Landscape position and soil redistribution under three soil types and land use practices in Prince Edward Island

Soil redistribution by erosive processes is a serious problem for the potato growing areas of Prince Edward Island. Studies were conducted to evaluate soil loss for three major soil types under two different cropping systems, at catenary sequences with five slope positions, using the ¹³⁷Cs tracer method. Adjacent forest catenas were sampled to provide baseline ¹³⁷Cs levels. Soil loss over time (1960–1990) on a specific mass (kg m^?2 yr^?1) basis was calculated by comparing the ¹³⁷Cs at the same slope positions for the cropping system and adjacent forest site. The effects of land clearing and long-term cultivation were to increase both the depth and density of the Ap horizon, and decrease the total ¹³⁷Cs on an area basis, in comparison to the forested sites. The average ¹³⁷Cs in the forested sites for all three soil types was 3133 Bq m^?2. Catena average soil loss across all soil types and slopes, for the 1960–1990 time period, was 21 and 38 Mg ha^?1 yr^?1 for the pasture and crop rotation (potato) rotations, respectively. Shoulder slope positions tended to have the highest ¹³⁷Cs loss, which was suggestive of tillage erosion.