Impacts of land use and soil conservation measures on runoff and soil loss from two contrasted soils in the black soil region, northeastern China

Abstract

Runoff and soil loss characteristics on slopes and their responses to soil conservation measures and soil properties have not been fully understood. In the present study, runoff and sediment data from runoff plots with two contrasted soils (i.e., Phaeozenm and Luvisols) at the Liangshigou (LSG) and Erdaogou (EDL) catchments were used to study soil loss characteristics for the black soil region, northeastern China. The implemented soil conservation measures including cross ridge tillage, hedgerow, terrace, level trough, and biological measures can effectively control soil loss at the two sites, whereas the downslope ridge tillage (DRT) and bare plots yielded annual soil loss rates of 1230 t km À2 year À1 in 2014-2015 and 2020 and 580 t km À2 year À1 in 2020 which were much higher than the tolerable value (i.e., 200 t km À2 year À1 ). Under the same treatments, the Phaeozenm plots yielded much higher soil loss rates than the Luvisols plots, resulting from more erosive rainfall events and higher soil erodibility at the LSG catchment. The typical black region with the Phaeozenm soil should be the priority area to be implemented with soil conservation measures in northeastern China.

Why Have China’s Poverty Eradication Policy Resulted in the Decline of Arable Land in Poverty-Stricken Areas?

“…Degradation and desertification lead to a decline in land quality, severe water, and nutrient loss, rendering the land unsuitable for crop cultivation. Through afforestation, grassland restoration, and soil conservation, soil quality can be improved, enhancing moisture retention capacity and providing a more favorable growth environment for crops while concurrently restoring the ecological environment [55,56]. However, these measures may require allocating a portion of cropland for ecological restoration, reducing arable land area.…”

Assessing the Impact of Engineering Measures and Vegetation Restoration on Soil Erosion: A Case Study in Osmancık, Türkiye

“…When degraded by deforestation, overgrazing, inappropriate land use, etc., and subjected to heavy rainfall, degraded lands can experience extensive erosion. In many parts of the world, terracing and engineering measures are taken to control water erosion on sloped lands [8][9][10][11]. Diversely constructed terraces are a barrier that slows the water flow rate and increases water retention.…”