Spatial and temporal dynamics of gully erosion in anthropogenically modified forest and forest‐steppe landscapes of the European part of Russia

Abstract

Gully erosion is a major soil degradation process on arable land. Therefore, it is important to better understand the spatial and temporal patterns of this linear erosion process, considering the impacts of land use and climate change. The main objective of this study was to analyse the spatial and temporal patterns of permanent gully development in a study area of 123 300 km 2 located in the eastern periphery of the European boreal zone (southern taiga, mixed and deciduous forests and forest-steppe). In this study, visual interpretation of remote sensing data is used to detect changes in permanent gully channel length and density for each river basin between 1950/1970 and 2017/2021. Currently, 22 688 permanent gullies have been identified in the study area, their average length being 64 m, with the total gully network length reaching 1450.3 km. The average density of the gully network for 2017/2021 is 16 m km À2 ; the maximum value reaching 471 m km À2 . During the period under study (c. 50 years), there was a widespread reduction in gully density by 184 m km À2 on average (i.e. from 100-500 m km À2 in 1950/1970 to <10 m km À2 in 2017/2021). Linear and areal channel changes were determined for 304 active gullies over the 2009/2016 period. The average linear gully growth rate during thisperiod is 0.6 m year À1 , whereas the areal growth rate is 28 m 2 year À1 . There is a clear reduction of gully erosion in the study area. Analysis of the gully network density in relation to land use changes (i.e. cultivated, forest and pasture area) did not reveal any significant relationship. It is concluded that the reduction of gully density in the study area is caused by the natural evolution of these linear erosion forms and their transformation into balkas (i.e. small, dry, flat-bottomed valleys).

Earth Science Frontier at Urban Periphery: Geoheritage from the Vicinity of Kazan City, Russia

“…It is situated near the confluence of the Volga and Kama rivers, from which the latter is thought to be the longest, left tributary of the former (Figure 1). The geographical setting of this region was characterized, particularly, by Burganov [37], Shaykhutdinova et al [38], Ulengov et al [39], and Yermolaev et al [40]. The landscape is dominated by plains with numerous gullies.…”

“…This section reflects the shrinking of the former wide marine basin, with chiefly continental deposits accumulated on alluvial-lacustrine plains in arid conditions. As for the gully (Figure 3a), it represents a common erosional landform, which is typical to this part of the present-day Russian Plain [40]. This description allows for establishing six geoheritage types in the Cheremushki geosite.…”

Microorganism Isolates Stimulate Forest Crop Growth and Protection

“…The territory of Kaibitsky forestry is characterized by temperate continental climate with warm summers and moderately cold winters. An average annual air temperature varies from +2.7 to +3.10 °C [15]. The warmest month is July, an average temperature is circa +19.0 °C to +19.60 °C.…”

Water Resources of Rivers and Erosion-Accumulation Processes

“…As shown in a large body of evidence (Yermolaev et al 2022), changes in land use and climate (i.e. meltwater runoff and rainfall erosivity) can act as specific triggers in the transformation of the fluvial system on hillslopes.…”

“…Water protection zones near a water body should include three zones: sanitary protection, moderate and partial restrictions. In addition to the damage caused by gullies to soils, land use and infrastructure (Yermolaev et al 2022) active erosional forms that open as mouths on narrow floodplains into the river bed serve as powerful providers of sediments. Therefore, it is necessary to create silt filtrating plantations on the fans of gullies, on their bottom, as well as on the bottom of water supply troughs.…”