Reducing Sediment Connectivity Through man‐Made and Natural Sediment Sinks in the Minizr Catchment, Northwest Ethiopia

Mekonnen, Mulatie; Keesstra, Saskia; Baartman, Jantiene; Stroosnijder, L.; Maroulis, Jerry

doi:10.1002/ldr.2629

Cited by 87 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 55 publications

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“…However, these methods are usually applied for periods, lasting up to a few years at most (Mekonnen et al, 2017;Masselink et al, 2017a,b). Further, they introduce artefacts into the pedological system which can affect the soil and possibly impact measurement quality.…”

Section: Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving stock unearthing method to measure soil erosion rates in vineyards

Rodrigo‐Comino

Cerdà

2018

Ecological Indicators

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A B S T R A C TVineyard soils experience high erosion rates compared to soils from other agricultural land uses. The high soil losses in vineyards limits the sustainability of traditional production schemes and warrants comprehensive research aimed at thwarting the main erosion processes affecting vineyard systems. However, long-term measurements, which include spatial variability of soil erosion rates at the plot scale, are uncommon, as most of the measurements have taken place either at the hillslope or watershed scales. Against this background, the stock unearthing method (SUM) can be considered a useful methodology. However, the current method falls short because it assumes that the topography between the vine lines (inter-rows) remains planar. Therefore, we propose a new methodology (ISUM: improved stock unearthing method) that includes three measurements between in the inter-row areas. By taking inter-row measurements, we hypothesized that the spatial patterns of sediment detachment, transport and deposition features in the inter-rows would be detected. The ISUM costs 20% more time to conduct than the SUM, but greatly improved the utility of the field survey. ISUM allowed for: i) the creation of maps that identified linear soil erosion features and accumulation sites; ii) measures the amount of soil accumulated under the vines; iii) estimation of soil erosion rates with higher accuracy at long-term periods in a specific moment. This study compared the ISUM with the SUM in a vineyard in Spain. Soil erosion rates with ISUM were −2.5 Mg ha yr −1 while the SUM calculated rates of +4.9 Mg ha yr −1.Results showed that the traditional method underestimated soil rates a −25.7%. Maps created with the ISUM technique could also be used to provide insights about sediment connectivity.

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Section: Comparisonmentioning

confidence: 99%

Improving stock unearthing method to measure soil erosion rates in vineyards

Rodrigo‐Comino

Cerdà

2018

Ecological Indicators

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“…In the context of water-caused soil erosion, removal of soil particles is the result of raindrops, while surface runoff carried out the transportation process [4]. Though soil erosions are the result of the interplay between soil erodibility and rainfall erosivity factors, inappropriate human practices such as cultivation in upslope areas, deforestation, an extension of urban areas and roads, and uncontrolled and overgrazing aggravate the problem [5][6][7][8]. In connection to this, Knapen et al [9], reported that Israel [70] reported the mean annual soil loss rate of 58.30 t ha −1 y −1 and recommended the implementation of conservation measures to reduce the on-site and off-site effects of soil erosion in the Dire Dam Watershed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial Modeling of Soil Erosion Risk and Its Implication for Conservation Planning: the Case of the Gobele Watershed, East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia

Woldemariam

Iguala

Tekalign

et al. 2018

Land

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Abstract:Soil erosion by water has accelerated over recent decades due to non-sustainable land use practices resulting in substantial land degradation processes. Spatially explicit information on soil erosion is critical for the development and implementation of appropriate Soil and Water Conservation (SWC) measures.The objectives of this study were to estimate the magnitude of soil loss rate, assess the change of erosion risk, and elucidate their implication for SWC planning in the Gobele Watershed, East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia. Applying remote sensing data, the study first derived the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) model parameters in an ArcGIS environment and estimated the soil loss rates. The estimated total soil loss in the watershed was 1,390,130.48 tons in 2000 and 1,022,445.09 tons in 2016 with a mean erosion rate of 51.04 t ha −1 y −1 and 34.26 t ha −1 y −1 , respectively. The study area was divided into eight erosion risk classes ranging from very low to extremely high. We established a change detection matrix of the soil erosion risk classes between 2000 and 2016. The change analysis results have revealed that about 70.80% of the soil erosion risk areas remained unchanged, 19.67% increased in total area, and 9.53% decreased, showing an overall worsening of the situation. We identified and mapped areas with a higher and increasing erosion risk as SWC priority areas using a Multi-criteria Decision Rules (MCDR) method. The top three priority levels marked for the emergency SWC measures account for about 0.04%, 0.49%, and 0.83%, respectively. These priority levels are situated along the steep slope areas in the north, northwest, south, and southeast of the Gobele Watershed. It is, thus, very critical to undertake proper intervention measures in upslope areas based on the priority levels to establish sustainable watershed management in the study area.

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“…Much has been written in geomorphology on the subject of sediment connectivity in its various forms, and has been extensively reviewed and critiqued (Bracken et al, 2015;Brierley et al, 2006;Fryirs, 2013;Wohl, 2017). Furthermore, there has been a profusion of geomorphic research addressing sediment connectivity to better understand sediment transfers at differing scales in the catchment sediment cascade (e.g., Cavalli, Trevisani, Comiti, & Marchi, 2013;Croke, Fryirs, & Thompson, 2013;Faulkner, 2008;Fryirs, Brierley, Preston, & Spencer, 2007;Fuller et al, 2016;Fuller & Marden, 2011;Harvey, 2001;Harvey, 2012;Heckmann & Schwanghart, 2013;Johnson, Warburton, & Mills, 2008;Jones & Preston, 2012;Kuo & Brierley, 2014;Mekonnen, Keesstra, Baartman, Stroosnijder, & Maroulis, 2016;Messenzehl, Hoffmann, & Dikau, 2014;Nicoll & Brierley, 2017;Warburton, 2009;Wethered, Ralph, Smith, Fryirs, & Heijnis, 2015). However, the broader impacts of catchment-scale sediment connectivity (as studied by geomorphologists) on the functioning of stream ecosystems have largely been overlooked, beyond an acknowledgement that high (i.e., exceeding transport capacity) sediment delivery is generally bad for stream health (e.g., Sandercock & Hooke, 2011;Waters, 1995).…”

Section: Aims and Rationalementioning

confidence: 99%

The science of connected ecosystems: What is the role of catchment‐scale connectivity for healthy river ecology?

Fuller

Death

2018

Land Degrad Dev

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Riverine biological communities are highly resilient to extreme flood and/or drying disturbance regimes that would otherwise be destructive because these organisms can recolonise from upstream, floodplain, or hyporheic refugia when suitable conditions return. Healthy rivers require a high degree of connectivity to support complex life cycles of many lotic organisms and associated ecosystem functioning. Similarly, connectivity is required for appropriate geophysical functioning; permitting flux of water and sediment that drives channel‐forming and ecological processes. Ecological and geophysical processes have operated in this temporal and spatial patchwork of disturbance and recovery pre‐Anthropocene. Human impacts are increasing constraints on river and floodplain connectivity, severing many natural pathways, and degrading river ecosystem functioning. River restoration seeks to re‐establish some of those biological and physical connections to enhance some level of system health. However, increasing sediment connectivity may be detrimental to river health in some instances. Strongly connected catchments can transmit excessive quantities of sediment from inappropriate land management, detrimental invasive species can spread more widely, and many ecosystem processes can exceed positive feedback control. Simply restoring connectivity will not necessarily lead to healthy river ecosystems. River management requires a greater understanding of how and when connectivity can and should be restored. Although current thinking is often that greater connectivity is better, we illustrate with examples from New Zealand rivers that this is not always the case. The benefits and costs of maintaining or restoring river connectivity need to be given as much attention as the restoration and maintenance of river systems per se.

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Reducing Sediment Connectivity Through man‐Made and Natural Sediment Sinks in the Minizr Catchment, Northwest Ethiopia

Cited by 87 publications

References 55 publications

Improving stock unearthing method to measure soil erosion rates in vineyards

Improving stock unearthing method to measure soil erosion rates in vineyards

Spatial Modeling of Soil Erosion Risk and Its Implication for Conservation Planning: the Case of the Gobele Watershed, East Hararghe Zone, Ethiopia

The science of connected ecosystems: What is the role of catchment‐scale connectivity for healthy river ecology?

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