Concentrated flow erosion in cultivated catchments: Influence of soil surface state

Abstract

Concentrated flow erosion is the dominant form of winter erosion in northern France. This study correlates the ephemeral rill and gully volumes measured in 20 cultivated catchments (4-95 ha) for three consecutive winters with the size of the potential runoff-contributing areas. These areas were identified by characterizing soil surface state through crust development stage, importance of surface wheel tracks and roughness grade. A single and significant relationship was found between the size of runoff-contributing areas, estimated by this criterion, and the rill and gully volumes. This identified the proportion of the catchment area occupied by fields with a degraded surface structure as the main factor controlling the variability of erosion in a context of concentrated flow erosion on cultivated land. The extension of degraded areas was shown to be controlled by dynamic interactions between weather, land occupation and soil physical properties. This criterion accounts for the uneven distribution of rainfall in space and time. Morphological factors, such as talweg length and slope, are believed to determine part of the residual variability.

A flash flood hazard assessment in dry valleys (northern France) by cellular automata modelling

“…Previous floods have occasionally threatened human lives (11 persons died over the period in this department), and caused significant damage to property and infrastructure (ranging from 0.05 to 14 million Euro for the 1997, June 16th event). The hydrological and geomorphological characteristics are quite similar to others occurring in other sedimentary areas, in western France (Auzet et al 1995) or in Flanders (Evrard et al 2007) for example, but are notably different to French Mediterranean floods. The latter occur in basins with higher slope gradients, larger basin area (ranging from 50 to 300 km 2 ) and are typically associated with higher rainfall intensities Collier and Fox 2003;Reid 2004;Barrera et al 2006;Ruin et al 2007;Ortega and Heydt 2009;Gaume et al 2009;Morin et al 2009;Marchi et al 2010).…”

Soil Surface Crusting and Structure Slumping in Europe

“…in runoff and erosion studies (e.g. Auzet et al, 1995;van Wesemael et al, 1996;Léonard and Andrieux, 1998), (iv) modelling crust hydraulic conductivity (e.g. Burt, 1998;Vandervaere et al, 1998) and (v) incorporation of crusting in soil erosion models (e.g.…”

“…Surface conditions include not only the crust type and abundance but also other features such as surface roughness, soil cover (vegetation, litter, stones), surface macropores (cracks, channels) and wheel tracks (e.g. Poesen and Ingelmo-Sanchez, 1992;Auzet et al, 1995;Léonard and Andrieux, 1998;Cerdan et al, 2002;Malet et al, 2003). However, assessment methods still need to be improved.…”

“…De Ploey and Mücher, 1981;Poesen and Govers, 1986), Croatia (Racz, 1986;Kisic et al, 2002), Finland (Yli-Halla et al, 1986), France (e.g. Bresson and Boiffin, 1990;Le Bissonnais, 1990;Auzet et al, 1995), Germany (e.g. Ehlers et al, 1980;Gross and Tebrugge, 1992;Roth and Eggert, 1994), Hungary (Varallyay and Lesztak, 1990), The Netherlands (e.g.…”

Human environmental impact from the neolithic to the middle ages: a pluridisciplinary approach focused on a small catchment area at the kochersberg (Bas-rhin, France)

“…Except from some riparian forest relicts, the entire surface is presently cultivated (ADEUS, 2011). Therefore, and despite smooth slops, soils are poorly developed because of recent intensive erosion (Auzet et al, 1995;Armand, 2009). At the place of the coring (48°41'59''N, 07°37'49''E), the water flow is permanent and the creek about one meter large.…”