The effect of land use change on soils and vegetation over various lithological formations on Lesvos (Greece)

Kosmas, Costas; Gerontidis, St; Marathianou, M.

doi:10.1016/s0341-8162(99)00064-8

Cited by 240 publications

(140 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…The runoff and erosion values were very low for the non-cultivated land-use types with natural vegetation (grassland) and semi-natural vegetation (woodland and shrubland), nevertheless, those for agricultural fields (cropland and pastureland) were high. The changes in runoff and erosion with land use showed by our results are consistent with many other studies (e.g., Lasanta et al, 2000;Caravaca et al, 2002;Kosmas et al, 2000;McDonald et al, 2002).…”

Section: The Changes Of Conservation Efficiencysupporting

confidence: 93%

The relative efficiency of four representative cropland conversions in reducing water erosion: evidence from long‐term plots in the Loess hilly area, China

Huang

Chen

et al. 2006

Land Degrad Dev

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Large areas of traditional slope cropland were recently converted to other land-use types in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China. In this study, we selected four representative conversion options of slope croplands, i.e., pastureland rotated with cropland (cultivated with Medicago sativa L. and rotated with Triticum aestivum L.), shrubland and woodland (afforested with Hippophae rhamnoides L. and Pinus tabulaeformis), and grassland (native herbage Stipa breviflora) to study the effect of landuse conversion by comparing with traditional cropland. Compared with slope cropland, the relative effects of different conversion options on surface runoff and soil erosion were assessed over a 14-year measurement period. Observations showed that distinct features and consequences of vegetation succession were found among the conversion options. Plots of shrubland had the highest vegetation coverage with dense undergrowth; natural herbaceous and subshrub species gradually spread into plots of grassland resulting in higher vegetation cover. Neither bushes nor herbs colonized the plots of Pinus tabulaeformis, which resulted in a higher percentage of bare soil. Significant differences in runoff generation, sediment yield and conservation efficiencies among the selected conversion options were detected through an analyses of variance (ANOVA). Compared with cropland, total runoff and sediment decreased by 65 per cent and 95 per cent in shrubland, 41 per cent and 92Á5 per cent in grassland, 18 per cent and 77 per cent in woodland, and 12 per cent and 58 per cent in pastureland, respectively. The ranking of soil and water conservation efficiencies was shrubland > grassland > woodland > pastureland > cropland. Based on the effectiveness of soil and water conservation, shrubland and grassland are highly recommended as promising options for cropland conversion projects. However, pastureland and woodland are not suggested as potential options for slope-cropland conversion because of low soil and water conservation in the long term.

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Section: The Changes Of Conservation Efficiencysupporting

confidence: 93%

The relative efficiency of four representative cropland conversions in reducing water erosion: evidence from long‐term plots in the Loess hilly area, China

Huang

Chen

et al. 2006

Land Degrad Dev

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“…Flash floods in the City of Genova, Italy, have been attributed to urban development on the hillslopes rising from the coast behind the City (Conacher and Sala, 1998b). Gabert and Nicod (1982) (Trimble, 1990;Martínez-Fernández et al, 1995;Ruecker et al, 1998;Gispert, 2006, 2012) and Greece (Kosmas et al, 2000). At the scales considered, soil erosion generally declined after abandonment, as well as the connectivity between sediment sources and channels, with reduced sediment delivery (Hooke, 2006;Lana-Renault and Regüés, 2009;García-Ruiz et al, 2010;Quiñonero-Rubio et al, 2013) and sedimentation in reservoirs (Navas et al, 2011).…”

Section: Land-use Intensification and Extensificationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Erosion in Mediterranean landscapes: Changes and future challenges

et al. 2013

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Intense erosion processes are widespread in the Mediterranean region, and include sheet wash erosion, rilling, gullying, shallow landsliding, and the development of large and active badlands in both subhumid and semi-arid areas. This review analyses the main environmental and human features related to soil erosion processes, and the main factors that explain the extreme variability of factors influencing soil erosion, particularly recent land use changes. The importance of erosion in the Mediterranean is related to the long history of human activity in a region characterized by low levels of annual precipitation, the occurrence of intense rainstorms and long-lasting droughts, high evapotranspiration, the presence of steep slopes and the occurrence of recent tectonic activity, together with the recurrent use of fire, overgrazing and farming. These factors have resulted in a complex landscape in which intensification and abandonment, wealth and poverty can co-exist. The changing conditions of national and international markets and the evolution of population pressure are now the main drivers explaining land use changes, including farmland abandonment in mountain areas, the expansion of some subsidized crops to marginal lands, and the development of new terraces affected by landslides and intense soil erosion during extreme rainstorm events. The occurrence of human-related forest fires affecting thousands of hectares each year is an increasing problem in both the northern and southern areas of the Mediterranean basin. Here, we highlight the rise of new scientific challenges in controlling the negative consequences of soil erosion in the Mediterranean region: (i) to reduce the effects and extent of forest fires, and restructure the spatial organization of abandoned landscapes; (ii) to provide guidance for making EU agricultural policy more adapted to the complexity and fragility of Mediterranean environments; (iii) to develop field methods and models to improve the identification of runoff and sediment contributing areas; (iv) to contribute to the conservation of landscapes (i.e. bench-terraced fields) having high cultural and productivity values; (v) to improve knowledge of the hydrological and geomorphological functioning of badlands, with the aim of reducing sediment yield and accessibility; (vi) to better understand the effect of climate change on soil erosion in the Mediterranean region; and (vii) to improve quantitative information on long-term soil erosion. COVER LETTER

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“…Results showed that soil quality improved with time due to accumulation of TOC, TN, TP, and improvement of soil texture. Similar results were reported in terrestrial ecosystems (Browman et al, 1990;Peng, 1995;Kosmas et al, 2000;Comin et al, 2001;Singh et al, 2001;Lee et al, 2002;Bruland & Richardson, 2004, 2005. Soil pH in riparian areas ranged from 4.90 to 5.28 in the 0-20 cm layer and 5.68 to 5.92 in the 20-40 cm layer in Fig.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Vegetation and soil properties in restored wetlands near Lake Taihu, China

Lü

Wang

et al.

Developments in Hydrobiology

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Riparian wetlands are important components of the lake ecosystem, and they play essential roles in maintaining system health. Remediation of degraded lakeshore wetlands is an essential component of lake restoration. A study was conducted to investigate the restoration of lakeshore wetlands, which were converted to rice fields and then abandoned for 2, 5, 10 and 15 years, near Lake Taihu. Soil samples (0-20 cm and 20-40 cm) were taken and plant species were investigated. The carbon content in the soil had increased significantly, rising from 0.71% to 1.85% between 2 and 15 years. Organic matter accumulation improved soil texture, and water stable aggregate content (>0.25 mm) and soil porosity increased. Total nitrogen in the soil increased from 0.06% to 0.13%, and total Kjeldahl nitrogen increased from 124.4 mg kg -1 to 351.5 mg kg -1 . Total phosphorus in the soil increased from 0.045% to 0.071%, and the Olsen-P value increased from 5.13 mg kg -1 to 16.0 mg kg -1 . Results showed that phosphorous did not increase as much as nitrogen. In the vegetation restoration process, plant species composition moved towards a natural wetland community, and spatial heterogeneity and landscape diversity increased. The richness of plant biodiversity increased rapidly in the first 2 years, then more slowly in later restoration stages. The wetlands recovery process may be complicated by interactions of biota and soil and hydrological conditions.

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The effect of land use change on soils and vegetation over various lithological formations on Lesvos (Greece)

Cited by 240 publications

References 18 publications

The relative efficiency of four representative cropland conversions in reducing water erosion: evidence from long‐term plots in the Loess hilly area, China

The relative efficiency of four representative cropland conversions in reducing water erosion: evidence from long‐term plots in the Loess hilly area, China

Erosion in Mediterranean landscapes: Changes and future challenges

Vegetation and soil properties in restored wetlands near Lake Taihu, China

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