also it was shown that the parameters of fitted functions to the plots of gully volumes versus gully lengths are proportional to width at the gully heads. The gully widths at the top and bottom of the five meter sections are correlated with the average upstream watershed area of the gullies.     

Development of gullies and sediment fans in last-glacial areas on the example of the Suwałki Lakeland (NE Poland)

The density of gully network in the Suwa?ki Lakeland (northeastern Poland) with typical last-glaciation relief is 0.2 km/km² on average and locally reaches 1.2 km/km². Most gullies are isolated but sporadically they create dendritic patterns. The larger gullies are developed along dellies (bowl-shaped, dry valleys) or melt-out valleys. The smaller and shorter gullies occur on the slopes of melt-out depressions and tunnel valleys. Ages of peat covered by fans at the mouths of larger gullies indicate that gully erosion started between 3520 ± 70 to 2240 ± 100 BP. Two different units build the fans and infilled the gullies. The older unit in the lower part of fans is up to 5 m thick, contains sand and gravel that generally originated from the bottom and bank erosion of the gullies and resembles alluvium. The younger unit, about 2–3 m thick, consists of colluvium. The fans at the mouths of smaller and shorter gullies are mainly built of colluvium. The maximal grain diameter in both units is similar, which testifies to a similar intensity of extreme rainfalls. The analysed sediments have different characteristics, which indicate that the source material and depositional changes are linked to forest clearance and farmland expansion starting in the 7th century AD and continuing in the Middle Ages.     

Gully and sheet erosion on subtropical mountain slopes: Their respective roles and the scale effect

As most mountains in tropical and subtropical zones, the Western Sierra Madre suffers active present erosion, which may create some constraints to the social and economic development in the area.The objectives of this study of soil degradation in the Western Sierra Madre, are to determine the respective roles of gully and sheet erosion. This research is based on field observations, field measurements of runoff and, soil losses at the plot, as well as the watershed scales as an analysis of an exhaustive census of the few gullies located in an experimental area.Measured soil losses in the Western Sierra Madre are high although there are few gullies. Most of the sediment yield seems to originate in widespread degraded areas where stoniness is the main evidence of a previous stage of erosion. Previously overgrazing and deforestation were determined as the factors of the appearance of new soil surface characteristics which explain the high runoff and sediment productions. The soil compacted by cattle trampling reduces infiltration. The decrease of the vegetation cover triggers a rise in the splash effect and thus, a soil sealing.These processes induce an increase in runoff and soil losses. The main erosion type has been described as sheet erosion: it is characterised by the removal of fine soil particles and the remains of gravels, pebbles and blocks, which constitute a pavement on the soil. Gullies generally appear on the bottom of wide valleys and depressions, where soils are thick. It is shown that sheet erosion is two orders of magnitude higher than gully erosion at the hillslope scale.Due to the spatial distribution of land use and the geological context such as the heavily degraded areas close to the main rivers, the reduction of runoff and soil loss rates within the extension of a considered area, commonly observed in hydrology, only applies up to the elementary catchments scale (1 to 50 km²). Above this area, runoff coefficient and soil loss rates increase.     

基于GPS与GIS 技术的长江上游山地冲沟的分布特征研究

长江上游山地生态环境十分脆弱，冲沟系统广泛分布，但对该区冲沟的发生演变一直缺乏定量研究数据。以西昌长山岭地区为对象，应用RTK-GPS对该区冲沟系统进行测量，建立数字高程模型（DEM）；同时基于GIS技术，探讨了从DEM上提取冲沟系统的方法，并以实测冲沟系统为依据，对所提取的冲沟系统的精度进行了对比分析。结果表明，利用DEM提取冲沟系统是一种快速、有效的方法。与此同时，分析了长江上游地区山地冲沟系统的分布特征，结果表明，小流域的沟壑密度为46．7m／hm^2，冲沟侵蚀速率高达191．9t／（hm^2．a），小流域内的土壤侵蚀为极强度土壤侵蚀，以控制冲沟侵蚀为主的水土保持措施，是该地区生态环境建设中值得重视的关键问题。     

低山丘陵区沟壑三维梯级治理开发模式研究

朝阳市水土流失面积 1195 1 4km2 ,占全市总面积的 60 67% ,沟壑侵蚀面积占水土流失面积的 2 2 40 %。利用沟壑纵剖面信息熵分析法 ,进行沟壑侵蚀地貌形态计量分析 ,按照沟壑三维特征值变化规律 ,将沟壑侵蚀概化为前期、中期、后期三个阶段。采取典型沟壑治理开发试验与大面积沟壑治理开发应用相结合的研究方法 ,建立沟壑三维梯级治理开发措施体系 ,取得了显著的生态、经济和社会效益。     

Using LiDAR data to map gullies and headwater streams under forest canopy: South Carolina,USA

The southeastern Piedmont of the USA was severely gullied during the early 20th century. A thick canopy established by reforestation in many areas now inhibits the identification or mapping of gullies by aerial photography or other conventional remote sensing methods. An Airborne Laser-Scanning (ALS or LiDAR) mapping mission flown for the U.S. Forest Service in April, 2004 acquired bare-Earth topographic data. This paper tests the ability of the ALS topographic data to identify headwater channels and gullies for two branching gully systems in forested areas and to extract gully morphologic information. Comparisons are made with field traverses using differential GPS and reference cross sections measured by leveling surveys. At the gully network scale, LiDAR data provide accurate maps – the best available – with robust detection of small gullies except where they are narrow or parallel and closely spaced. Errors in mapping channel location and network topological connectivity under forest canopy increase with attempts to identify smaller features such as large rills. The ability of LiDAR data to map gullies and channels in a forested landscape should improve channel-network maps and topological models. At the gully reach scale, attempts to use LiDAR data to extract gully cross-section morphologic information under forest canopy were less successful due to systematic underestimation of gully depths and overestimation of gully top widths. Limited morphologic accuracy of the data set at this scale may be due to low bare-Earth point densities, shadowing of gully bottoms, and filtering of topographic discontinuities during post-processing. The ALS data used in this study are not suitable for detailed morphometric analysis or subtle change detection to monitor gullies or develop sediment budgets. Data collection may be improved by orienting flights over gullies and with increased point densities through improved scanner technology or better filtering and software capabilities to differentiate between vegetation and ground surfaces.     

The impact of environmental change on the intensity and spatial pattern of water erosion in a semi-arid mountainous Andean environment

Aerial photographs taken in 1976 and 1989 and a field survey in 1999 showed that land use in a 900-ha catchment in the southern part of the Ecuadorian Andes is highly dynamic. Over 23 years, ca. 83 ha of arable land was abandoned and ca. 70 ha was taken into agricultural production. Changes in land use were not spatially homogeneous. Parcels on unstable geologic formations and close to village centres were preferably set-aside. Land taken into cultivation was preferably located on gently sloping areas close to newly built sites and arterial roads. The area with bush vegetation increased by regeneration of natural vegetation on fields set-aside in the late 1970s and early 1980s. There was a complex interaction between water erosion and environmental change in the study area. Land taken into production was levelled for furrow irrigation: this led to a net reduction in the area susceptible to water erosion. However, one quarter of the area affected only by sheet and rill erosion 23 years ago has since become incised by deep gullies. This increase in gully density was related to inadequate construction and management of irrigation infrastructure, rather than to change in vegetation cover and/or soil erodibility caused by agricultural practices. This factor is often overlooked in studies of the effects of environmental change on geomorphologic processes.     

陕北黄土区切沟内陷穴发育特征研究

通过对陕北黄土区六道沟流域切沟内陷穴进行调查和统计分析,探讨陷穴的发育形态、分布特征及其影响因素。结果表明:陷穴主要形态类型有浅碟形、漏斗形、竖井状以及葫芦状,其断面形态接近于圆形或椭圆形,陷穴形态规模相对偏小,处于成熟期的比例达72.8%;陷穴长轴、短轴和深度之间均具有显著的正相关关系,其中长轴和短轴之间具有较好的线性关系;陷穴主要发育位置为沟道中上游及支沟沟头处,多与黄土桥和跌水相伴而生;切沟为陷穴的形成和发育提供了条件,陷穴亦可促进切沟进一步发展。上述结果完善了切沟内陷穴的发生发育特点和空间分布特征,为深入认识陷穴侵蚀机理,进一步研究陷穴侵蚀状况、陷穴与切沟发育关系以及区域水土流失治理等提供了基础。     

Characteristics and factors controlling the development of ephemeral gullies in cultivated catchments of black soil region, Northeast China

Ephemeral gully erosion is an important process in the black soil region, Northeast China and can be responsible for severe damage to agricultural lands. However, little research on gully formation in this area has been published. The study described in this paper attempted to quantify soil losses, the spatial distribution and morphology of the gullies, and the factors that control their development. Ephemeral gullies were measured in spring and summer of 2005 in two small catchments. The critical periods for ephemeral gully formation were late spring and summer in the study area. Mean soil losses due to ephemeral gully erosion were 0.40 and 0.43 kg m⁻² year⁻¹ for only croplands despite low slope gradients, and this loss is above the tolerable erosion rates of 0.20 kg m⁻² year⁻¹. The erosion rates were greater in spring because the topsoil thawed before deeper layers, reducing infiltration into the soil, and the bare vegetation cover provided no barriers to surface flow. In contrast, summer erosion occurred primarily in response to intense rain events. Development of the gullies was promoted by freeze-thaw cycles in spring and was affected by the type of agricultural operations and crops in summer. A linear regression model for the prediction of ephemeral gully length at the catchment level was established using field data, and although it did not successfully predict the length of individual gullies, it explained 55% of the variation in ephemeral gully length.     

天山北坡典型小流域侵蚀沟形态特征及其成因

[目的]揭示天山北坡典型小流域侵蚀沟发育规律,为侵蚀沟的预警及防治提供科学依据。[方法]选取天山北坡典型小流域10条侵蚀沟进行分析,采用野外实地调查与地理信息技术相结合的方法,对研究区侵蚀沟形态发育特征及其成因进行分析。[结果](1)研究区侵蚀沟特征值之间存在着一定的相关关系:横截面积与平均沟宽、平均沟深呈极显著正相关;沟壑面积与沟长呈显著正相关;沟壑体积与横截面积、沟壑面积呈极显著正相关关系,与平均沟宽、平均沟深呈显著正相关关系;沟长、平均沟宽、平均沟深相互之间无明显的相关关系,汇水面积与特征值之间也无明显的相关关系。(2)研究区侵蚀沟均是开析型侵蚀沟和弱度割裂型侵蚀沟。(3)研究区侵蚀沟密度与坡度呈正相关关系,坡度越大,密度越大;侵蚀沟密度与沟长无相关关系,侵蚀沟密度随沟长的增加呈先增加后减小的趋势;研究区典型侵蚀沟密度在南坡最大,西坡和西南坡的密度相对较小。[结论]坡度和坡向是影响小流域尺度侵蚀沟发育的重要地形因素。     

东北黑土区沟道侵蚀现状及其防治对策

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

Analysis of the influence of gully erosion in the flow pattern of catchment streams, Southeastern Brazil

The baseflow of tributaries to the Velhas River in the northwest region of Ouro Preto County (São Francisco Basin, Brazil) has been declining in the last years, without a simultaneous decrease in the water input. This can only be attributed to badly planned human activities, which result in soil crusting or compaction, erosion, among other types of impact, such as groundwater overexploitation and wetland drainage. Almost all of the study area has been eroded by hundreds of large-size gullies. In order to analyze the influence of erosion in the hydrological behavior of small streams, two similar and contiguous catchments were selected. The only remarkable difference between them is a gully that occupies circa 42% of one of the catchments (“eroded catchment”). Rainfall, flow rates and chemical data were obtained throughout a hydrological year and the results showed that the eroded catchment presented smaller baseflow rates and bigger but short-lived stormflows. This contrasting flow regime is attributed to the gully, which is causing the partial withdraw of the regolith and the exposure of weathered rock. As the regolith has smaller hydraulic conductivities and higher storage coefficients, the exposure of weathered rock on the gully floor explains the odd flow behavior of the eroded catchment. Other studies in the same region confirm the impact caused by the gullies. Thus, the superposition of many gullies can cause decrease of the baseflow and increase of the stormflow. As gullies are very common erosion features in Brazil, they should be much more studied in order to better understand this and other similar types of environmental impact.     

元谋干热河谷冲沟形态特征及其成因

元谋干热河谷冲沟极为发育,发达的冲沟网络不但蚕食耕地,还产生大量泥沙,并加剧面蚀的发育发展,加速土地退化进程.在干热河谷开展冲沟侵蚀研究对于该区经济的可持续发展及江河泥沙的控制意义深远.采用野外实地调查、文献资料综合分析的方法,对元谋干热河谷冲沟形态特征及其成因进行了研究.结果表明:1)元谋干热河谷冲沟具有“沟壁陡立、沟谷深壑、活跃沟头常呈上凸下凹状”等形态特征;2)岩层结构、气候降雨、土壤属性是导致该区冲沟发育的主要原因.在此基础上指出,未来干热河谷冲沟侵蚀研究重点应集中于冲沟形态监测方法、冲沟发育过程及机制、冲沟产沙效应及人类活动对冲沟发育的影响等方面.