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.     

Ephemeral gully erosion in northwestern Spain

This study aimed to describe types of ephemeral gullies and to determine their origin, evolution and importance as sediment sources in A Coruña province (northwest Spain). Ephemeral gullies and/or rills have been measured in a representative sample of medium-textured soils, most prone to crusting, developed over basic schist. This sample consisted of 11 small sites, ranging from 0.63 to 7.34 ha. A case study of concentrated (rill+gully) erosion in a 0.47-ha catchment with coarse-textured soils developed over granite was also reported. The mean slope of the sites studied ranged from 6.1% to 16.8%. Main periods when soil surface was poorly covered were late spring (maize seedbeds) and late autumn–early winter (grassland and winter cereal seedbeds). Case studies where fields were left bare in winter were also investigated. Soil incision and channel formation were observed even with relatively low rainfall intensities when the soil surface was sealed, but also after a single short intense rainfall event on recently tilled surfaces. Concentrated erosion took place mainly on seedbeds and newly tilled soils in late spring and by autumn or early winter, but gullies also appeared in other seasons when the soil surface was left bare. In most of the cases studied, ephemeral gully erosion caused significant soil losses, ranging between 2 and 5 m³/ha for a single season to locally, over 25 m³/ha. Gully development was significantly affected by agricultural operations, such as lineal elements often acting as initial axes of concentrated erosion. Main gullies tended to reappear at the same position.     

东北漫岗黑土区地形因子对浅沟侵蚀的影响分析

浅沟侵蚀是坡耕地上重要的产沙方式之一,地形是控制其发生及发展的关键因素。通过对东北漫岗黑土区两个小流域的地形因子和浅沟侵蚀进行相关分析发现,浅沟长度、侵蚀体积与坡面长度呈显著相关,与汇水面积也有较好的相关。根据地形临界理论,确定了研究区浅沟和切沟侵蚀发生的地形临界（S-A）关系：SEG=0.052AEG^- 0.148和SG=0.072 AG^- 0.141,可以用来预测小流域内可能发生浅沟侵蚀以及浅沟向切沟侵蚀转变的部位。在地形分析的基础上,建立了预测浅沟长度的回归模型,交叉验证表明模型对单条浅沟长度的预测误差较大,平均误差37%;而预测浅沟总长度效果较好,预测浅沟总侵蚀量与实测值的误差也只有6%。     

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.     

东北典型黑土区侵蚀沟形态及分布特征

东北黑土区是中国最重要的粮食生产基地之一,同时也是中国四大水蚀区之一,其中沟道侵蚀是水蚀发生的主要形式,掌握东北黑土区沟道侵蚀的基本情况,剖析其形态及分布特征,对于分析东北黑土区沟道侵蚀的成因及水土流失治理至关重要。该研究以典型黑土区嫩江县为研究区域,利用航空遥感影像及1∶5万DEM对区域内侵蚀沟进行普查统计,并分析侵蚀沟的沟宽、沟长、纵比降等形态特征,以及海拔、坡度、坡向等地形因素对侵蚀沟分布的影响,为黑土区侵蚀沟的治理提供理论依据。研究结果表明:1)沟道侵蚀主要分布在丘陵区,沟道类型以切沟为主,冲沟影响面积仅次于切沟,研究区以小于500 m的侵蚀沟为主,数量及面积分别占总数的96.67%、61.99%;2)侵蚀沟的沟宽与沟长为正相关,纵比降与沟宽、沟长为负相关;3)坡向对各类型侵蚀沟的分布影响较小,坡度对侵蚀沟的分布有一定影响,细沟和浅沟主要分布在2~6°和6~15°的坡面上,而切沟和冲沟则主要分布在0~2°、2~6°的坡面上,90%以上的细沟和浅沟、80%以上的切沟、冲沟发生在耕地上;4)嫩江县冲沟地形阈值模型拟合表明嫩江县冲沟发生的临界坡度较小,较小的坡度就能对坡面形成冲刷,出现冲沟的发生发育,而模型中主导径流过程的参数数值较小,表明嫩江县冲沟的产生可能受到地下过程的影响。     

黄土高原沟壑丘陵区沟道侵蚀与洞穴侵蚀特征

[目的]通过对黄土高原沟壑丘陵区内的沟道侵蚀和洞穴侵蚀进行特征分析,为该地区开展水土保持工作提供数据支持和决策依据。[方法]以王家沟流域为研究对象,通过资料收集、卫星影像识别和现场调查等方法对流域内沟道侵蚀和洞穴侵蚀状况进行分析。[结果](1)流域内共分布718条沟道和948个洞穴。(2)根据空间位置和地形特点将所有沟道分为冲沟、切沟、干沟、河沟。这4类沟道由于受土壤岩性组成、坡度及人为活动等因素影响,空间分布存在巨大差异。(3)43%的洞穴分布在冲沟中,51%分布在切沟中,6%分布在干沟中。河沟中没有洞穴存在。冲沟和切沟是洞穴形成和发育的主要区域。(4)洞穴沟道的沟长、面积、切深、产流及产沙量都明显大于非洞穴沟道。[结论]在黄土高原丘陵沟壑区,洞穴侵蚀是土壤侵蚀的重要组成部分,并对沟道的发育和扩展起着至关重要的作用。     

基于RS和GIS的黄土丘陵沟壑区浅沟侵蚀地形特征研究

为了解黄土高原浅沟侵蚀地形特征,基于Qucickbird高分辨率遥感影像和数字高程模型,提取了坡面浅沟及其地形参数,并对浅沟侵蚀的地形特征参数和分布规律进行了统计分析,结果表明：黄土丘陵沟壑区,坡面坡度、长度、坡向以及上坡长度是影响坡面浅沟数量的主要地形要素,而浅沟侵蚀地形特征主要由坡面坡度、坡面长度、上坡长度和汇流面积共同决定;坡面长度与浅沟平均长度呈显著线性关系,坡面坡度与浅沟频度、浅沟坡度与其上坡长度间则均满足二次曲线;发生浅沟侵蚀的上限与下限临界坡度分别介于26～27°和15～20°,临界坡长介于50～80 m;由浅沟坡度的正弦值与汇流面积确定出浅沟分布的临界曲线;阳向坡面的平均浅沟长度小于阴向坡面。基于RS和GIS技术能有效确定浅沟侵蚀地形特征,为黄土区坡面水土流失治理提供了技术支撑。     

雨强和坡度对黄土陡坡地浅沟形态特征影响的定量研究

浅沟形态特征是建立陡坡地坡面浅沟侵蚀预报模型的基础。为了定量研究黄土陡坡地浅沟形态特征,在长8 m、宽2 m、深0.6 cm的试验土槽上制作了雏形浅沟,设计了2个降雨强度(50、100 mm/h)和3个浅沟发生的典型坡度(15°、20°、25°),利用模拟降雨和径流冲刷(10 L/min)相结合的试验方法定量分析了黄土陡坡地的浅沟形态特征。结果表明:降雨强度和坡度的增加均加快了坡面浅沟侵蚀过程并使浅沟沟槽宽度和深度不断增加,25°和100 mm/h降雨强度下的浅沟沟槽平均宽度和深度比15°和50 mm/h降雨强度下的分别增加1.40和0.61倍。根据测针板法得到的3 cm×10 cm精度的地表高程值数据,在Surfer软件中生成不同试验处理下的地面数字高程模型(DEM,digital elevation model)及水流流路图等,发现坡度的增加使两侧坡面细沟汇入浅沟沟槽的坡长增大,而降雨强度的增加则导致浅沟沟槽两侧坡面细沟汇入浅沟沟槽的坡长缩短,同时,沟道密度、地面割裂度和浅沟复杂度均随着降雨强度和坡度的增加而呈现增大的趋势,三者分别变化于0.74~1.48 m/m2、0.13~0.29和1.64~2.84之间,而不同降雨强度和坡度条件下浅沟沟槽宽深比变化于0.65~1.27之间。基于不同试验处理下的DEM,根据相邻格网关系在水平方向上计算方向导数后发现,方向导数格网等值线图可以有效地反映坡面浅沟和细沟的长度、表面积及侵蚀最严重的浅沟沟底位置。     

半干旱黄土丘陵沟壑区沟道侵蚀特征研究

利用遥感、地理信息技术和数理统计方法,选择山西省吕梁市王家沟流域为典型区域,系统分析了半干旱黄土丘陵沟壑区沟道侵蚀特征。研究结果表明:在王家沟流域内共有沟道718条,其中冲沟109条,切沟286条,干沟302条及河沟21条。这4类沟道的发育特征和空间分布特征存在巨大差异;沟道侵蚀是王家沟流域内土壤侵蚀的主要形式,沟道侵蚀面积占总侵蚀面积的56.19%;流域内不同坡度范围内土壤侵蚀强度与沟道类型存在紧密联系。同时,人为因素也对黄土丘陵沟壑区的沟道侵蚀具有重要的影响。     

Gully erosion and environmental change: importance and research needs

Assessing the impacts of climatic and, in particular, land use changes on rates of soil erosion by water is the objective of many national and international research projects. However, over the last decades, most research dealing with soil erosion by water has concentrated on sheet (interrill) and rill erosion processes operating at the (runoff) plot scale. Relatively few studies have been conducted on gully erosion operating at larger spatial scales.Recent studies indicate that (1) gully erosion represents an important sediment source in a range of environments and (2) gullies are effective links for transferring runoff and sediment from uplands to valley bottoms and permanent channels where they aggravate off site effects of water erosion. In other words, once gullies develop, they increase the connectivity in the landscape. Many cases of damage (sediment and chemical) to watercourses and properties by runoff from agricultural land relate to (ephemeral) gullying. Consequently, there is a need for monitoring, experimental and modelling studies of gully erosion as a basis for predicting the effects of environmental change (climatic and land use changes) on gully erosion rates.In this respect, various research questions can be identified. The most important ones are:

What is the contribution of gully erosion to overall soil loss and sediment production at various temporal and spatial scales and under different climatic and land use conditions?

What are appropriate measuring techniques for monitoring and experimental studies of the initiation and development of various gully types at various temporal and spatial scales?

Can we identify critical thresholds for the initiation, development and infilling of gullies in different environments in terms of flow hydraulics, rain, topography, soils and land use?

How does gully erosion interact with hydrological processes as well as with other soil degradation processes?

What are appropriate models of gully erosion, capable of predicting (a) erosion rates at various temporal and spatial scales and (b) the impact of gully development on hydrology, sediment yield and landscape evolution?

What are efficient gully prevention and gully control measures? What can be learned from failures and successes of gully erosion control programmes?

These questions need to be answered first if we want to improve our insights into the impacts of environmental change on gully erosion. This paper highlights some of these issues by reviewing recent examples taken from various environments.     

Study of ephemeral gully erosion in a small upland catchment on the Inner-Mongolian Plateau

Ephemeral gully erosion is an important soil erosion process on the Inner-Mongolia Plateau in North China, and although its damage is very intense, little research on the area has been published. In this paper, a global positioning system (GPS) is used to measure the morphology of ephemeral gullies in a small catchment, the Inner-Mongolia Autonomous Region. First, this paper presents the characteristics of ephemeral gullies and soil loss due to ephemeral gully erosion. The network of ephemeral gullies takes on the shapes of tree branches, and there are 16 hole-ephemeral gullies in the middle of the ephemeral gullies. An average gully length of about 19.6 m ha⁻¹ and an average soil loss of 8.8 m³ ha⁻¹ due to ephemeral gully erosion were measured. Second, soil erosion influences crop production in cropland and combinations of vegetation in fallow. The difference between vegetation in the middle of ephemeral gullies and in other places is very obvious. Third, this paper discusses hole-ephemeral gullies that are holes locating in the middle of ephemeral gullies whose widths and depths are more than 0.5 m (Fig. 6) for the first time. The relationship between local hill slope gradient S (m m⁻¹) and upslope contributing area A (ha) can be expressed as S = 0.064A^−0.375 and may be a key indicator for determining the position of existing hole-ephemeral gully heads and for predicting where hole-ephemeral gullies could form in the small watershed on the Inner-Mongolian Plateau.     

Accuracy of methods for field assessment of rill and ephemeral gully erosion

To properly assess soil erosion in agricultural areas, it is necessary to determine precisely the volume of ephemeral gullies and rills in the field by using direct measurement procedures. However, little information is available on the accuracy of the different methods used. The main purpose of this paper is to provide information for a suitable assessment of rill and ephemeral gully erosion with such direct measurement methods. To achieve this objective: a) the measurement errors associated to three methods used for field assessment of channel cross sectional areas are explored; b) the influence of the number of cross sections used per unit channel length on the assessment accuracy, is analysed and; c) the effect of the channel size and shape on measurement errors is examined. The three methods considered to determine the cross sectional areas were: the micro-topographic profile meter (1); the detailed measurement of section characteristic lengths with a tape (2); and the measurement of cross section width and depth with a tape (3). Five reaches of different ephemeral gully types 14.0 or 30.0 m long and a set of six 20.4 to 29.4 m long rill reaches were selected. On each gully reach, the cross sectional areas were measured using the three above mentioned methods, with a separation (s) between cross sections of 1 m. For rills, the cross sectional areas were measured with methods 1 and 3, with s = 2 m. Then, the corresponding total erosion volumes were computed. The volume calculated with method 1 with s = 1 m for gullies and s = 2 m for rills was taken as the reference method. For each channel, and for each one of the possible combinations of s and measurement method (m), the relative measurement error and the absolute value of the relative measurement error (E_sm^r and |E_sm^r|), defined with respect to the reference one, was calculated. |E_sm^r| much higher than 10% were obtained very easily, even for small s values and for apparently quasi prismatic channels. Channel size and shape had a great influence on measurement errors. In fact, the selection of the more suitable method for a certain gully shape and size seemed to be much more important than s, at least when s < 10 m. Method 1 always provided the most precise measurements, and its results were the less dependent on s. However, s must be < 5 m to guarantee an error smaller than 10%. Method 2 is not recommended, because it is difficult, time consuming and can lead to large errors. Method 3 seems to be enough for small, wide and shallow gullies, and for small rills, but only if s is shorter than 5 m. Results obtained after the analysis of rill measurement errors were similar to those of gullies. The analysis of E_sm^r and |E_sm^r| when calculating channel volumes using a unique representative cross section highlighted the importance of correctly selecting the adequate cross section. Due to the high error values that this method can entail, it is not considered as advisable whenever accurate erosion measurements are pursued.     

坑状浅沟侵蚀研究

坑状浅沟作为浅沟与切沟的中间过程，深入理解它对于进一步认识切沟侵蚀规律具有十分重要的意义，但是还没有见到相关的研究报道。以内蒙古高原的一个小流域为例。利用高精度的全球定位系统（GPS）测量坑状浅沟侵蚀的形态参数，探讨了坑状浅沟的相关特征，分析了坑状浅沟的坡度（S）和上有集水区面积（A）的关系（S—A）、侵蚀体积（V）和长度（L）的关系（V-L），以期能推动坑状浅沟侵蚀的研究。     

黄土区坡耕地耕作对浅沟径流产沙及其形态发育特征的影响

为研究耕作对浅沟径流产沙及形态发育特征的影响,在野外调查的基础上,设计坡度(15°、20°、25°)、雨强(1.0、1.5、2.0 mm/min)及放水流量(7.53~23.45 L/min)3个处理,采用室内模拟降雨和放水冲刷的方法,测定了不同处理下浅沟径流量、产沙量。结果表明:1)2种浅沟水流均为紊流,耕作使浅沟水流雷诺数和弗劳德数分别减小0.95%~30.77%、2.64%~39.14%,阻力系数和糙率系数分别增加4.01%~58.82%、0.88%~27.87%;2)试验条件下,耕作使浅沟土壤剥蚀率增大9.48%~37.87%,未耕作与耕作浅沟土壤剥蚀率分别与坡度—流量交互作用、雨强—坡度交互作用呈极显著线性关系,土壤剥蚀率与径流剪切力、径流功率及单位径流功率均呈显著的线性关系,未耕作浅沟发生剥蚀的临界剪切力、临界功率及临界单位径流功率分别为17.576 N/m2、5.036 W/(m2·s)、0.0381 m/s,耕作浅沟为10.585 N/m2、3.544 W/(m2·s)、0.0277 m/s;3)耕作使浅沟宽度增加1.98%~31.79%,浅沟面积增大0.84%~32.03%,下切深度降低2.82%~26.67%;4)耕作使浅沟土壤侵蚀量增加0.91%~22.80%,未耕作和耕作浅沟土壤侵蚀量分别占坡面土壤侵蚀总量的44.09%~74.16%和42.44%~56.44%,与雨强—流量交互作用均呈极显著的线性函数关系。结果可为该区浅沟侵蚀预测模型的建立及农业生态环境安全与保护提供科学依据。     

Monitoring gully erosion in the European Union: A novel approach based on the Land Use/Cover Area frame survey (LUCAS)

The European Commission's Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection (COM(2012)46) identified soil erosion as an important threat to European Union's (EU) soil resources. Gully erosion is an important but hitherto poorly understood component of this threat. Here we present the results of an unprecedented attempt to monitor the occurrence of gully erosion across the EU and UK. We integrate a soil erosion module into the 2018 LUCAS Topsoil Survey, which was conducted to monitor the soil health status across the EU and to support actions to prevent soil degradation. We discuss and explore opportunities to further improve this method. The 2018 LUCAS Topsoil Survey consisted of soil sampling (0–20 cm depth) and erosion observations conducted in ca. 10% (n = 24,759) of the 238,077 Land Use/Cover Area frame Survey (LUCAS) 2018 in-field survey sites. Gully erosion channels were detected for ca. 1% (211 sites) of the visited LUCAS Topsoil sites. Commission (false positives, 2.5%) and omission errors (false negatives, 5.6%) were found to be low and at a level that could not compromise the representativeness of the gully erosion survey. Overall, the findings indicate that the tested 2018 LUCAS Topsoil in-field gully erosion monitoring system is effective for detecting the incidence of gully erosion. The morphogenesis of the mapped gullies suggests that the approach is an effective tool to map permanent gullies, whereas it appears less effective to detect short-lived forms like ephemeral gullies. Spatial patterns emerging from the LUCAS Topsoil field observations provide new insights on typical gully formation sites across the EU and UK. This can help to design further targeted research activities. An extension of this approach to all LUCAS sites of 2022 would significantly enhance our understanding of the geographical distribution of gully erosion processes across the EU. Repeated every three years, LUCAS soil erosion surveys would contribute to assess the state of gully erosion in the EU over time. It will also enable monitoring and eventually predicting the dynamics of gully erosion. Data collected were part of the publicly available Gully Erosion LUCAS visual assessment (GE-LUCAS v1.0) inventory.     

Ephemeral gully recognition and accuracy evaluation using deep learning in the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau in China

Ephemeral gullies are widely distributed in the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau and play a unique role in the slope gully erosion system. Rapid and accurate identification of ephemeral gullies impacts the distribution law and development trend of soil erosion on the Loess Plateau. Deep learning algorithms can quickly and accurately process large data samples that recognize ephemeral gullies from remote sensing images. Here, we investigated ephemeral gullies in the Zhoutungou watershed in the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau in China using satellite and unmanned aerial vehicle images and combined a deep learning image semantic segmentation model to realize automatic recognition and feature extraction. Using Accuracy, Precision, Recall, F1value, and AUC, we compared the ephemeral gully recognition results and accuracy evaluation of U-Net, R2U-Net, and SegNet image semantic segmentation models. The SegNet model was ranked first, followed by the R2U-Net and U-Net models, for ephemeral gully recognition in the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau. The ephemeral gully length and width between predicted and measured values had RMSE values of 6.78 m and 0.50 m, respectively, indicating that the model has an excellent recognition effect. This study identified a fast and accurate method for ephemeral gully recognition in the hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau based on remote sensing images to provide an academic reference and practical guidance for soil erosion monitoring and slope and gully management in the Loess Plateau region.     

Causes and Effects of Gully Erosion on Agricultural Lands and the Environment

This study was aimed at assessing the causes of the gully erosion and its effects on the agricultural lands in the arid region of southeastern Iran. In this study, we have used geologic maps in scales of 1:50,000 and 1:250,000, aerial photographs on a scale of 1:20,000, field observation, and GPS (global positioning system). Three soil samples were taken from 25, 50, and 75% of the gully length at each location and analyzed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), sodium absorption ratio (SAR), cation exchange capacity (CEC), calcium (Ca), and soil texture. The causes of gully erosion, its effects on agricultural lands, characteristics of the gullies, soil depth, and vegetation of each area were evaluated. The results show that several parameters, including poor rangeland vegetation cover, overgrazing, human activities, intensive and short-period rainfall, improper land use, improper irrigation design, improper discharge of water in the channels, and soil characteristics influence the gully erosion. Gully erosion causes severe damage to agricultural lands, including soil loss, increase in surface runoff, lower soil water-holding capacity, lower quality and quantity of water, lower groundwater table, and lower agricultural production. It increased migration from villages to cities and increased socioeconomic problems and poverty. It also caused substantial damages to construction sites such as bridges, roads, and settlements as well as rivers and reservoirs and increased sediment concentration in rivers.     

Development of badlands and gullies in the Sneeuberg, Great Karoo, South Africa

The study aims to examine the origin and development of land degradation with particular emphasis on badland and gully systems in the Sneeuberg uplands of the Great Karoo. This is an area of semiarid extensive stock farming where land degradation in the form of rill and gully erosion has accompanied the replacement of grassland by shrub vegetation. Species diversity has declined and ground cover has been reduced, leading to a positive feedback loop which exacerbates the degradation. Many foot slopes developed in shales, clays and colluvium have extensive, incipient badland development with closely spaced gullying up to 1.5 m deep. In valley-bottom and valley-side depression locations gullies up to 8 m deep have developed, usually cut to bedrock through valley fills of mainly Holocene colluvium. Both badlands and gullies appear to have developed since European settlement and to be part of the same hydrological system with extensive areas of bare ground (badlands) feeding water to incising gullies. Experiments using simulated rainfall throw some light on current processes. Badland areas are active under high-frequency, low-magnitude rainfall events. Major gullies are likely to be the result of occasional, high-magnitude events, but these have not been observed. Overgrazing in the past is the most likely cause of the degradation.     

金沙江干热河谷冲沟形态发育特征及其侵蚀速率估算

冲沟侵蚀是金沙江干热河谷土壤流失的重要原因，造成严重的土地退化，威胁区域农业发展和粮食安全。探究冲沟的形态发育特征明确其侵蚀速率，对于冲沟侵蚀量化评估和土地保护等具有重要意义。为摸清冲沟发育演变规律，该研究选取元谋干热河谷金雷国家水土保持科技示范园区附近沟谷地貌流域为研究区，选择35条冲沟，通过无人机遥感影像提取冲沟形态参数，分析形态特征，并结合高分遥感影像计算冲沟侵蚀速率。结果表明：1）研究区冲沟直线长度、顶宽、底宽、深度的范围分别为25.21～180.43 、10.76～51.76、3.56～26.85、1.22～11.92 m；面积、体积的范围分别为257.50～8987.88 m²、142.64～19479.25 m³。冲沟形态参数差异性较大，长度在发育过程中受坡面限制小于其他地区。2）冲沟底部宽度和顶部宽度比值（BW/TW）的范围为0.24～0.59，冲沟主要为“V型”和“V～U型”；冲沟顶部宽度和深度比值（TW/D）的范围为2.56～26.29，均值为6.04，横向侵蚀速率远大于下切侵蚀速率。3）2015—2022年，35条冲沟中，19条长度明显增长，冲沟溯源侵蚀速率为0.02～1.10 m/a（均值0.34 m/a）；27条宽度明显增长，冲沟横向侵蚀速率为0.07～1.10m/a（均值0.36 m/a）；29条面积和体积明显增长，冲沟面积增长速率为1.64～105.40 m²/a（均值23.44 m²/a）；冲沟体积侵蚀速率为1.26～339.42 m³/a（均值51.21 m³/a）。冲沟横向侵蚀速率大于溯源侵蚀速率，在面积和体积增长中贡献较大。研究结果可为金沙江干热河谷地区大尺度冲沟的发育演变规律和侵蚀定量评估提供方法和依据。