Ongoing and Emerging Questions in Water Erosion Studies

Abstract

Soil erosion is a threat to food security, especially in regions where the area of arable land is shrinking dramatically because of soil degradation. Research on soil erosion expanded progressively throughout the 20th centu\ry, although a number of unresolved problems persist despite this issue being crucial for the environment and the welfare of society. Some basic unresolved issues, including the absence of a universally accepted definition of soil erosion and disagreement about how to measure it have contributed to a degree of scientific stagnation. Accurate prediction of the response of soils to disturbance is hampered by the dependence of the erosion process on the spatial scale involved, the time lag between the disturbance and the erosion response and the short periods for which data are typically available. We argue that devoting increased attention to the following environmental, demographic, political and societal issues will reinvigorate progress in the field. (i) The relationships between on‐site and off‐site consequences of soil erosion need to be elucidated if the economic and environmental costs are to be adequately assessed. (ii) Effective measures for soil conservation need to focus on spatial patterns of plant cover that reduce sediment connectivity, and most importantly on the relationships between hillslopes and sediment transfer in eroded channels. (iii) The scientific community must be able to identify early warning signs of critical transitions, if irreversible soil degradation is to be prevented. (iv) Consensus needs to be reached concerning the contribution of soil erosion to the carbon cycle. (v) The consequences of climate change on erosion and sediment transport should be investigated in depth. (vi) The general society needs to perceive soil erosion as a critical matter requiring an urgent response. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Improving stock unearthing method to measure soil erosion rates in vineyards

“…On the contrary, because SUM made use of permanent biological markers, it was possible to calculate soil erosion rates without disruption of the vineyard for long-term periods ( > 25 years). Therefore, we claim that this method should be considered as an important ecological estimator of soil erosion, and further of ecosystem functioning and landscape evolution (García-Ruiz et al, 2017).…”

RUSLE erodibility of heavy‐textured soils as affected by soil type, erosional degradation, and rainfall intensity: A field simulation

“…Soil erosion is a most widespread form of soil degradation (García‐Ruiz, Beguería, Lana‐Renault, Nadal‐Romero, & Cerdà, ; Lal, ). Soil erodibility, a key parameter in many erosion models such as the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), represents soil susceptibility to erosive forces (Renard, Foster, Weesies, McCool, & Yoder, ).…”

Why and How Do We Study Sediment Transport? Focus on Coastal Zones and Ongoing Methods

“…Finally, coastal erosion, which is increasing due to the decrease in river sediment inputs and storms, tsunamis, surges whose effects are amplified over regions with increasing populations [88,183], and impacted by anthropogenic activities, make this scientific topic become social issues. Natural processes of sediment transport must be considered in connection with dam impoundments, climate change (on sea level, temperature, precipitation, hydrologic and meteorological regimes) [184,185], land subsidence or uplift, salt intrusion, to estimate resiliency of deltas and their ability to cope with future impacts [183,186].…”

“…Initially developed for civil engineering, this topic has been recognized as a full scientific field. Science to serve society must make it possible to better assess hazards and vulnerability of environments, to identify early warning signs of critical transitions, and the general society should perceive sediment dynamics as a critical matter requiring attention [185]. It is therefore necessary to continue efforts to better understand the involved processes, to monitor and analyse the evolution of sediment budgets in order to better adapt the information to be transferred to decision makers in suitable forms for planning purpose.…”