Carbon isotopic ratios of wetland and terrace soil sequences in the Maya Lowlands of Belize and Guatemala

This article provides new data and synthesizes earlier findings on the carbon isotope ratios of the humin part of soil organic matter from a range of sites in the central Maya Lowlands. Changes down the soil profile in carbon isotope ratios can provide an important line of evidence for vegetation change and erosion over time, especially in well dated aggrading profiles. Research thus far has provided substantial evidence for significant inputs from C₄ vegetation in buried layers from the Ancient Maya periods in depositional soils but equivocal evidence from sloping soils. We present new findings from soil profiles through ancient Maya wetland fields, upland karst wetlands, ancient Maya aguadas (reservoirs), and ancient Maya terraces. Most of the profiles exhibited δ¹³C enrichment greater than the 2.5–3‰ typical from bacterial fractionation. Seven of nine ancient Maya wetland profiles showed δ¹³C enrichment ranging from 4.25 to 8.56‰ in ancient Maya-dated sediments that also contained phytolith and pollen evidence of grass (C₄ species) dominance. Upland karst sinks and ancient reservoirs produced more modest results for δ¹³C enrichment. These seasonal wetland profiles exhibited δ¹³C enrichment ranging from 1 to 7.3‰ from the surface to ancient Maya-period sediments. Agricultural terraces produced mixed results, with two terraces having substantial δ¹³C enrichment of 5.34 and 5.66‰ and two producing only equivocal results of 1.88 and 3.03‰ from modern topsoils to Maya Classic-period buried soils. Altogether, these findings indicate that C₄ plants made up c. 25% of the vegetation at our sites in the Maya Classic period and only a few percent today. These findings advance the small corpus of studies from ancient terraces, karst sinks, and ancient wetland fields by demonstrating substantial δ¹³C and thus C₄ plant enrichment in soil profile sections dated to ancient Maya times. These studies are also providing a new line of evidence about local and regional soil and ecological change in this region of widespread environmental change in the Late Holocene.     

Natural and anthropogenic controls on soil erosion in the Internal Betic Cordillera (southeast Spain)

Soil erosion in southeast Spain is a complex process due to strong interactions between biophysical and human components. Significant progress has been achieved in the understanding of soil hydrological behavior, despite the fact that most investigations were focused on the experimental plot scale. Although experimental plots allow exploring the effect of multiple biophysical and anthropogenic factors, they provide limited insights in the combined effect of all factors acting together at the landscape scale. In this study, area-specific sediment yields (SSY) have been estimated based on the volume of sediment trapped behind 36 check dams in the southeast of Spain. Low SSY-values were reported (mean = 1.40 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹: median = 0.61 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹). SSY variability could be explained for 67% by catchment characteristics such as drainage area, soil characteristics, land cover, average catchment slope, and annual rainfall. The low SSY values are probably caused by the agricultural abandonment that occurred over the past decades and allowed the recovery of natural vegetation. Furthermore, our results suggest that the soils have eroded in the past to such an extent that nowadays not much sediment is detached by overland flow due to residual enrichment of clay and stones. Also, sediment is to a large extent trapped locally in the catchment, as indicated by the negative relationship between SSY and catchment area.     

Soil erosion: An important indicator for the assessment of land degradation neutrality in Russia

This review of soil erosion (SE) studies in Russia focuses on two main tasks: (i) ensuring the completeness and reliability of SE data in Russia, a large country (17.1 million km²) with a variety of natural and socio-economic causes of land degradation, (ii) assessing the possibility of including a SE indicator among the indicators of land degradation neutrality (LDN). A wide range of statistical, remote sensing, mathematical modeling data, the results of scientific and field studies obtained at different levels were analyzed. It is asserted that in Russia the total area of eroded lands and those under erosion risk occupy more than 50% of all agricultural lands, whereas soil fertility of croplands decreased in Soviet time (from 1950s to 1980s) by 30–60% only due to water erosion. However, recent scientific studies indicate a decrease in erosion rate and in the area of eroded land during the last 30–40 years as a result of abandonment of arable land and subsequent overgrown with natural vegetation. The climate change resulting in decrease of the depth of soil freezing, flow of spring runoff also adds to the decrease of soil erosion. The SE indicator was suggested as an important complement to three global LDN indicators. At national and subnational level, it can be interpreted through such indices as “Rate of soil loss” (ton ha-1 yr-1) and “Total soil loss” (1000 tons, in certain area during selected time period). At local level the set of indices can be wider and site-specific, including those obtained through remote sensing data by using the classifier of thematic applications of remote sensing technologies; the example was tested at the local site.     

Implications of decadal changes in precipitation and land use policy to soil erosion in Basilicata,Italy

This paper examines the implications of changes in precipitation and land use to soil erosion from 1955 to 2002 in Basilicata, a hilly portion of southern Italy. Analysis of daily precipitation records reveals statistically significant trends using both non-parametric and parametric approaches. The inter-annual variability of precipitation increases in intensity; primarily between October and January. From 1955 to 2000, the length of dry spells greatly increased, while wet days decreased. A land use change map was produced for the three study areas using aerial photos (1955) and orthophotos (1997 and 2002), integrated with field surveys. Results show that land use is highly dynamic in Basilicata, especially due to the application of the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) measures. The EU policies resulted in reclamation of badlands and degraded grasslands for agriculture, principally the cultivation of durum wheat. This farming practice and the abandonment of some of the remodeled areas have increased the risk of soil erosion and desertification processes, and is manifest in land degradation by rill networks and gullying.     

Effects of land use on soil erosion in a tropical dry forest ecosystem,Chamela watershed,Mexico

During the past few decades, Mexico has been converting tropical dry forest (TDF) into cropland and pasture, with land degradation expressed as soil erosion being the main environmental consequence. The factors and processes influencing soil erosion are related to scale. At a microscale, the stability of soil aggregates has a significant impact on soil erodibility and strongly influences other soil properties. However, at plot and watershed scales, these relationships are less well known. The relationships between the distribution of soil aggregate size, soil properties and soil erosion were examined for two soil geomorphological units (hillslopes over granite and hillslopes over tuffs) and three land uses (TDF, unburned pasture and burned pasture) within the Chamela watershed of west–central Mexico. To evaluate soil aggregation as a parameter for upscaling soil erosion, the researchers measured microtopographic features at plot scales and interpreted 1:35,000 panchromatic aerial photographs at a watershed scale. Analysis of variance indicated significant differences in soil organic carbon (P < 0.05) and soil moisture (P < 0.01) contents between the two soil geomorphological units, and field tests showed differences in soil texture and structure.     

Tillage and crop management effects on soil erosion in central Croatia

Soil erosion continues to be a primary cause for soil degradation and the loss of soil quality throughout the world. Our objectives were to quantify soil erosion (referred to as erosional drift) and to assign erosion risk to six tillage and crop management treatments evaluated from 1995 to 1999 for a 5-year maize (Zea mays L.), soybean (Glycine hyspida L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), oil-seed rape (Brassica napus var. oleifera L.), and spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) plus double-crop soybean rotation on Stagnic Luvisols in central Croatia. Standard black fallow (tilled, unsown, and without any vegetative cover) Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) plots were used to establish the erosion potential associated with the rainfall pattern for each year. Soil loss from the check plots was several times greater than the T value, which is estimated to be 10 t ha⁻¹ per year. During the 2 years when spring seeded maize or soybean were grown (1995 and 1996) erosion risk was extremely high, especially for treatments where tillage and planting (row direction) were up and down the slope. When autumn seeded winter wheat or oil-seed rape were grown (1996/1997 or 1997/1998), soil erosion was insignificant. Also, except when plowing and sowing were up and down slope, erosion loss for the spring barley plus double-crop soybean crops in 1999 was insignificant. With no-tillage, soil erosion from the maize and soybean crops was reduced 40 and 65% compared to plowing up and down slope, even though the planting direction was still up and down the slope. With the exception of maize in 1995, erosion losses were moderate to insignificant when plowing and planting were performed across the slope. We conclude that erosion risk can be used as a reliable indicator of sustainable land management and that using no-tillage or plowing and planting perpendicular to the predominant slope are effective soil conservation practices for this region.     

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.     

基于土地利用结构特征的土壤侵蚀强度预测研究——以四川省为例

研究计算四川省土地利用结构特征指数和土壤侵蚀强度指数结果表明,该省土地利用结构特征指数与土壤侵蚀强度指数的变化具有同步性,用土地利用结构特征指数预测其土壤侵蚀强度变化是合理可行的。     

Effects of soil erosion on long-term soil productivity in the black soil region of northeastern China

China's northeastern Black Soil Region, one of the country's most important crop production areas, has been seriously affected by soil erosion. This study evaluated the effects of soil erosion on the long-term productivity of this region. We used a modified productivity index (MPI) model (MPI is a number between 0 and 1, with 1 indicating highest productivity) to assess the current effects of soil erosion on soil productivity, as well as to predict long-term change in productivity. Samples from 21 black soil profiles yielded varying MPI values, although most MPI values were indicative of moderate productivity. Organic matter content and available water capacity impact MPI values in the region, whereas soil clay content and pH were less important. Overall, organic matter content and available water capacity of soil profiles decreased consistently as depth of erosion increased. Modeling indicated that MPI in the region will decrease by 0.0052 for each centimeter of topsoil eroded; this rate represents 1% of the current average MPI for the study area. The model predicts a 9.6% productivity reduction over 100 years and a 48.3% reduction over 500 years.     

Soil loss estimation using rusle model to prioritize erosion control in KELANI river basin in Sri Lanka

Soil erosion contributes negatively to agricultural production, quality of source water for drinking, ecosystem health in land and aquatic environments, and aesthetic value of landscapes. Approaches to understand the spatial variability of erosion severity are important for improving landuse management. This study uses the Kelani river basin in Sri Lanka as the study area to assess erosion severity using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model supported by a GIS system. Erosion severity across the river basin was estimated using RUSLE, a Digital Elevation Model (15 × 15 m), twenty years rainfall data at 14 rain gauge stations across the basin, landuse and land cover, and soil maps and cropping factors. The estimated average annual soil loss in Kelani river basin varied from zero to 103.7 t ha-1 yr⁻¹, with a mean annual soil loss estimated at 10.9 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. About 70% of the river basin area was identified with low to moderate erosion severity (<12 t ha−1 yr⁻¹) indicating that erosion control measures are urgently needed to ensure a sustainable ecosystem in the Kelani river basin, which in turn, is connected with the quality of life of over 5 million people. Use of this severity information developed with RUSLE along with its individual parameters can help to design landuse management practices. This effort can be further refined by analyzing RUSLE results along with Kelani river sub-basins level real time erosion estimations as a monitoring measure for conservation practices.     

河北省坝上不同土地利用方式土壤可蚀性研究 —以河北省丰宁县大滩乡三道河为例

计算研究河北省坝上不同土地利用方式土壤可蚀性结果表明 ,弃耕地潜在可蚀性 (其值 6 3.85 5 % ) >人工林地 (5 4 .2 12 % ) >耕地 (5 3.0 2 0 % ) >草地 (5 0 .787% ) ,表明草地为最适合该区发展的土地利用方式。     

免耕与土壤侵蚀研究进展

综述了国内外免耕控制土壤侵蚀的机理研究以及对土壤性质的影响,并提出免耕在我国的应用方向。     

Dynamic study of infiltration rate for soils with varying degrees of degradation by water erosion

Ultisols, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of south China, are suffering from serious water erosion, however, slope hydrological process for Ultisols under different erosional degradation levels in field condition has been scarcely investigated. Field rainfall simulation at two rainfall intensities (120 and 60 mm/h) were performed on pre-wetted Ultisols with four erosion degrees (non, moderate, severe and very-severe), and the hydrological processes of these soils were determined. The variation of soil infiltration was contributed by the interaction of erosion degree and rainfall intensity (p < 0.05). In most cases, time to incipient runoff, the decay coefficient, steady state infiltration rate, and their variability were larger at the high rainfall intensity, accelerating by the increasing erosion severity. Despite rainfall intensity, the infiltration process of Ultisols was also significantly influenced by mean weight diameter of aggregates at the field moisture content, soil organic carbon and particle size distribution (R² > 30%, p < 0.05). The temporal erodibility of surface soil and soil detachment rate were significantly and negatively correlated with infiltration rate (r < -0.32, p < 0.05), but less significant correlation was observed between sediment concentration and infiltration rate for most soils, especially at the high rainfall intensity. The variation of surface texture and soil compactness generated by erosion degradation was the intrinsic predominant factors for the change of infiltration process of Ultisols. The obtained results will facilitate the understanding of hydrological process for degraded lands, and provide useful knowledge in managing crop irrigation and soil erosion.     

Satellite remote sensing for water erosion assessment: A review

Water erosion creates negative impacts on agricultural production, infrastructure, and water quality across the world. Regional-scale water erosion assessment is important, but limited by data availability and quality. Satellite remote sensing can contribute through providing spatial data to such assessments. During the past 30 years many studies have been published that did this to a greater or lesser extent. The objective of this paper is to review methodologies applied for water erosion assessment using satellite remote sensing. First, studies on erosion detection are treated. This comprises the detection of erosion features and eroded areas, as well as the assessment of off-site impacts such as sediment deposition and water quality of inland lakes. Second, the assessment of erosion controlling factors is evaluated. Four types of factors are discussed: topography, soil properties, vegetation cover, and management practices. Then, erosion mapping techniques are described that integrate products derived from satellite remote sensing with additional data sources. These techniques include erosion models and qualitative methods. Finally, validation methods used to assess the accuracy of maps produced with satellite data are discussed. It is concluded that a general lack of validation data is a main concern. Validation is of utmost importance to achieve regional operational monitoring systems, and close collaboration between the remote sensing community and field-based erosion scientists is therefore required.     

陕北坡耕地土壤侵蚀对土壤性质的影响研究

研究分析黄土高原北部坡耕地土壤侵蚀对土壤性质影响结果表明,山坡中、上部为土壤侵蚀最强烈地带,坡顶侵蚀较弱;土壤全N、碱解氮、速效钾与水蚀和耕作侵蚀间呈线性相关关系,而土壤有机质、速效磷和阳离子代换量则与水蚀和耕作侵蚀无显著相关性。     

Late Quaternary paleosols and their paleoenvironmental significance along the Andean piedmont,Eastern Bolivia

The Andean piedmont of eastern Bolivia is situated at the southern margin of Amazonia characterized by an overall humid climate regime with a marked contrast between the rainy and dry seasons. The nearby Subandean foothills deliver abundant sandy sediments to the piedmont, leading to a complex array of sediments and paleosol horizons. Within this setting, the presented study analyzes four profiles of paleosol-sediment-sequences along incised ephemeral streams near Santa Cruz de la Sierra with a focus on past pedogenic variability in the context of the regional late Quaternary geomorphic and environmental evolution.     

The effect of plant hedgerows on the spatial distribution of soil erosion and soil fertility on sloping farmland in the purple-soil area of China

Recently the effect of plant hedgerows on controlling soil and water loss has been well recognized, and this technology has been widely applied in the world. However, there are few studies on hedgerows’ effect on soil fertility of sloping lands. With an 8-year fixed field experiment, we investigated the effect of two different hedgerows on soil fertility through comparing with the control. Our results showed that along contour lines across the field, clay particles tended to accumulate above plant hedgerows but to be eroded downward below hedgerows. Except for potassium (K), all plant nutrients and soil organic matter showed the same distribution pattern as clay particles. K, however, was evenly distributed in the field without any noticeable influence from hedgerows. Since the beginning of our field experiment, soil phosphorus (P) kept accumulating, while soil organic matter and K were in depletion. Taken together, our results suggest that better nutrient management for the sloping lands should reduce P but increase farm manure and K. As far as the whole sloping field is concerned, special attention in nutrient management should be paid to the soil stripes below hedgerows, the portions suffering from more serious soil erosion.     

Impacts of historical land use changes on erosion and agricultural soil properties in the Kali Basin at Lake Balaton, Hungary

Historical land use changes may have significant impact on erosion and agricultural soil properties, including soil degradation by acidification, nutrient leaching and organic matter depletion. The Kali Basin study area, a small catchment of high landscape value located in a national park at Lake Balaton, Hungary, with its historical agricultural records, together with the available unique historical land use data for the last 200 years, provides an opportunity to study and model impacts of historical land use changes on erosion and agricultural soil properties. Comparison of long-term land uses with present soil degradation indicator parameters showed that permanent arable land use has led to degradation of both the physical and chemical properties of soils in the Kali Basin. Application of the SEDEM/WATEM distributed erosion and sediment transport model showed that, despite the low overall sediment export from the catchment, land use changes introduced by property ownership and agricultural changes have decreased average soil erosion in the catchment but increased relative sediment export to Lake Balaton. This is due to changes in the land cover pattern that allow more sediment transported to the river system. The overall conclusion of this study is that besides the size and area proportion of land use types, land use pattern seems to be equally important in soil erosion and degradation processes, thus land use pattern is a key factor for landscape planning and development in the Kali Basin. A relationship between the sociological and agro-ecological reasons for the recorded land use changes is also shown in this study.