Influence of vegetation recovery on water erosion at short and medium-term after experimental fires in a Mediterranean shrubland

This paper reports the influence that vegetation recovery has exerted on the soil behaviour to erosion by water during both the first and eight years after experimental fires. The work was carried out at La Concordia Experimental Station (Valencia, Spain), which includes nine plots (4 m wide × 20 m long) installed on a calcareous hillside representative of Mediterranean shrubland areas. In June 1995 a set of experimental fires were carry out at two intensity levels (high and moderate) with three plots replication for each treatment. The remaining three plots were used as the control. Rain events between June 1995 to June 1996 and from June 2002 to June 2003 were monitored and their effect on soil erosion processes determined. The vegetation changes (biomass amount and plant cover) for each studied period were also assessed.     

Impacts of soil tilth on the effectiveness of biological geotextiles in reducing runoff and interrill erosion

The effectiveness of a surface cover material (e.g. geotextiles, rock fragments, mulches, vegetation) in reducing runoff and soil erosion rates is often only assessed by the fraction of the soil surface covered. However, there are indications that soil structure has important effects on the runoff and erosion-reducing effectiveness of the cover materials. This study investigates the impact of soil pre-treatment (i.e. fine tilth versus sealed soil surface) on the effectiveness of biological geotextiles in increasing infiltration rates and in reducing runoff and interrill erosion rates on a medium and steep slope gradient. Rainfall was simulated during 60 min with an intensity of 67 mm h⁻¹ on an interrill erosion plot having two slope gradients (i.e. 15 and 45%) and filled with an erodible sandy loam. Five biological and three simulated geotextiles with different cover percentage were tested on two simulated initial soil conditions (i.e. fine tilth and sealed soil surface). Final infiltration rates on a sealed soil surface (7.5–18.5 mm h⁻¹) are observed after ca. 10 min of rainfall compared to ca. 50 min of rainfall on an initial seedbed (16.4–56.7 mm h⁻¹). On the two tested slope gradients, significantly (α = 0.05) smaller runoff coefficients (RC) are observed on an initial seedbed (8.2% < RC < 59.8%) compared to a sealed soil surface (75.7% < RC < 87.0%). On an initial seedbed, decreasing RC are observed with an increasing simulated geotextile cover. However, on an initial sealed soil surface no significant effect of simulated geotextile cover on RC is observed. On a 15% slope gradient, calculated b-values from the mulch factor equation equalled 0.054 for an initial fine tilth and 0.022 for a sealed soil surface, indicating a higher effectiveness of geotextiles in reducing interrill erosion on a fine tilth compared to a sealed soil surface. Therefore, this study demonstrates the importance of applying geotextiles on the soil surface before the surface tilth is sealed due to rainfall. The effect of soil structure on the effectiveness of a surface cover in reducing runoff and interrill erosion rates, as indicated by the results of this study, needs to be incorporated in soil erosion prediction models.     

Nutrient losses in eroded sediment after fire in eucalyptus and pine forests in the wet Mediterranean environment of northern Portugal

Nutrients sorbed onto eroded sediment from small bounded plots installed in newly burned and unburned Eucalyptus globulus and Pinus pinaster forests in the Águeda Basin, north-central Portugal were measured over an 18-month period. The data are used to determine: (i) the effects of fire on nutrient loss, (ii) the importance of fire-induced losses on soil fertility, and (iii) temporal variations in nutrient losses. Fire increased losses of total nitrogen, exchangeable potassium and available phosphorus by 3–4 orders of magnitude. This is attributed to increased erosion and high nutrient concentrations at the soil surface in the burned forests, where burning of organic matter and vegetation increased nutrient availability. Enhanced rates of loss were sustained for at least 3 years, resulting in much greater post-fire nutrient losses than reported in drier regions of the Mediterranean. Losses of available P had the greatest potential for reductions in soil fertility.     

滨海低平原干旱区全膜覆土穴播冬小麦田 水热特征和产量效应

为研究全膜覆土穴播栽培技术在环渤海低平原区对冬小麦田土壤水分、盐分、温度、热量状况和冬小麦产量的影响,采用田间试验法,于2014—2015年在中国科学院南皮生态农业试验站,设置全膜覆土穴播(PM)和常规旋耕播种(CK)冬小麦试验,定位监测了耕层土壤温度、水分、盐分和热通量数据动态,并分析了冬小麦产量。结果表明:PM在越冬期和返青期可以有效保持土壤水分,平均土壤含水量比CK高16.4%,达显著性差异(P0.05);但是,覆膜也阻隔了后期降水对土壤水分的补充,最大含水量差异可达10.0%。PM处理10 cm深土壤日均温度始终高于CK处理,平均增幅3.8%,差异不显著(P0.05);同时,PM减小了土壤温度日较差0.5℃。PM有利于土壤吸收和储存热量,白天具有较高的向下地面热通量,日均土壤热通量比CK显著增加数倍。温度和热通量变化均表明覆膜增强了土壤抵御外界温度变化的能力。PM的土壤电导率显著低于CK24.2%(P0.05),特别是在春季返盐期,PM的土壤电导率比CK降低39.7%。PM较CK增加了冬小麦穗粒数和千粒重,增产10.4%,但均未达显著水平。因此,全膜覆土穴播冬小麦栽培技术能改善土壤水热状况,降低土壤盐分对小麦的危害,这为全膜覆土穴播冬小麦栽培技术在环渤海低平原干旱区农业生产中的应用提供理论与技术支持。     

Ecological intensification of cropping systems enhances soil functions,mitigates soil erosion,and promotes crop resilience to dry spells in the Brazilian Cerrado

Water scarcity threatens global food security and agricultural systems are challenged to achieve high yields while optimizing water usage. Water deficit can be accentuated by soil physical degradation, which also triggers water losses through runoff and consequently soil erosion. Although soil health in cropping systems within the Brazilian Cerrado biome have been surveyed throughout the years, information about soil erosion impacts and its mitigation are still not well understood; especially concerning the role of cropping system diversification and its effects on crop yield. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess whether ecological intensification of cropping systems –inclusion of a consorted perennial grass and crop rotation– could promote soil coverage and consequently decrease water erosion and soil, water, and nutrient losses. This work studied the effects of crop rotation and consorted Brachiaria, along with different levels of investment in fertilization on soil physical quality and on soil, water, and nutrient losses, and crop yields. Results proved that soybean monoculture (SS) is a system of low sustainability even under no-till in the Brazilian Cerrado conditions. It exhibited high susceptibility to soil, water, and nutrient losses, causing low crop yields. Our results showed that water losses in SS cropping system were approximately 10% of the total annual rainfall, and total K losses would require an additional 35% of K application. Conversely, ecological intensification of cropping systems resulted in enhanced soil environmental and agronomic functions, increased grain yield, and promoted soil and water conservation: high soil cover rate, and low soil, water and nutrient losses. Ecological intensification proved to be an adequate practice to boost crop resilience to water deficit in the Brazilian Cerrado.