Erosion rates on bare loamy sand soils in east Shropshire, UK

Abstract. Results from over seven years of monitoring of erosion rates on bare arable loamy sand soils at the Hilton experimental site, Shropshire, UK, are reported. On bare plots, rates are very variable; erosion during one summer convectional storm exceeded that recorded during six individual years of plot measurement. Exposure of erodible arable soils to convectional storms puts them at risk of excessive erosion. Plot erosion rates were frequently high, with rates up to 67.4 t/ha occurring during an individual storm. Rates were influenced by rainfall erosivity, slope steepness and soil organic content. Mean soil organic content on the bare plots decreased over five years by 0.08%/yr.