Wind Erosion Induced Soil Degradation in Northern China: Status, Measures and Perspective

Guo, Zhongling; Huang, Ning; Dong, Zhibao; Pelt, R. Scott Van; Zobeck, Ted M.

doi:10.3390/su6128951

Cited by 61 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Our results showed that with increasing vegetation coverage, the amount of soil eroded by wind decreased sharply, and that the higher the wind speed was, the more efficient the protective effect of vegetation on the soil surface was. The relationship between vegetation coverage and wind erosion showed a significant power function correlation (Guo et al, 2014;John et al, 2016). For similar wind regime, the wind erosion rate decreased rapidly with increasing vegetation coverage above a threshold, which is also known as the effective coverage (Leys and Mctainsh, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Interactive effects of wind speed, vegetation coverage and soil moisture in controlling wind erosion in a temperate desert steppe, Inner Mongolia of China

et al. 2018

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The rapid desertification of grasslands in Inner Mongolia of China poses a significant ecological threaten to northern China. The combined effects of anthropogenic disturbances (e.g., overgrazing) and biophysical processes (e.g., soil erosion) have led to vegetation degradation and the consequent acceleration of regional desertification. Thus, mitigating the accelerated wind erosion, a cause and effect of grassland desertification, is critical for the sustainable management of grasslands. Here, a combination of mobile wind tunnel experiments and wind erosion model was used to explore the effects of different levels of vegetation coverage, soil moisture and wind speed on wind erosion at different positions of a slope inside an enclosed desert steppe in the Xilamuren grassland of Inner Mongolia. The results indicated a significant spatial difference in wind erosion intensities depending on the vegetation coverage, with a strong decreasing trend from the top to the base of the slope. Increasing vegetation coverage resulted in a rapid decrease in wind erosion as explained by a power function correlation. Vegetation coverage was found to be a dominant control on wind erosion by increasing the surface roughness and by lowering the threshold wind velocity for erosion. The critical vegetation coverage required for effectively controlling wind erosion was found to be higher than 60%. Further, the wind erosion rates were negatively correlated with surface soil moisture and the mass flux in aeolian sand transport increased with increasing wind speed. We developed a mathematical model of wind erosion based on the results of an orthogonal array design. The results from the model simulation indicated that the standardized regression coefficients of the main effects of the three factors (vegetation coverage, soil moisture and wind speed) on the mass flux in aeolian sand transport were in the following order: wind speed>vegetation coverage>soil moisture. These three factors had different levels of interactive effects on the mass flux in aeolian sand transport. Our results will improve the understanding of the interactive effects of wind speed, vegetation coverage and soil moisture in controlling wind erosion in desert steppes, and will be helpful for the design of desertification control programs in future.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Interactive effects of wind speed, vegetation coverage and soil moisture in controlling wind erosion in a temperate desert steppe, Inner Mongolia of China

et al. 2018

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“…Rohrmann et al (2013) also noted that wind had a stronger effect in soil erosion compared with water from the field study of erosion in Qaidam Basin in northern China. Guo et al (2014) pointed out that wind erosion could be the primary factor for soil degradation in arid and semi-arid regions in north China.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Estimation of desertification risk from soil erosion: a case study for Gansu Province, China

Zhang

McBean

2015

Stoch Environ Res Risk Assess

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Desertification is of increasing concern over recent decades. A methodology based on soil erosion from water and wind is developed, to evaluate desertification risk. The approach includes utilization of both the Universal Soil Loss Equation and the Wind Erosion Equation developed by California Air Resources Board. The desertification risk is mapped using ArcGIS techniques and is compared with the assessment from the environmentally sensitive areas model. The methodology, applied to Gansu as a case study, one of the driest regions in China, indicates that severe desertification is occurring in the Province, particularly through wind erosion. Approximately one-half the land areas in Gansu will experience high risk of desertification, especially in the western regions. The mean water and soil erosion in Gansu is 0.05 tonnes/ha and 44 tonnes/ha per year, respectively. The maximum per hectare soil loss through wind erosion is estimated as thirty times larger compared with water erosion. Improvements in vegetative cover as well as cropping methods would significantly reduce the high risk of desertification from 46 % of Gansu to less than 10 %. The analysis also shows that desertification is sensitive to climate and terrain slopes, and that human influences such as land use and population density can aggravate the degrees of desertification.

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“…Inappropriate agricultural practices include excessive tillage, use of heavy machinery, excessive and unbalanced use of inorganic fertilizers, poor irrigation and water management techniques, pesticide overuse, inadequate crop residue and/or organic carbon inputs, and poor crop cycle planning. Contributions from both China [24] and Russia [25] focus primarily on wind erosion. To decrease soil loss and enhance local ecosystems, the Chinese government has been encouraging residents to reduce wind-induced soil degradation through a series of national policies and several ecological projects.…”

Section: Geographic Consistency In Soil Degradationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Soil Degradation: Will Humankind Ever Learn?

2015

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Soil degradation is a global problem caused by many factors including excessive tillage, inappropriate crop rotations, excessive grazing or crop residue removal, deforestation, mining, construction and urban sprawl. To meet the needs of an expanding global population, it is essential for humankind to recognize and understand that improving soil health by adopting sustainable agricultural and land management practices is the best solution for mitigating and reversing current soil degradation trends. This research editorial is intended to provide an overview for this Special Issue of Sustainability that examines the global problem of soil degradation through reviews and recent research studies addressing soil health in Africa, Australia, China, Europe, India, North and South America, and Russia. Two common factors-soil erosion and depletion of soil organic matter (SOM)-emerge as consistent indicators of how "the thin layer covering the planet that stands between us and starvation" is being degraded. Soil degradation is not a new problem but failing to acknowledge, mitigate, and remediate the multiple factors leading to it is no longer a viable option for humankind. We optimistically conclude that the most promising strategies to mitigate soil degradation are to select appropriate land uses and improve soil management practices so that SOM is increased, soil biology is enhanced, and all forms of erosion are reduced. Collectively, these actions will enable humankind to "take care of the soil so it can take care of us".

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Wind Erosion Induced Soil Degradation in Northern China: Status, Measures and Perspective

Abstract: Soil degradation is one of the most serious ecological problems in the world.

Cited by 61 publications

References 26 publications

Interactive effects of wind speed, vegetation coverage and soil moisture in controlling wind erosion in a temperate desert steppe, Inner Mongolia of China

Interactive effects of wind speed, vegetation coverage and soil moisture in controlling wind erosion in a temperate desert steppe, Inner Mongolia of China

Estimation of desertification risk from soil erosion: a case study for Gansu Province, China

Soil Degradation: Will Humankind Ever Learn?

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