Long-term effectiveness of sustainable land management practices to control runoff, soil erosion, and nutrient loss and the role of rainfall intensity in Mediterranean rainfed agroecosystems

Martínez-Mena, María; Carrillo-López, Efrain; Boix‐Fayos, Carolina; Almagro, María; Franco, Noelia García; Díaz-Pereira, Elvira; Montoya, I.; Vente, Joris de

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2019.104352

Cited by 141 publications

(71 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…A contour tillage ditch on a slope can slow down the surface runoff, and runoff can even be stored in the ditch even under light rain, so that coarse particles are deposited in the ditch [62,63]. In contrast, straw mulch can more effectively intercept coarse particles [61]; this outcome is similar to the results of this study. The reduction in coarse particles can reduce the MWD in the sediment.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…When the rainfall is relatively heavy, soil and water conservation measures play a significant role in reducing water and sediment on the slope [57]. Song et al's [61] research on soil erosion of black soil slopes in China found that, with the increase in rain intensity, the runoff and sediment volume of various farming measures showed an increasing trend, and different farming measures have a certain effect on the soil volume of rainwater under different rain intensity conditions, but the degree of impact under different rain intensity conditions is different. This study found ( Figure 7, Table 2; Figure 9, Table 3) that when the rainfall I 30 is less than 20 mm/h, the coefficient of variation is large, and the main rainfall is small, the runoff on the slope is small; there is local runoff on the slope, the soil and water conservation measures are incomplete, and occasionally the factors are large.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of Soil and Water Conservation Measures on Runoff and Sediment Yield in Red Soil Slope Farmland under Natural Rainfall

et al. 2020

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This paper analyzes the relationship between runoff, soil erosion, sediment particles, and natural rainfall characteristics on sloping farmland in the red soil region of southern China. The surface runoff and soil loss data were measured on runoff plots during 66 natural rainfall events from 2015 to 2018 in Jiangxi Province. The results show that the maximum 30-min rainfall intensity (I 30 ) is positively related to the runoff depth, soil erosion modulus, and sediment mean weight diameter (MWD). With the increase in I 30 during rainfall, the coarse sand content increases, and the fine sand content decreases. The average annual runoff of slope tillage, hedgerows with slope tillage, straw mulching with conventional tillage, and contour tillage decreased by 32.56%, 65.87%, 83.99%, and 87.30%, respectively, compared with that of bare land. Soil and water conservation measures can significantly reduce slope runoff. The flow-reduction effect of contour tillage and straw mulching with conventional tillage increases as I 30 increases, and the flow-reduction effect of hedgerows with slope tillage first increases and then decreases as I 30 increases. The coefficients of variation and standard deviations of the flow-reduction effects of different soil and water conservation measures decrease with increasing I 30 . The average annual soil erosion moduli of slope tillage, hedgerows with slope tillage, contour tillage, and straw mulching with conventional tillage decreased by 59.33%, 91.29%, 97.17%, and 98.45%, respectively, compared with that of bare land. Soil and water conservation measures can significantly reduce the sediment yield on slopes. The flow-reduction effects of hedgerows with slope tillage, contour tillage, and straw mulching with conventional tillage all increase with I 30 , and their coefficients of variation and standard deviations decrease with I 30 . The average single rainfall erosion sediment MWD of decreased by 5.91%, 8.33%, 9.69%, and 13.32%, respectively, compared with that of bare land. Straw mulching with conventional tillage can significantly reduce the MWD of erosion sediment, effectively reduce the content of coarse sand, and increase the content of fine sand. Straw mulching with conventional tillage is a very good soil and water conservation measure for sloping farmland. It not only has the best effect on reducing flow and sediment, but also can effectively intercept coarse sand and reduce the MWD of erosion sediment.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of Soil and Water Conservation Measures on Runoff and Sediment Yield in Red Soil Slope Farmland under Natural Rainfall

et al. 2020

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“…5). The reason for this could be related to the nature of soil particles, e.g., it is possible that the intensities applied were able to transfer particles of a certain size, and slope changes had little effect on the amount transported 61,62 .…”

Section: Rainfallmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prediction of factors affecting activation of soil erosion by mathematical modeling at pedon scale under laboratory conditions

Shojaei

Kalantari

Rodrigo‐Comino

2020

Sci Rep

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Soil degradation due to erosion is a significant worldwide problem at different spatial (from pedon to watershed) and temporal scales. All stages and factors in the erosion process must be detected and evaluated to reduce this environmental issue and protect existing fertile soils and natural ecosystems. Laboratory studies using rainfall simulators allow single factors and interactive effects to be investigated under controlled conditions during extreme rainfall events. In this study, three main factors (rainfall intensity, inclination, and rainfall duration) were assessed to obtain empirical data for modeling water erosion during single rainfall events. Each factor was divided into three levels (− 1, 0, + 1), which were applied in different combinations using a rainfall simulator on beds (6 × 1 m) filled with soil from a study plot located in the arid Sistan region, Iran. The rainfall duration levels tested were 3, 5, and 7 min, the rainfall intensity levels were 30, 60, and 90 mm/h, and the inclination levels were 5, 15, and 25%. The results showed that the highest rainfall intensity tested (90 mm/h) for the longest duration (7 min) caused the highest runoff (62 mm3/s) and soil loss (1580 g/m2/h). Based on the empirical results, a quadratic function was the best mathematical model (R2 = 0.90) for predicting runoff (Q) and soil loss. Single-factor analysis revealed that rainfall intensity was more influential for runoff production than changes in time and inclination, while rainfall duration was the most influential single factor for soil loss. Modeling and three-dimensional depictions of the data revealed that sediment production was high and runoff production lower at the beginning of the experiment, but this trend was reversed over time as the soil became saturated. These results indicate that avoiding the initial stage of erosion is critical, so all soil protection measures should be taken to reduce the impact at this stage. The final stages of erosion appeared too complicated to be modeled, because different factors showed differing effects on erosion.

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“…To control soil erosion and reduce the sediment load, extensive restoration practices have been conducted at a range of spatial scales around the world [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18]; in the humid climate zones, forest shelter determined the runoff and sediment yield using models such as Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) [44,45], Hydrologic Simulation Programme-Fortran (HSPF) [46], and Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEEP) [47], but lacked real observed data analysis.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Restoration Practices on a Small Watershed in China’s Loess Plateau: A Case Study of the Qiaozigou Watershed

Qinghong

Zhen

2020

Sustainability

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Soil erosion and restoration affect the structure and function of ecosystems and society, and have attracted worldwide attention. Changes in runoff and sediment transport after restoration practices in China’s Loess Plateau have been widely studied and many valuable results have been reported. However, this research was mainly conducted in large watersheds, and quantified the effects of restoration practices through the restoration period. In this study, we compared two adjacent watersheds (one restored and the other natural) in a hill and gully region of China’s Loess Plateau to reveal the impacts of restoration practices. We collected annual rainfall, runoff, and sediment transport data from 1988 to 2018, then investigated temporal variation of runoff and sediment transport to examine their relationships with rainfall. We also calculated the retention rate of soil and water under the restoration practices. The restored watershed showed a significantly decreased sediment modulus (the amount per unit area); the natural watershed showed no significant change. In addition, the restored watershed had lower runoff and sediment modulus values than the natural watershed, with greater effectiveness as rainfall increased. Revegetation and terrace construction contributed more to the retention of soil and water (65.6 and 69.7%, respectively) than check dams (<10%). These results improve our understanding of the effects of restoration practices, and provide guidance on ways to preserve soil and water through restoration in a small watershed in the Loess Plateau.

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Long-term effectiveness of sustainable land management practices to control runoff, soil erosion, and nutrient loss and the role of rainfall intensity in Mediterranean rainfed agroecosystems

Cited by 141 publications

References 55 publications

Effects of Soil and Water Conservation Measures on Runoff and Sediment Yield in Red Soil Slope Farmland under Natural Rainfall

Effects of Soil and Water Conservation Measures on Runoff and Sediment Yield in Red Soil Slope Farmland under Natural Rainfall

Prediction of factors affecting activation of soil erosion by mathematical modeling at pedon scale under laboratory conditions

The Effects of Restoration Practices on a Small Watershed in China’s Loess Plateau: A Case Study of the Qiaozigou Watershed

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