Soil erosion along a transect in a forested catchment: Recent or ancient processes?

Calitri, Francesca; Sommer, Michael; Meij, Marijn W. van der; Egli, Markus

doi:10.1016/j.catena.2020.104683

Cited by 17 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…The soil cover is dominated by Albic Luvisols and Arenosols/Cambisols supplemented by Stagnosols, Gleysols and Histosols, which is a soil pattern typical for morainic sites in the region (Sommer et al 2008;Deumlich et al 2010;Janetzko and Schmidt 2014). In contrast with the intensive agricultural land surrounding the forest (van der Meij et al 2017;Kappler et al 2018;van der Meij et al 2019) and even with other forested sites in the region (Dieckmann and Kaiser 1998;Kaiser et al 2002;Küster 2014;Calitri et al 2020;Kaiser et al 2020), only marginal traces of past soil erosion have been detected at Kiecker so far.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 98%

A Multisource Approach to Verify a Forest as a Reference of Natural Conditions in an Intensively Used Rural Landscape (Uckermark, Ne Germany)

Wulf¹,

Kaiser²,

Mrotzek³

et al. 2020

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BackgroundThe sharp decline in near-natural areas worldwide is undisputed, but the consequences of this decline, apart from the loss of biodiversity, cannot be fully assessed. Biotic components of a landscape are usually more easily assessed than the abiotic components, since biotic components are often more easily detectable. A forest of (semi)natural stocking was selected in the northeastern part of Brandenburg (northeast Germany) to check whether it can serve as reference site for near-natural conditions or not. Analyses of archival sources and historic maps as well as field investigations were combined to reconstruct the dynamics of vegetation and soil as far back in time as possible.ResultsPalynological data from nearby sites provide evidence that the investigated area has been forested for several thousands of years and has hardly been structurally influenced by humans in the last 450 years. This evidence together with historical maps of tree species composition allows us to infer that the specific forest has been very close to a natural state for at least 250 years. Soil investigations support this conclusion, since a soil inventory, field studies on two catenas and corings at selected depressions rarely show signs of anthropogenic erosion and related colluviation. Parts of the area were cleared in prehistory, but near-natural soils have been preserved in other parts. ConclusionsThe area with these undisturbed parts is regarded as an ideal reference site. With this study, we show that using a multi-source approach it is possible to find potential reference sites and that such an approach is applicable in other regions.

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Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 98%

A Multisource Approach to Verify a Forest as a Reference of Natural Conditions in an Intensively Used Rural Landscape (Uckermark, Ne Germany)

Wulf¹,

Kaiser²,

Mrotzek³

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…The PDM showed considerably higher values (from 1.4 to 16.9 t ha −1 year −1 ) than the MODERN (1.2 to 10.9 t ha −1 year −1 ). The PDM assumed that the activity of 239+240 Pu had an exponential decay function within the soil profile (Arata et al 2016b;Calitri et al 2020). The MODERN, however, did not make any assumptions about the 239+240 Pu distribution along the profile (Arata et al 2016b) and thus may more precisely simulate the behaviour of FRN (e.g., under ploughing activities) (Alewell et al 2017).…”

Section: Long-and Short-term Erosion Rates In Loess Depositsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tracing erosion rates in loess landscape of the Trzebnica Hills (Poland) over time using fallout and cosmogenic nuclides

et al. 2021

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Purpose Loess landscapes are highly susceptible to soil erosion, which affects soil stability and productivity. Erosion is non-linear in time and space and determines whether soils form or degrade. While the spatial variability of erosion is often assessed by either modelling or on-site measurements, temporal trends over decades to millennia are very often lacking. In this study, we determined long- and short-term erosion rates to trace the dynamics of loess deposits in south-western Poland. Materials and methods We quantified long-term (millennial) erosion rates using cosmogenic (in situ 10Be) and short-term (decadal) rates with fallout radionuclides (239+240Pu). Erosion processes were studied in two slope-soil transects (12 soil pits) with variable erosion features. As a reference site, an undisturbed soil profile under natural forest was sampled. Results and discussion The long-term erosion rates ranged between 0.44 and 0.85 t ha−1 year−1, whereas the short-term erosion rates varied from 1.2 to 10.9 t ha−1 year−1 and seem to be reliable. The short-term erosion rates are up to 10 times higher than the long-term rates. The soil erosion rates are quite consistent with the terrain relief, with erosion increasing in the steeper slope sections and decreasing in the lower parts of the slope, while still maintaining high values. Conclusions Soil erosion rates have increased during the last few decades owing to agriculture intensification and probably climate change. The measured values lie far above tolerable erosion rates, and the soils were found to be strongly imbalanced and exhibit a drastic shallowing of the productive soils horizons.

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“…The climatic water balance is slightly negative (with about − 25 mm year −1 ). We selected the "Melzower Forst" as study area in the region (Calitri et al 2020). The Melzower Forst is an old forest complex, which has been forested for at least the last 250 years, according to historical maps of the late eighteenth century.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These sites share similar soil forming factors (e.g. climate, terrain, parent material), except for land use (Calitri et al 2020). Through this comparison, we want to assess the effect of land use on erosion rates.…”

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…We explored the explanatory power of both 10 Be forms in forested soils along a catena in the hummocky ground moraine landscape of northeastern Germany. These soils have been forested for at least 250 years, but exhibit strongly varying thicknesses with very shallow soils on crest positions (Rüffer 2018) and soils up to 1.5 m at the footslope, due to (pre-)historical erosion processes (Rüffer 2018;Calitri et al 2020). The aim of this study is to reconstruct the complex soil mass redistribution and soil patterns of this forested area due to different periods of erosion and stability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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10Be and 14C data provide insight on soil mass redistribution along gentle slopes and reveal ancient human impact

et al. 2021

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Purpose Spatial and temporal patterns of past erosional events are a useful and needed information to explain observed soil patterns in different landscapes. Soil thickness reflects the overall expression of pedogenesis and erosion. Forested soils of Northern Germany exhibit varying soil thicknesses with thin soils on crest positions and buried soils at the footslope. The aim of this study is to reconstruct the complex soil mass redistribution and soil patterns of this forested area due to different periods of erosion and stability. Methods We explored the explanatory power of both 10Be (in situ and meteoric) on a hillslope and we 14C-dated buried horizons at different depths. Results The 10Be depth profiles did not show an exponential decrease with depth. They had a ‘bulge’ shape indicating clay translocation and interaction with oxyhydroxydes (meteoric 10Be), bioturbation and soil mass redistribution (in situ 10Be). The combined application of both 10Be and 14C dating revealed progressive and regressive phases of soil evolution. Although Melzower Forest is protected (same vegetation) since the past 250 years, both 10Be clearly indicated major soil mass redistribution along the investigated catena. Conclusion A strong erosion impulse must have occurred between 4.5 and 6.8 kyr BP indicating an earlier human impact on soil erosion than previously postulated (~ 3 kyr earlier). Our findings correlate in fact with the first settlements reported for this region (~ 6.8 kyr BP) and show their immediate effect on soils. The overall soil redistribution rates in this forest are surprisingly similar to those obtained from a nearby agricultural area.

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Soil erosion along a transect in a forested catchment: Recent or ancient processes?

Cited by 17 publications

References 62 publications

A Multisource Approach to Verify a Forest as a Reference of Natural Conditions in an Intensively Used Rural Landscape (Uckermark, Ne Germany)

A Multisource Approach to Verify a Forest as a Reference of Natural Conditions in an Intensively Used Rural Landscape (Uckermark, Ne Germany)

Tracing erosion rates in loess landscape of the Trzebnica Hills (Poland) over time using fallout and cosmogenic nuclides

10Be and 14C data provide insight on soil mass redistribution along gentle slopes and reveal ancient human impact

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