Fire effects on soil aggregation: A review

Abstract Fire can affect soil properties depending on a number of factors including fire severity and soil type. Aggregate stability (AS) refers to soil structure resilience in response to external mechanical forces. Many authors consider soil aggregation to be a parameter reflecting soil health, as it depends on chemical, physical and biological factors. The response of AS to forest fires is complex, since it depends on how fire has affected other related properties such as organic matter content, soil microbiology, water repellency and soil mineralogy. Opinions differ concerning the effect of fire on AS. Some authors have observed a decrease in AS in soils affected by intense wildfire or …

Updated measurements in vineyards improves accuracy of soil erosion rates

All rights reserved. Vineyards have proven to be one of the most degraded agricultural ecosystems due to very high erosion rates, which are typically measured at fine temporal and spatial scales. Long-term soil erosion measures are rare, but this information may be indispensable for a proper understanding of the vineyard soil system, landscape evolution, and crop production. The stock unearthing method (SUM) is a common topographical measurement technique developed to assess long-term erosion rates. The reliance of the SUM has been questioned and should be replaced by an improved measurement technique. In this paper, we demonstrate the added value (improved accurate, low cost, and faster th…

Soil erosion modelling: a global review and statistical analysis

40 Pags.- 10 Figs.- 2 Tabls.- Suppl. Informat. The definitive version is available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00489697

The role of plant species on runoff and soil erosion in a Mediterranean shrubland.

Shrubland is a Mediterranean biome characterized by densely growing evergreen shrubs adapted to fire events. To date, scientific research has focused on the impact of vegetation on soil erosion mainly through the control that plant biomass or plant cover exerts on sediment delivery and runoff discharge, being the individual plant species influence on hydrological and erosional processes not achieved in detail. The objective of this research is to determine: i) runoff and soil losses in a shrubland-covered rangeland at Sierra de Enguera, Spain; and ii) how four plant species affect soil and water losses. We measured soil cover, soil properties, runoff discharge and sediment yield under natur…

Reduction of the frequency of herbaceous roots as an effect of soil compaction induced by heavy grazing in rangelands of SW Spain

Rangelands in SW Spain constitute the most extensive ranching system on the Iberian Peninsula. During the last few decades, a significant increase in livestock numbers, along with a progressive substitution of cattle for sheep, have led to land degradation processes such as the reduction of grass cover and increased soil compaction in heavily grazed areas. Nevertheless, a better understanding of how soil compaction affects grass production is still needed. In this study, some of the effects of soil compaction due to heavy grazing are analysed, mainly the reduction of the frequency of herbaceous roots and its relationships with bulk density and soil penetration resistance. The study was carr…

The wettability of ash from burned vegetation and its relationship to Mediterranean plant species type, burn severity and total organic carbon content

Abstract Immediately following a wildfire, a layer of ash and charred material typically covers the ground. This layer will gradually be reduced, being redistributed by rainfall, wind or animals, by partial dissolution and by incorporation into the soil. Ash can increase or decrease the post-fire runoff and erosion response, depending upon the soil and ash properties and the ash thickness. One aspect of ash that has remained unknown and which may affect the variability in the hydrological response of the burned soil is its wettability. This study examines the wettability of ash using the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) test, its relationship with total organic carbon (TOC) content and co…

Editorial: The role of ash in fire-affected ecosystems

THE IMPACT OF FIRE ON REDISTRIBUTION OF SOIL ORGANIC MATTER ON A MEDITERRANEAN HILLSLOPE UNDER MAQUIA VEGETATION TYPE

Soil organic matter (SOM) changes affect the CO2 atmospheric levels and is a key factor on soil fertility and soil erodibility. Fire affects ecosystems and the soil properties due to heating and post-fire soil erosion and degradation processes. In order to understand fire effects on soil organic carbon (SOC) balance research was undertaken on a fire-prone ecosystem: the Mediterranean maquia. The spatial distribution of SOC was measured in a Burnt site 6 months after a wildfire and in a Control site. Samples were collected at two different depths (0–3 and 3–10 cm) and SOC was determined. The results show that 41·8 per cent of the SOC stock was lost. This is due to the removal of the burnt ma…

A review of soil carbon dynamics resulting from agricultural practices

Abstract Literature related to the carbon cycle and climate contains contradictory results with regard to whether agricultural practices increase or mitigate emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs). One opinion is that anthropogenic activities have distinct carbon footprints – measured as total emissions of GHGs resulting from an activity, in this case, “agricultural operations”. In contrast, it is argued that agriculture potentially serves to mitigate GHGs emissions when the best management practices are implemented. We review the literature on agricultural carbon footprints in the context of agricultural practices including soil, water and nutrient management. It has been reported that the ma…

Effects of parent material on soil erosion within Mediterranean new vineyard plantations

[EN] Parent material can determine specific physical and chemical soil properties and, therefore, soil erosion rates. However, for new vine plantations, there is not enough research on soil erosion assessment on different parent materials which could be helpful for agricultural management plans. The main aim of this research was to quantify soil erosion rates of two recent vineyard plantations under similar climate and land use management conditions, but on different parent materials, namely colluvium (2 years old) and marls (8 years old), located within the Les Alcusses valley vineyards in Eastern Spain. To achieve this goal, the ISUM (improved stock unearthing method) was applied. ISUM in…

Applying the RUSLE and ISUM in the Tierra de Barros Vineyards (Extremadura, Spain) to Estimate Soil Mobilisation Rates

Spain is one of the largest wine producers in the world, with Extremadura (south-west Spain) being its second-largest producing region after Castilla La Mancha. Within Extremadura, the most traditional and productive viticulture region is the Tierra de Barros, which boasts an annual production of 3&times

Spatio-temporal variation of throughfall in a hyrcanian plain forest stand in Northern Iran

Abstract Elucidating segregation of precipitation in different components in forest stands is important for proper forest ecosystems management. However, there is a lack of information on important rainfall components viz. throughfall, interception and stemflow in forest watersheds particularly in developing countries. We therefore investigated the spatiotemporal variation of important component of throughfall for a forest stand in a Hyrcanian plain forest in Noor City, northern Iran. The study area contained five species of Quercus castaneifolia, Carpinus betulus, Populus caspica and Parrotia persica. The research was conducted from July 2013 to July 2014 using a systematic sampling method…

The effect of patchy distribution ofStipa tenacissimaL. on runoff and erosion

In south-east Spain, a semi-arid area,Stipa tenacissima(alphagrass) covers large natural and semi-natural areas with a mosaic of tussocks and bare zones. However, little knowledge exists about the influence of these patterns on runoff and erosion. In order to understand the hydrological and erosional behaviour of the vegetated (herbs andalphagrass) and bare zones, rainfall simulation experiments were carried out at three sites in south-east Spain. The experiments showed that surface runoff and erosion is negligible in the tussock and quite high in the bare areas. High infiltration rates and deep wetting fronts were measured in the vegetated patches, and lower infiltration rates and shallowe…

The erosional response of Calcareous soils along a climatological gradient in Southeast Spain

Abstract The erosional response of calcareous soils along a climatological gradient in Alicante, SE Spain was studied. The erosional response was defined in terms of indicators obtained from field rainfall simulation experiments and laboratory studies of soil aggregation. Measurements were made at seven sites on limestones and marls between Benidorm with an annual average rainfall of 400 mm yr −1 and Coll de Rates (annual rainfall 900 mm yr −1 ). The sites were on matorral vegetation affected to varying intensities by grazing and fire. At the seven locations, soil aggregation was studied by sieving, by the single water drop test and by a Microscan particle-sizer. Rainfall simulation experim…

Effects of agricultural management on surface soil properties and soil–water losses in eastern Spain

Abstract In Spain, agriculture triggers soil degradation and erosion processes. New strategies have to be developed to reduce soil losses and recover or maintain soil functionality in order to achieve a sustainable agriculture. An experiment was designed to evaluate the effect of different agricultural management on soil properties and soil erosion. Five different treatments (ploughing, herbicide, control, straw mulch and chipped pruned branches) were established in “El Teularet experimental station” located in the Sierra de Enguera (Valencia, Spain). Soil sampling was conducted prior to treatment establishment, and again after 16 months, to determine soil organic matter content (OM), aggre…

Soil water erosion on road embankments in eastern Spain.

Abstract Road embankments erosion is a serious problem in Spain. By means of simulated rainfall experiments (45 mm h − 1 during one hour on 0.41 m 2 plots) soil and water losses were measured on five road embankments located on the SW of the Valencia province, Spain. The bare road embankments, still under construction, contributed with 30 times more soil erosion than the vegetated ones. The measurements here presented demonstrate that road embankments are an important source of sediments, especially during the construction works, and it is recommended that restoration works should be undertaken after the road construction to reduce sediment removal, protect the road and avoid traffic accide…

Organic carbon, water repellency and soil stability to slaking under different crops and managements: a case study at aggregate and intra-aggregate scales

This research studies the distribution of organic C and intensity of water repellency in soil aggregates with different size and in the interior of aggregates from Mediterranean soils under different crops (apricot, citrus and wheat) and management (con- 5 ventional tilling and no tilling/mulching). For this, undisturbed aggregates were sampled and carefully divided in size fractions (0.25–0.5, 0.5–1, 1–2, 2–5, 5–10 and 10–15 mm) or peeled to obtain separated aggregate layers (exterior, transitional and interior). Organic C content in the fine earth fraction of soils under different crops did not show important variations, although it increased significantly from conventionally tilled to 10…

Assessing land condition as a first step to achieving land degradation neutrality : A case study of the Republic of Srpska

Abstract Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) is a key voluntary and aspirational target of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 15 which urges countries to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss. A first and critical important step in the implementation of LDN is assessing the current land condition using not only active restoration of degraded land, but also targeting land degradation drivers behind the land degradation process. In a first step to achieve these goals, countries were provided a global dataset for three sub-indicators of land degra…

The age of vines as a controlling factor of soil erosion processes in Mediterranean vineyards

Abstract Vineyards incur the highest soil and water losses among all Mediterranean agricultural fields. The state-of-the-art shows that soil erosion in vineyards has been primarily surveyed with topographical methods, soil erosion plots and rainfall simulations, but these techniques do not typically assess temporal changes in soil erosion. When vines are planted they are about 30 cm high × 1 cm diameter without leaves, the root system varies from 2 to over 40 cm depth, and sometimes the lack of care used during transplanting can result in a field with highly erodible bare soils. This means that the time since vine plantation plays a key role in soil erosion rates, but very little attention …

The contrasted response of ash to wetting

Abstract After a wildfire the soil is covered by ash. Ash properties depend on vegetation type, amount of fuel and fire intensity. The ash layer controls the post-fire soil hydrologic response, but little is known about the effect of ash thickness and ash type on infiltration, which is relevant for post-fire runoff and soil losses and for ecosystems rehabilitation and restoration. This paper analyses the role of i) ash type (black or white), ii) thickness (5, 15 and 30 mm-thick) and iii) temporal variation (0, 15 and 40 days) under three simulated rain events (55 mm for 1 h) on soil surface hydrology. The rainfall was simulated on 0.25 m2 plots, and time to ponding, runoff and runoff discha…

A comparison of statistical methods and multi-criteria decision making to map flood hazard susceptibility in Northern Iran

In north of Iran, flood is one of the most important natural hazards that annually inflict great economic damages on humankind infrastructures and natural ecosystems. The Kiasar watershed is known as one of the critical areas in north of Iran, due to numerous floods and waste of water and soil resources, as well as related economic and ecological losses. However, a comprehensive and systematic research to identify flood-prone areas, which may help to establish management and conservation measures, has not been carried out yet. Therefore, this study tested four methods: evidential belief function (EBF), frequency ratio (FR), Technique for Order Preference by Similarity To ideal Solution (TOP…

Hydrological effects of a layer of vegetation ash on underlying wettable and water repellent soil

Abstract Hydrological processes after a wildfire may take place under soil conditions altered by heat and by the presence of ash. Soil and ash interact as a two-layer system with poorly understood hydrological properties, especially when ash covers water repellent soil. Here we quantify the effect of an ash layer (0, 5, 15 and 30 mm depth) covering wettable and water repellent soil on (i) the hydrological response and the mechanism of runoff generation and (ii) the water repellency dynamics, for a rainfall event followed by different drying periods and a second rainfall event. Laboratory rainfall simulation experiments (82.5 mm h − 1 during 40 min) at small plot-scale (0.09 m 2 ) were perfo…

Long-term monitoring of soil bulk density and erosion rates in two Prunus Persica (L) plantations under flood irrigation and glyphosate herbicide treatment in La Ribera district, Spain

Abstract Early season fruit production for the northern European market is highly intensive in fertilization, machinery, irrigation and the use of herbicides. Those conditions increase the soil losses and soil compaction and threaten the Sustainable Goals for Development of the United Nations by 2030. Long-term soil erosion measurements are necessary to determine the sustainability of agriculture managements. Moreover, soil erosion on flood irrigation land is a topic that request more surveys and research as rainfed sloping terrains attracted all the attention of scientists and research investment. Improved Stock Unearthing Method (ISUM) was applied to two 15 years-old herbicide treated fie…

Ant mounds as a source of sediment on citrus orchard plantations in eastern Spain. A three-scale rainfall simulation approach

Abstract Ants are widely found in Mediterranean soils, where they increase water infiltration rates by forming soil macropores during nest construction. While higher water infiltration usually results in lower soil erosion rates, new soil brought to the surface by ant activity could increase sediments available for erosion. This could be especially important in intensively-managed citrus orchards, where surface mineral soil is exposed due to the lack of vegetation cover as a consequence of herbicide treatments. In the summer of 2009 rainfall simulations of low frequency–high intensity rainstorms were conducted in an orange orchard in eastern Spain on plots that contained ant nests and adjac…

Spatial prediction of soil erosion susceptibility using a fuzzy analytical network process: Application of the fuzzy decision making trial and evaluation laboratory approach

Soil erosion is a worldwide threat that results in soil degradation, agriculture abandonment, and crop yield reduction. There is a need to find methods to survey soil erosion rates in order to improve and develop sustainable land planning. The present study utilizes new approaches based on the fuzzy set both in designing the problem (through the fuzzy decision making trial and evaluation laboratory) and in prioritizing the effective factors to mitigate soil erosion (using a fuzzy analytical network process, FANP). This study is first to apply these methods to soil erosion. A set of geo‐environmental factors influencing soil erosion was characterized to evaluate the potential risk of soil er…

Soil moisture changes after land abandonment in the Central Spanish Pyrenees

14 páginas, 3 tablas, 6 figuras.

Analysis of drought and vulnerability in the North Darfur region of Sudan

North Darfur of Sudan is located on the edge of the Sahara Desert and endures frequent droughts due to water shortages and high summer temperatures. Monitoring and understanding drought characteristics are essential for integrated drought risk mitigation and prevetion of land degradation. This study evaluates drought conditions in North Darfur by analyzing the spatiotemporal distribution of drought using three drought indices (Standardized Precipitation Index, Vegetation Condition Index, and Soil Moisture Content Index) and their combined drought index (CDI) from 2004 to 2013. Biophysical and socioeconomic indicators are further used to measure vulnerability to drought risk and its three co…

The effect of ash and needle cover on surface runoff and erosion in the immediate post-fire period

Abstract Hillslopes are thought to be most susceptible to enhanced surface runoff and erosion immediately following wildfire due to removal of protective vegetation and litter cover, and in many cases a fire-induced reduction in soil wettability. This enhanced susceptibility declines as vegetation and litter layer recover. For logistical reasons, however, few studies have been able to examine the responses of burnt terrain immediately following burning and little is therefore known about the effect of the wettable ash layer that often covers the ground until it is redistributed or removed by wind or water erosion. Here we quantify the effects of ash and needle cast ground cover on surface r…

Soil structural stability and erosion rates influenced by agricultural management practices in a semi-arid Mediterranean agro-ecosystem

Unsuitable agricultural practices can cause loss in soil quality and erodibility to thus increase or trigger desertification under Mediterranean conditions. A field experiment was performed at the El Teularet-Sierra de Enguera Experimental Station (eastern Spain) to assess the influence during a 5-yr period of different agricultural practices on physical and chemical indicators of soil quality (total and water-soluble carbohydrates, glomalin-related soil proteins (GRSP), total organic carbon, aggregate stability (AS), vegetation cover and soil erosion). The management practices included residual herbicide use, ploughing, ploughing + oats, addition of oat straw mulch and a control (land aban…

Impacts of thinning of a Mediterranean oak forest on soil properties influencing water infiltration

[EN] In Mediterranean ecosystems, special attention needs to be paid to forest¿water relationships due to water scarcity. In this context, Adaptive Forest Management (AFM) has the objective to establish how forest resources have to be managed with regards to the efficient use of water, which needs maintaining healthy soil properties even after disturbance. The main objective of this investigation was to understand the effect of one of the AFM methods, namely forest thinning, on soil hydraulic properties. At this aim, soil hydraulic characterization was performed on two contiguous Mediterranean oak forest plots, one of them thinned to reduce the forest density from 861 to 414 tree per ha. Th…

Soil Mapping and Processes Modeling for Sustainable Land Management

Soil maps and models are indispensable tools in sustainable land management. The sustainable land use of our territory is fundamental to providing long-term socio-economic and environmental benefits. The risk of land degradation and corresponding declines in ecosystem services depends on the type of land use. Soil restoration can be extremely expensive, more than the implementation of sustainable land use practices. This is especially important in the context of climate change and the increasing pressure that a growing population places on soil resources, which is a global phenomenon. The objective of this chapter is to show the advantages of using soil mapping and modeling in sustainable l…

Soil aggregate stability in three Mediterranean environments

Abstract This paper considers the effect of vegetation on soil aggregate stability in three different Mediterranean landscapes in Southeast Spain. Soils on limestone, marls and clays, with two levels of vegetation cover at each north-facing slopes of the study areas, were investigated. Three aggregate stability tests (CND, TDI and UD) based on the drop impact and ultrasonic dispersion methods and the Emerson dispersion test were performed. The results of the experiments show the positive influence of vegetation on aggregate stability. However, vegetation is less important than lithology in influencing soil aggregate stability. Soil depth and moisture also affect aggregation, but the relatio…

Soil Mapping and Processes Models for Sustainable Land Management Applied to Modern Challenges

Abstract In the context of growing population and global change, increasing demands for food production are an enormous challenge that we face in the modern world. At the same time the need to prevent land degradation, restore lands that are already degraded, and maintain soil quality and health is critical to a sustainable use of land resources. Accurate maps and adequate models are indispensable tools to assist managers, scientists, and decision makers in addressing these challenges. In this chapter, we outline the main impacts of climate change on soils, key adaptation, and mitigation strategies and provide an overview of key issues in sustainable agricultural production as well as land …

Seasonal changes of the infiltration rates in a Mediterranean scrubland on limestone

To investigate the seasonal changes of infiltration rates, measurements by means of simulated rainfall experiments and cylinder infiltrometer were done in a small E–W oriented watershed in Southeast Spain. Data were collected during both the wet seasons (autumn, winter and spring) and the dry season (summer). Infiltration rates were very high in summer, when direct surface runoff is very low. During the wet seasons, the infiltration rates were lower due to the increase in soil moisture. Measurements by means of both ponding as well as simulated rainfall are suitable to study the infiltration process. The former needs more replications, due to the small observation area encompassed for each …

Soil hydrological response under simulated rainfall in the Dehesa land system (Extremadura, SW Spain) under drought conditions

Soil hydrology was investigated in the Guadelperalon experimental watershed in order to determine the influence of land use and vegetation cover on runoff and infiltration within the Dehesa land system. Five soil–vegetation units were selected: (1) tree cover, (2) sheep trials, (3) shrub cover, (4) hillslope grass and (5) bottom grass. The results of the simulated rainfall experiments performed at an intensity of 56·6 mm h−1 during one hour on plots of 0·25 m2, and the water drop penetration time test indicate the importance of water repellency in the Dehesa land system under drought conditions. Low infiltration rates (c. 9–44 mm h−1) were found everywhere except at shrub sites and in areas…

Regional Farmers’ Perception and Societal Issues in Vineyards Affected by High Erosion Rates

We explore the current situation in a viticultural region in Eastern Spain from a holistic and multifaceted research approach, which allowed us to understand the biophysical conditions, economic cost, social impact, and perception of the farmers’ community to the use of catch crops. A survey of the perception of the farmers, and an assessment of the biophysical impact of catch crops (CC) and tillage (C = Control plot) on soil organic matter, bulk density, infiltration capacity (single ring infiltrometer), and runoff generation and soil erosion (rainfall simulation experiments) was carried out. Two representative fields as study sites were selected in Les Alcusses valley, within Els Alforins…

Peer review report 3 on “Spatio-temporal variability of erosivity determined by highly resolved and adjusted radar rain data (RADOLAN)”

Catchment size and contribution of the largest daily events to suspended sediment load on a continental scale

Abstract The classic approach defines an extreme event as a rare event identified by magnitude–frequency analysis and quantified by its deviation from a central value. They are key to understand geomorphological dynamics, since they are responsible for a considerable amount of work and “time compression”. Time compression means that most of the geomorphic work (particularly sediment transport) is produced in very short temporal intervals (i.e. in few events). Moreover, it is well known from magnitude–frequency analyses that events not necessarily extreme by magnitude could be responsible for a large amount of geomorphic work. To analyse the time compression of geomorphological processes, a …

The influence of slope angle on sediment, water and seed losses on badland landscapes

Abstract By means of simulated rainfall the influence of the slope angle on the soil, water and seed erosion has been studied on badland surfaces. Slope angle has a clear positive effect controlling soil erodibility and erosion rates, but it does not have any influence on the volume of runoff after 40 minutes of rain at an intensity of 55 mm h−1. In contrast, slope angle has a clear influence on runoff initiation, with cracks and crusts as the main factors controlling the time to ponding and time to runoff. Both ponding and runoff initiation start earlier on pediments than on slopes, where more cracks exist. Steady-state infiltration rates and seed losses have an inverse relationships with …

Preface: Environmental benefits of biochar

J. Paz-Ferreiro1, A. Mendez6, A. M. Tarquis3,4, A. Cerda5, and G. Gasco2 1School of Civil, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, RMIT University, GPO Box 2476, Melbourne 3001, VIC, Melbourne, Australia 2Departamento de Produccion Agraria, E.T.S.I. Agronomos, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28004 Madrid, Spain 3CEIGRAM, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain 4Departamento de Matematica Aplicada, Universidad Politecnica de Madrid, Ciudad Universitaria, 28040 Madrid, Spain 5Soil Erosion and Degradation Research Group, Department of Geography, University of Valencia, C/Blasco Ibanez 10, 46010 Valencia, Spain 6Departamento de Ingen…

Changes in soil chemical properties as affected by pyrogenic organic matter amendment with different intensity and frequency

Pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM) has long been used as a soil amendment to improve soil physicochemical properties. However, few studies simultaneously investigated both intensities and frequencies of PyOM addition on soil chemical properties of soil base cations, soil pH buffering capacity (pHBC), and plant available micronutrients. In the main food production area of lower Liaohe River Plain in Northeast China, a field manipulation of PyOM addition was initiated in 2013 to examine how the intensities (0, 1%, 3%, and 5% of 0–20 cm soil mass) and frequencies (3% of soil mass applied once versus yearly for 3 years) of PyOM amendment affected soil chemical properties. Higher intensity of PyOM …

Long-term erosional responses after fire in the Central Spanish Pyrenees

Abstract This paper reports the results of a study on how fire effects water and sediment losses in the Central Spanish Pyrenees where land abandonment results in an increase of the scrubland and fire-affected surfaces. In 1991, two plots (control and burnt) were installed to collect runoff, suspended sediments and solutes. One of the plots was burnt (burnt-1) and the other was covered by shrubs and herbs (control). During 1993, another burnt plot was installed (burnt-2). Data was collected from the three plots until 1999 and is used as the basis for assessing the soil erosion changes after the fire. Runoff, solute and suspended sediment concentration and erosion rates were slightly greater…

The impact of organic amendments on soil hydrology, structure and microbial respiration in semiarid lands

Abstract Few studies have considered the effect of organic amendments on soil microbial activity and its contributions to hydraulic conductivity under field conditions in semiarid region soils with different textures and degrees of aggregate stability. This study was performed to investigate the relationship between selected soil properties and hydraulic conductivity in response to different types and application rates of organic amendments. For this purpose, urban municipal solid waste (MSW) compost and alfalfa residue (AR) were applied at different rates of 0 (control), 10 Mg ha− 1 and 30 Mg ha− 1 to clay loam and loamy sand soils under field conditions. Results show that after two years,…

A review of preferential water flow in soil science

A better understanding of preferential water flow is important because water-related crises, i.e., water scarcity and security, are strongly associated with water retention rates in different landscapes. This review aims to evaluate significant advances in the main themes of preferential water flow to establish the inconsistent roles of preferential water flow in eco-hydrology and suggest promising areas for future work. Results showed that preferential water flow studies have made significant advances in our understanding of certain parameters functioning at multiple scales but that most studies focus on preferential water flow in the vadose zone, whereas few studies on the soil surface. …

Rainfall drop size distribution in the Western Mediterranean basin, València, Spain

Although soil erosion processes are directly related to the raindrop sizes and the kinetic energy of the rainfall, little is known about the drop-size distribution. The paper staining technique is used to measure the size of the raindrops for natural thunderstorms with different rainfall intensities in the Western Mediterranean basin (Canals and Valencia, Spain). Drop sizes are greater during the most intense thunderstorms, ranging from 0.25 mm diameter (D50) for a 1 mm h−1 rainshower to 2.69 mm in very intense thunderstorms of about 120 mm h−1. The shape of the raindrop size distribution curve changes from lower to higher rainfall intensity thunderstorms. For the low intensity events, the …

The use of vegetation as a natural strategy for landfill restoration

Short-term impact of prescribed fire on soil pH, organic matter and hydrophobicity in a Calluna vulgaris heathland located in Lithuania. First results

The aim of this work is study the short-term effects of a prescribed fire used for landscape management on soil pH, organic matter (SOM) and soil water repellency in different size fractions (2-1, 1-0.5, 0.5-0.25 and <0.25 mm) in a Calluna vulgaris heathland (After the fire and 4 months after the fire). We selected two different plots affected by different fire severities in order to observe if different prescribed fire severities could have different impacts on the studied soil properties (The severity in plot I was higher than in the plot II). The results showed that independently of the severity, the prescribed fire did not have in the period immediately after the fire did not changed si…

Using Beerkan experiments to estimate hydraulic conductivity of a crusted loamy soil in a Mediterranean vineyard

Abstract In bare soils of semi-arid areas, surface crusting is a rather common phenomenon due to the impact of raindrops. Water infiltration measurements under ponding conditions are becoming largely applied techniques for an approximate characterization of crusted soils. In this study, the impact of crusting on soil hydraulic conductivity was assessed in a Mediterranean vineyard (western Sicily, Italy) under conventional tillage. The BEST (Beerkan Estimation of Soil Transfer parameters) algorithm was applied to the infiltration data to obtain the hydraulic conductivity of crusted and uncrusted soils. Soil hydraulic conductivity was found to vary during the year and also spatially (i.e., ro…

Soil erosion and agriculture

Risk assessment of land degradation (RALDE) model

Modelling of piping collapses and gully headcut landforms: Evaluating topographic variables from different types of DEM

Abstract The geomorphic studies are extremely dependent on the quality and spatial resolution of digital elevation model (DEM) data. The unique terrain characteristics of a particular landscape are derived from DEM, which are responsible for initiation and development of ephemeral gullies. As the topographic features of an area significantly influences on the erosive power of the water flow, it is an important task the extraction of terrain features from DEM to properly research gully erosion. Alongside, topography is highly correlated with other geo-environmental factors i.e. geology, climate, soil types, vegetation density and floristic composition, runoff generation, which ultimately inf…

Improving stock unearthing method to measure soil erosion rates in vineyards

Abstract Vineyard 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 topograph…

The influence of ants on soil and water losses from an orange orchard in eastern Spain

Herbicide applications have greatly reduced plant cover, and increased soil erosion on a new orange orchard planted on valley slopes in eastern Spain. This has increased the importance of soil fauna, such as ants, in regulating soil erosion processes. Ants increase water infiltration rates by forming soil macropores during nest construction, but new soil brought to the surface by ant activity could increase the sediments available for erosion. Simulated rainfall experiments were conducted on 20 paired plots (20 with ant activity and 20 controls) to study the impact of ants on surface water flow and sediment movement in an intensively managed orange orchard near Valencia, Spain. Simulated ra…

WEPP calibration for improved predictions of interrill erosion in semi-arid to arid environments

Abstract Modeling soil erosion contributes to the understanding of the erosion processes and needs to predict accurately the erosion rates under different environmental conditions. Few studies have investigated the WEPP's applicability for arid and semi-arid conditions that differ from those where the model was developed. This research was carried out to evaluate and improve the WEPP model for arid and semiarid regions for interrill erosion using a rainfall simulator at plot scale. The results showed that measured interrill erosion rates ranged from 9.3 × 10− 6 to 89.6 × 10− 6 kg m− 2 s− 1. In comparison, the WEPP-interrill erosion prediction values were on average 14.5 times lower than the…

Comparison of social-ecological resilience between two grassland management patterns driven by grassland land contract policy in the Maqu, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Embraced for decision-making, resilience has evolved as a meaningful term in areas such as ecology, the economy and society. After a policy of grassland contracts was implemented on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, two grassland management patterns evolved: the multi-household management pattern (MMP) and the single-household management pattern (SMP). Within a resilience-driven perspective, this study compared the outcomes of these grassland management patterns by measuring their effects on the resilience of grazing, ecological, economic and social systems. Resilience indicators for each of the four systems were: grazing system (grazing space, transhumance, water source and reproduction); ecolo…

Tree species flammability based on plant traits: A synthesis.

Abstract The occurrence of large and recurring forest fires has long been associated with fire-prone environments, but this perception has been shifted rapidly in recent decades as Earths' landscapes have become increasingly threatened by severe and unpredictable fires as a result of climate changes. In this regard, the flammability of trees is a topic of great interest for ecology, management, and the development of sustainable restoration and rehabilitation plans. Tree species differ in regard to flammability, and many plant functional traits contribute to flammability at species, community and vegetation level. The relationship between plant traits and flammability at species level is im…

Ongoing and emerging questions in water erosion studies

51 Pags.- 9 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1099-145X

Biohydrology: coupling biology and soil hydrology from pores to landscapes

The articles in this issue are a selection of the presentations made at the 2nd International Conference of Biohydrology. This special issue ‘Biohydrology—coupling biology and soil hydrology from pores to landscapes’ contains a range of articles on biological and hydrological interactions in soil, including large-scale systems research on the influence of forests on catchments and small-scale reductionist research on processes operating at the scale of soil pores. Copyright  2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Effects of climate, land cover and topography on soil erosion risk in a semiarid basin of the Andes

Understanding soil erosion processes in the Ecuadorian Andes with a tropical wet-dry climate and a variable topography, is fundamental for research on agriculture sustainable, environmental management, as well as for a stable water supply for the local populations. This work proposes method to estimate soil erosion risk in the semiarid Catamayo basin with limited data. The results show that the rainfall distribution and the erosivity along with the rugged topography, followed by the land cover (C-factor), are the most important factors to estimate soil erosion risk. The soil erodibility is the most important factor in the dry season for agricultural areas and where the ground cover is spars…

Soil Erosion Induced by the Introduction of New Pasture Species in a Faxinal Farm of Southern Brazil

The faxinal management system is an endangered agro-silvopastoral system which forms part of the local traditional management in the Paran&aacute; federal state (Brazil). Significant changes in land management since the 1970s caused farmers to look for alternatives to increase the productivity of their farms. The introduction of new pasture species is causing land degradation problems, of which soil erosion is the most important challenge. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the environmental consequences of introducing exotic pasture species, such as Brachiaria decumbens. To achieve this goal, ten erosion plots were installed with exotic and native pastures (Paspalum notatum Fl&uuml;gg&e…

Organic matter and wettability characteristics of wildfire ash from Mediterranean conifer forests

Abstract Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and water repellency (wettability) determination of ash samples collected following wildfires at four different Mediterranean conifer forest sites in eastern Spain were conducted to provide insights into variations in key chemical and physical characteristics of ash. TGA allowed the evaluation of organic matter (OM) and inorganic carbonate (IC) characteristics and their role in ash wettability. Thermogravimetric profiles were recorded for 40 ash samples (ten from each site). The persistence of water repellency of all ash samples was assessed by the Water Drop Penetration Time (WDPT) test. OM contents decreased, whilst OM stability indices and IC con…

Assisted phytostabilization of soil from a former military area with mineral amendments.

Abstract Due to the presence of toxic pollutants, soils in former military areas need remedial actions with environmentally friendly methods. Greenhouse experiments were conducted to investigate the aided phytostabilization of multi-heavy metals (HMs), i.e. Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, in post-military soil by Festuca rubra and three mineral amendments (diatomite, dolomite and halloysite). The amendments were applied at 0 and 3.0% to each pot filled with 5 kg of polluted soil. After seven weeks of the phytostabilization, selected soil properties, biomass yield of F. rubra and immobilization of HMs by their accumulation in plant and redistribution among individual fractions in soil were determine…

Spatio-temporal Vegetation Recuperation after a Grassland Fire in Lithuania

The aim of this work is to study the spatio-temporal effects of a grassland fire in Lithuania. Immediately after the fire, a experimental plot was designed in a east-faced slope. Vegetation cover and height were measured 10, 17, 31 and 46 days after the fire (vegetation cover was only measured until 31 days after the fire because in the last measurement campaign the plot was completely covered). The results showed that vegetation recovered very fast. Ten days after the fire vegetation cover and height distribution were heterogeneous, decreasing with the time due to vegetation spread. Vegetation recovered was specially observed between 17 and 31 days after the fire due vegetation recuperatio…

Repelencia al agua en suelos forestales afectados por incendios y en suelos agrícolas bajo distintos manejos y abandono

Soil water repellency determines the water available in the soil system, the runoff generation and the geomorphologic processes. This study examines the soil wettability during the summer of 2008 and 2009 in forest soils with different fire history, and in agricultural soils with different managements. Water repellency was assessed using the Water Drop Penetration Time test (WDPT). Results indicate that water repellency is more frequent and persistent in forest soils than in agricultural ones. In the former, water repellency is reduced a year after a fire and is not recovered during at least 12 years. In agricultural soils, it is found under no till treatment, whereas sites treated with her…

Cover crop management and water conservation in vineyard and olive orchards

Abstract Sustainability in orchard crops is an important goal for farmers, decision-makers and consumers. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals emphasize the importance of the soils in the Earth System to achieve sustainability and accomplish the Land Degradation Neutrality Challenge. Within the world agriculture land, olive and vineyards are within the eldest crops in the world, and they are also the ones with the highest degree of soil degradation. Cover crops (CC) are widely accepted as sustainable crop management that reduces soil and water losses, restores organic matter, increases biodiversity and fertility in degraded agriculture soils. The agriculture land must shift into…

Comparing yield and growth characteristics of four pastoral plant species under two salinity soil levels

Connecting the public with soil to improve human health

Despite the definite links between soil and human health, it is likely that most people do not think about soil when considering human health. There is a disconnect between most people in our modern society and soil, and when people notice soil it is often in a negative context. People care for things that matter to them, and creating a more positive public image of soil could improve human health by leading to better treatment and understanding of the soil resource. There are a number of concepts that may be able to connect people to the soil, including terroir, soil health and soil security. While terroir originally established a connection between those who appreciate wine and the soils …

Vineyard Compost Supplemented with Trichoderma Harzianum T78 Improve Saline Soil Quality

Influence of vegetation recovery on soil hydrology and erodibility following fire: an 11-year investigation

The present study investigates long-term changes in soil hydrological properties and erodibility during the regrowth of different types and densities of vegetation following a severe wildfire in the Serra Grossa Range, eastern Spain. Twelve plots of similar slope and soil characteristics, naturally recolonized by four different plant species (trees, herbs, shrubs and dwarf shrubs) were examined using rainfall simulations during an 11-year period. The mean erosion rate was 80 g m−2 h−1, 6 months after the fire under wet-winter conditions, declining to 30 g m−2 h−1 in the following summer and reaching &lt;10 g m−2 h−1 after 2 years. Considerable variation under the different vegetation types …

The multidisciplinary origin of soil geography: A review

Abstract Soil geography should be clearly recognized as a sub-discipline of physical geography and soil science, but at various times over the last century it was accepted as a complementary and descriptive sub-discipline of botany, agronomy and geology. In other words, there was not a clear consensus about its definition and origins. The main goal of this paper is to conduct a historical review (s. XX-XXI) of soil geography to clarify its origin, early methods, first authors and the importance of its interdisciplinary perspective within the scientific community. We found that soil geography was considerably advanced by the work of K.D. Glinka (1867–1927), one of Dokuchaev's students, who c…

Assessing impacts of soil management measures on ecosystem services

Only a few studies have quantified and measured ecosystem services (ES) specifically related to soil. To address this gap, we have developed and applied a methodology to assess changes in ecosystem services, based on measured or estimated soil property changes that were stimulated by soil management measures (e.g., mulching, terracing, no-till). We applied the ES assessment methodology in 16 case study sites across Europe representing a high diversity of soil threats and land use systems. Various prevention and remediation measures were trialled, and the changes in manageable soil and other natural capital properties were measured and quantified. An Excel tool facilitated data collection, c…

A review of ecological risk assessment and associated health risks with heavy metals in sediment from India

Abstract Heavy metal (HM) pollution in sediment is a serious concern particularly in developing nations, warranting an extensive survey to understand the current situation and propose possible remedial measures. This paper compiles the data of HMs cadmium (Cd), iron (Fe), cobalt (Co), manganese (Mn), arsenic (As), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and nickel (Ni) in aquatic sediment from India from 1979 to 2017. It was found that mean values of Cu, Co, Zn, Pb, As, and Cr in Indian sediment were high in comparison to the Australian Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines, World Surface Rock Average, and the Threshold Effect Level for freshwater ecosystems. Anthropogenic activities…

Effect of Standard Disk Plough on Soil Translocation in Sloping Sicilian Vineyards

Tillage is the main force of soil redistribution in agricultural land use and has been seen as more critical than water erosion. This study aims to evaluate the effect of tillage with standard disk in vineyards. A representative study area with grapevines was selected, and 39 inter-rows were selected to test the effect of slope and forward speed. In each inter-row, a strip of soil was collected, and mixed with 2 kg of coloured sand used as a tracer, then replaced in the strip, and shallow soil tillage was performed by means of a standard disk plough. Three soil subsamples were collected along the slope every 0.30 m from the coloured strip and the sand tracer was separated from the soil and …

Organic Fertilization in Traditional Mediterranean Grapevine Orchards Mediates Changes in Soil Microbial Community Structure and Enhances Soil Fertility

Soil microbial populations and their functions related to nutrient cycling contribute substantially to the regulation of soil fertility and the sustainability of agroecosystems. A field experiment was performed to assess the medium-term effect of a mineral fertilizer and two organic fertilization systems with different nitrogen sources on the soil microbial community biomass, structure, and composition (phospholipid fatty acids, pattern, and abundance), microbial activity (basal respiration, dehydrogenase, protease, urease, β-glucosidase, and total amount of phosphomonoesterase activities), and physical (aggregate stability) and chemical (total organic C, total N, available P and water-solu…

Reversing land degradation through grasses: a systematic meta-analysis in the Indian tropics

Abstract. Although intensive agriculture is necessary to sustain the world's growing population, accelerated soil erosion contributes to a decrease in the environmental health of ecosystems at local, regional and global scales. Reversing the process of land degradation using vegetative measures is of utmost importance in such ecosystems. The present study critically analyzes the effect of grasses in reversing the process of land degradation using a systematic review. The collected information was segregated under three different land use and land management situations. Meta-analysis was applied to test the hypothesis that the use of grasses reduces runoff and soil erosion. The effect of gra…

El método mejorado del tocón (ISUM) permite evaluar procesos de erosión del suelo en plantas injertadas utilizando medidas topográficas in situ

[EN] Policymakers, stakeholders and rural inhabitants must be aware of the relevance of soil erosion as an irreversible landdegradation process. This is key to achieve the land degradation neutrality challenge and the sustainability of humankindand natural ecosystems. Agricultural areas are being affected by soil erosion threatening soil quality and, subsequently,food security. Therefore, it is necessary to develop new techniques and methods visually friendly and easy to be accessedto survey and assess the soil erosion concerns. ISUM (Improve Stock Unearthing Method) is a well-contrasted procedureto estimate and map soil mobilisation and erosion rates. To achieve this goal, using the plant …

Soil physical quality changes under different management systems after 10 years in the Argentine humid pampa

Abstract. South American countries with the highest surface of land under no-tillage (NT) management are Brazil, Argentina and Chile. In Argentina, 78.5% of the agricultural land is cropped under NT management. Several experiments have confirmed the improvements in soil aggregation and infiltration achieved by NT management in dry-land farming areas associated with increases of bulk density (δb) under NT management. An increase in bulk density implies a reduction of the macro and mesoporosity that is in contradiction with the increased infiltration that occurs at macro and mesopores. We hypothesize that the increase of bulk density in NT management mainly affects the mesopores. We evaluated…

The impact of road and railway embankments on runoff and soil erosion in eastern Spain

Abstract. Road and railway infrastructure increased in the Mediterranean region during the last three decades. This included the building of embankments, which are assumed to be a~large source of sediments and runoff. However, little is known about soil erosion rates, the factors that control them, and the processes that contribute to detachment, transport and deposition of sediments from road and railway embankments. The objective of this study was therefore to assess the impacts of road and railway embankments as a source of sediment and water, and compare them to other land use types (citrus plantations and shrublands) representative of the Cànyoles watershed to evaluate the importance o…

Harnessing productivity potential and rehabilitation of degraded sodic lands through Jatropha based intercropping systems

Abstract This paper evaluates an intercropping model with J atropha curcas L. (JCL) as an alternative crop on degraded sodic land in north India. Monoculture of JCL has not proven economically viable in India in view of its poor yield; therefore, intercrops in between JCL plantations were tried to optimize land use efficiency. The results revealed that the planting of JCL at 3 × 3 m spacing with inter-cultivation of sweet basil–matricaria (SB-M) cropping system for four years was more economically viable than planting at 3 × 2 m spacing and the other rotations tested in the study. Improvements in soil properties in terms of soil pH, EC and organic carbon were found with the SB-M cropping sy…

Do conservative agriculture practices increase soil water repellency? A case study in citrus-cropped soils

Water repellency is a property of soils that inhibits or delays infiltration. Long-term conservation practices as no-tillage, manure addition, application of herbicides may contribute to increase soil organic matter and, hence, soil water repellency. In this research, we have studied the effect of long-term addition of plant residues and organic manure, no-tillage and no chemical fertilization (MNT), annual addition of plant residues and no-tillage (NT), application of conventional herbicides and no-tillage (H), and conventional tillage (CT) on soil water repellency in Mediterranean calcareous citrus-cropped soils (Eastern Spain). Slight water repellency was observed in MNT soils, which may…

Tillage Impacts on Initial Soil Erosion in Wheat and Sainfoin Fields under Simulated Extreme Rainfall Treatments

The main aim of this research was to determine the potential effects of different tillage systems (TT: traditional tillage and RT: reduced tillage) on runoff and erosion at two different locations (Kahramanmaras and Tarsus, Southern Turkey) under (i) fallow, (ii) wheat (Triticumaestivum L.), and (iii) sainfoin (Onobrychissativa L.) crops. Rainfall simulations with intensity of 120 mm h&minus

Modeling soil cation exchange capacity in multiple countries

Abstract Cation exchange capacity (CEC), as an important indicator for soil quality, represents soil's ability to hold positively charged ions. We attempted to predict CEC using different statistical methods including monotone analysis of variance (MONANOVA), artificial neural networks (ANNs), principal components regressions (PCR), and particle swarm optimization (PSO) in order to compare the utility of these approaches and identify the best predictor. We analyzed 170 soil samples from four different nations (USA, Spain, Iran and Iraq) under three land uses (agriculture, pasture, and forest). Seventy percent of the samples (120 samples) were selected as the calibration set and the remainin…

Testing simple scaling in soil erosion processes at plot scale

Abstract Explaining scale effects for runoff and erosion improves our understanding and simulation ability of hydrological and erosion processes. In this paper, plot scale effects on event runoff per unit area (Qe), sediment concentration (Ce) and soil loss per unit area (SLe) were checked at El Teularet-Sierra de Enguera experimental site in Eastern Spain. The measurements were carried out for 31 events occurring in the years 2005 and 2007 in bare ploughed plots ranging from 1 to 48 m2. The analysis established the scaling relationship by dimensional analysis and self-similarity theory, and tested this relationship at different temporal scales ranging from event to annual scale. The dimens…

The effect of ant mounds on overland flow and soil erodibility following a wildfire in eastern Spain

This study examines the soil hydrological and erosional effects of ant mounds during summer and winter conditions following a wildfire in scrub terrain in eastern Spain. Forty rainfall simulations (1 m2 plots, 1 h duration, 78 mm h−1 intensity) were carried out over plots with mounds (n = 20) and mound-free control plots (n = 20) in August 2002, and repeated in December. By winter, some of the mound material had been removed and some vegetation regrowth occurred. Overall, mound presence increased soil erodibility in summer and winter due to the availability of highly erodible mound material. However, mound plots showed higher mean overland flow rates in summer (10·1 vs 6·9% for control plot…

Soil erosion processes in subtropical plantations ( Diospyros kaki ) managed under flood irrigation in Eastern Spain

Persimmons (Diospyros kaki) are trees cultivated under subtropical environmental conditions but are also found in other regions such as the Mediterranean. However, no research has been conducted to investigate soil erosion processes under Mediterranean soil management systems characterized by flood irrigation and/or tillage. The Improved Stock Unearthing Method (ISUM) for assessing long-term soil mobilization was applied to two fields, one under tillage and the other under no-till with herbicide within a 25-year old Mediterranean persimmon plantation. Replicating methods used in vineyard studies, graft unions on persimmon plants were used as passive bio-indicators of soil surface changes in…

Evaluation of geomorphometric characteristics and soil properties after a wildfire using Sentinel-2 MSI imagery for future fire-safe forest

Abstract Understanding spatiotemporal geomorphological and pedological changes as a consequence of wildfires can allow stakeholders, land planners, and policymakers to design efficient fire safety-based afforestation and restoration programs of forest lands. The use of remote sensing techniques is a key tool to achieve this goal. The suitable combination of Sentinel-2 MSI data for mapping of different spectral indices related to burn severity and their relationship with other morphometric and soil properties can contribute to a better understanding of the impact of fire, and this is relevant in regions where is still scarce fire-related research such as Turkey. In this investigation, the us…

Geodiversity and geoheritage: Detecting scientific and geographic biases and gaps through a bibliometric study

Abstract Many scientists have recognized that there is diversity in nature, including biodiversity, geodiversity, and pedodiversity. Studies in biodiversity date back as far as the 1700s, but geodiversity and pedodiversity studies are much more recent, dating to the late 1970s to early 1980s. Given that we are now approaching 40 years of geodiversity and geoheritage work, this study was undertaken to determine areas that have been well addressed and where current gaps are. This was accomplished by reviewing the publications in the journal “Geoheritage”, the Scopus and Google Scholar databases, and established geoparks according to UNESCO records. It was found that geodiversity studies typic…

Carbon sequestration potential and soil characteristics of various land use systems in arid region

Abstract Soils contain one of the largest carbon (C) pools in the biosphere with the greatest potential of C sequestration to mitigate climate change impacts. The present study aimed at comparing C sequestration potential of various land use systems including forestlands, croplands, agroforests, and orchards in the arid region of Pakistan. Soil samples from the layers of 0–20, 20–40, 40–60, and 60–80 cm depths were collected and analysed for soil physico-chemical properties namely texture, pH, EC, NPK-soil, organic matter (SOM), and soil organic C (SOC). Additionally, the above and below ground plant biomass and C contents were estimated. Results revealed that the highest C sequestration po…

The superior effect of nature based solutions in land management for enhancing ecosystem services

The rehabilitation and restoration of land is a key strategy to recover services -goods and resources- ecosystems offer to the humankind. This paper reviews key examples to understand the superior effect of nature based solutions to enhance the sustainabilit y of catchment systems by promoting desirable soil and landscape functions. The use of concepts such as connectivity and the theory of system thinking framework allowed to review coastal and river management as a guide to evaluate other strategies to achieve sustainability. In land management NBSs are not mainstream management. Through a set of case studies: organic farming in Spain; rewilding in Slovenia; land restoration in Iceland, s…

The impact of the farming, abandonment and agricultural intensification on loss of water and soil. The example of the northern slopes of the Serra Grossa, Eastern Spain

Land abandonment throughout the twentieth century led to an intense landscape transformation in the mountain areas of the Iberian Peninsula. In some cases, and after 50 years of abandonment, agriculture returned with the development of commercial farms and the intensification of the agrarian activities. In the Easter Iberian Peninsula, following the abandonment of olive groves, vineyards and cereals during the 50's, has been in the past two decades the expansion of intensive citrus production on sloping terrain. Geomorphological transects and simulated rainfall experiments have quantified the impact of traditional rainfed cultivation of the 50's, abandonment, and the intensification of farm…

Developing scoring functions to assess soil quality at a regional scale in rangelands of SW Spain

ABSTRACT The drawing of maps of soil quality at a large scale is increasingly being more useful to land planners and stakeholders. Nevertheless, it involves different methodological steps from the description of soil profiles in the field until the regional mapping of integrative soil quality index (IQI) values. The development of proper scoring functions is a paramount task for the calculation of these IQI values since every parameter needs to be standardized accordingly and weighting factors are usually estimated by multivariate techniques. The main goal of this study was to map soil quality in the Spanish region of Extremadura (commonly known by its rangelands called dehesas). To do that…

Insight into metal immobilization and microbial community structure in soil from a steel disposal dump phytostabilized with composted, pyrolyzed or gasified wastes.

Abstract The soil system is a key component of the environment that can serve as a sink of pollutants. Using processed waste for aided phytostabilization of metals (HMs) in contaminated soils is an attractive phytoremediation technique that integrates waste utilization and recycling. In this study, we evaluated the effect of biologically and thermally processed wastes, i.e. sewage sludge compost (CSS), poultry feather ash (AGF) and willow chip biochar (BWC), on phytostabilization of contaminated soil from a steel disposal dump. Greenhouse experiments with Lupinus luteus L. and amendments (dosage: 3.0%, w/w) were conducted for 58 days. Soil toxicity was evaluated with Ostracodtoxkit and Phyt…

Straw uses trade-off only after soil organic carbon steady-state

Soil organic matter (SOM) is the key for a healthy soil and a relevant property to achieve the sustainability on soil management. However, soils are still net exporters of organic matter. One example is the use of wheat straw residue for industrial and energy applications, which has gained attention in the last years. The offfarm use of this abundant and low cost resource should follow sustainability criteria to avoid soil degradation and SOM losses. Straw residue incorporation is recognized as a recommended management practice to control erosion and mitigate CO2 emissions by increasing SOM. The goal of this work was: i) to evaluate the steady-state carbon (C) level in relation to C input a…

Soil erosion modelling: A bibliometric analysis.

16 Pags.- 12 Figs.- 8 Tabls.

The way forward : Can connectivity be useful to design better measuring and modelling schemes for water and sediment dynamics?

For many years, scientists have tried to understand, describe and quantify water and sediment fluxes, with associated substances like pollutants, at multiple scales. In the past two decades, a new concept called connectivity has been used by Earth Scientists as a means to describe and quantify the influences on the fluxes of water and sediment on different scales: aggregate, pedon, location on the slope, slope, watershed, and basin. A better understanding of connectivity can enhance our comprehension of landscape processes and provide a basis for the development of better measurement and modelling approaches, further leading to a better potential for implementing this concept as a managemen…

Mulching practices for reducing soil water erosion: A review

Abstract Among the soil conservation practices that are used, mulching has been successfully applied to reduce soil and water losses in different contexts, such as agricultural lands, fire-affected areas, rangelands and anthropic sites. In these contexts, soil erosion by water is a serious problem, especially in semi-arid and semi-humid areas of the world. Although the beneficial effects of mulching are known, further research is needed to quantify them, especially in areas where soil erosion by water represents a severe threat. In the literature, there are still some uncertainties about how to maximize the effectiveness of mulching to reduce the soil and water loss rates. Given the serious…

Soil moisture influences sorptivity and water repellency of topsoil aggregates in native grasslands

Abstract Water repellency is associated to coating of soil particles by hydrophobic substances, usually of organic origin, affecting water dynamics in soil matrix. We analyzed the effect of water repellency on water sorptivity of topsoil aggregates of six soil types under three initial moisture conditions (10 kPa, 100 kPa, and air-dried). Undisturbed soil samples were collected to evaluate sorptivity in the 0–5 cm soil layer at different locations in Pampa Biome in southern Brazil. Disturbed soil samples were also collected for soil particle size distribution, particle density and organic matter content. Sorptivity test was conducted in a tension micro-infiltrometer, using distilled water a…

The significance of soils and soil science towards realization of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Abstract. In this forum paper we discuss how soil scientists can help to reach the recently adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the most effective manner. Soil science, as a land-related discipline, has important links to several of the SDGs, which are demonstrated through the functions of soils and the ecosystem services that are linked to those functions (see graphical abstract in the Supplement). We explore and discuss how soil scientists can rise to the challenge both internally, in terms of our procedures and practices, and externally, in terms of our relations with colleague scientists in other disciplines, diverse groups of stakeholders and the policy arena. To meet th…

A Rainfall Simulator Laboratory Approach to Determine the Impact of Ash Depth on Runoff Generation and Soil Losses

Ash cover the forest fire affected soil for some weeks or months and act as a key factor to determine the soil and water losses. Ash depth is researched here to determine how affect the soil detachment and the runoff generation. Seventy rainfall simulation experiments on paired 0.50 m2 plots (five plots with 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15- and 30-mm ash depth), and repeated one week later) under thunderstorms of 48 mmh-1 for one hour were carried out under laboratory conditions. In the first experiment, after the bed of ash was applied, the results show that ash depth determines the runoff rates as they reduce the discharge from 23.1% to 13.9%. The sediment concentration increased from 23.8 till 38.…

Soil macrofauna and organic matter in irrigated orchards under Mediterranean climate

Soil fauna abundance and diversity and organic matter content are key indicators for the rate of soil degradation in Mediterranean-type ecosystems. The soil macrofauna populations were examined in three orange (Citrus sinensis) orchards and one persimmon (Diospyros kaki) orchard, with the same soil type and different management systems, to establish whether organic management benefits soil fauna and soil quality and what is the effect of flood irrigation. Vegetation cover, soil organic matter, bulk density and moisture were measured at each experimental site within the Canyoles watershed in Eastern Spain in summer of 2015. Earthworm abundance was highest at the organic orchard with flood ir…

Agricultural land abandonment in Mediterranean environment provides ecosystem services via soil carbon sequestration

Abandonment of agricultural land leads to several consequences for ecosystem functions. Agricultural abandonment may be a significant and low cost strategy for carbon sequestration and mitigation of anthropogenic CO2 emissions due to the vegetation recovery and increase in soil organic matter. The aim of this study was to: (i) estimate the influence of different Soil Regions (areas characterized by a typical climate and parent material association) and Bioclimates (zones with homogeneous climatic regions and thermotype indices) on soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics after agricultural land abandonment; and (ii) to analyse the efficiency of the agri-environment policy (agri-environment measur…

Uso del método mejorado del uso del injerto (Isum) como herramienta para determinar el valor de factores topográficos alternativos en la estimación de la movilización del suelo entre hileras para huertos de cítricos

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T02:01:35Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-03-15 The Improved Stock Unearthing Method (ISUM) was initially designed to assess soil mobilisation rates in vineyards; however, other grafted crops such as citrus orchards could also be successfully used. The results obtained from ISUM have been used for several goals, but have not yet been applied for computing the LS factor (length and slope) as a part of the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), which could give useful information to improve soil management system plans. This investigation was conducted in an 8-year old clementine field located in Canals (Valencia, Spain) and values of…

Effectiveness of cover crops to reduce loss of soil organic matter in a rainfed vineyard

Cover crops (CCs) minimize the loss of soil in permanent cropping systems where the soil is usually bare due to intense tillage or overuse of herbicides. The topsoil, the richer layer in soil organic carbon and organic matter (OM), is affected by water erosion. Nature-based solutions appear as a suitable option for sustainable farming. In this study, the effectiveness of two years of CC management to reduce the OM loss is evaluated in a rainfed vineyard in a rolling landscape (Huesca, NE Spain). Two sediment traps collected runoff over 15 months. Topsoil OM contents (1.64% and 1.60%) and sediment/soil OM enrichment ratio (2.61 and 3.07) were similar. However, the average annual rate of OM l…

Effects of fire on ash thickness in a Lithuanian grassland and short-term spatio-temporal changes

Ash thickness is a key variable in the protection of soil against erosion agents after planned and unplanned fires. Thicker ash provides better protection against raindrop impact and reduces the runoff response by retaining water and promoting water infiltra5 tion although little is known about the distribution and the evolution of the ash layer after the fires. Ash thickness measurements were conducted along two transects (flat and sloping areas) following a a grid experimental design. Both transects extended from the burned area into an adjacent unburned area. We analysed ash thickness evolution according to time and fire severity. In order to interpolate data with accuracy and iden10 tif…

Developing an erodibility triangle for soil textures in semi-arid regions, NW Iran

Abstract There is a strong need to develop a simple method for rapid estimation of erodibility using readily available data. In this study, soil erodibility was measured using eleven soil textures at the plot scale (60 cm × 80 cm) on a slope of 9% in a semi-arid region. A total of 110 soil erosion experiments were conducted using ten simulated rainfalls (50 mm h− 1 for 30 min). A regression model was developed based on silt and clay content (R2 = 0.82, p

A novel ensemble computational intelligence approach for the spatial prediction of land subsidence susceptibility.

Land subsidence (LS) is a significant problem that can cause loss of life, damage property, and disrupt local economies. The Semnan Plain is an important part of Iran, where LS is a major problem for sustainable development and management. The plain represents the changes occurring in 40% of the country. We introduce a novel-ensemble intelligence approach (called ANN-bagging) that uses bagging as a meta- or ensemble-classifier of an artificial neural network (ANN) to predict LS spatially on the Semnan Plain in Semnan Province, Iran. The ensemble model's goodness-of-fit (to training data) and prediction accuracy (of the validation data) are compared to benchmarks set by ANN-bagging. A total …

Goal Oriented Soil Mapping

Abstract Soil mapping is very important for the correct implementation of sustainable land use management. In recent decades, soil mapping methods and data availability have increased exponentially, improving the quality of the maps produced. Despite these advances, local knowledge is a great source of information, refined for centuries and useful for soil mapping and the implementation of a sustainable land management. Local wisdom and experience should be an important aspect of soil mapping because farmers will be one of the major end-users of the maps produced and they should account for the farmers’ reality. However, several problems have been identified in the spatial correlation betwe…

Impact of Farmland Abandonment on Water Resources and Soil Conservation in Citrus Plantations in Eastern Spain

Due to the reduction in the prices of oranges on the market and social changes such as the ageing of the population, traditional orange plantation abandonment in the Mediterranean is taking place. Previous research on land abandonment impact on soil and water resources has focused on rainfed agriculture abandonment, but there is no research on irrigated land abandonment. In the Valencia Region&mdash

GIS-based groundwater potential mapping in Shahroud plain, Iran. A comparison among statistical (bivariate and multivariate), data mining and MCDM approaches

Abstract In arid and semi-arid areas, groundwater resource is one of the most important water sources by the humankind. Knowledge of groundwater distribution over space, associated flow and basic exploitation measures can play a significant role in planning sustainable development, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. Groundwater potential mapping (GWPM) fits in this context as the tool used to predict the spatial distribution of groundwater. In this research we tested four GIS-based models for GWPM, consisting of: i) random forest (RF); ii) weight of evidence (WoE); iii) binary logistic regression (BLR); and iv) technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS) mul…

The Contrasted Impact of Land Abandonment on Soil Erosion in Mediterranean Agriculture Fields

Abstract Abandonment of agricultural land results in on- and off-site consequences for the ecosystem. In this study, 105 rainfall simulations were carried out in agriculture lands of the Mediterranean belt in Spain (vineyards in Malaga, almond orchards in Murcia, and orange and olive orchards in Valencia) and in paired abandoned lands to assess the impact of land abandonment on soil and water losses. After abandonment, soil detachment decreased drastically in the olive and orange orchards, while vineyards did not show any difference and almond orchards registered higher erosion rates after the abandonment. Terraced orchards of oranges and olives recovered a dense vegetation cover after the …

A Soil Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) Modeling Approach to Prioritize Soil Conservation Management in River Basin Critical Areas Coupled With Future Climate Scenario Analysis

About 44% of the Indian landmass experiences the adverse impact of land degradation. This loss of sediments caused by soil erosion reduces the water quality of local water bodies and decreases agricultural land productivity. Therefore, decision-makers must formulate policies and management practices for sustainable management of basins that are cost-effective and environment friendly. Application of the best management practices (BMPs) to properly manage river basins is difficult and time-consuming. Its implication under various climate change scenarios makes it more complicated but necessary to achieve sustainable development. In this study, the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model…

The influence of aspect and vegetation on seasonal changes in erosion under rainfall simulation on a clay soil in Spain

The seasonal and spatial variability of soil erosion under contrasting slope aspects in southeastern Spain was studied by performing and interpreting 84 rainfall simulation experiments conducted at an intensity of 55 mm h−1 during 1 h. The vegetated soils on the north-facing slope and the upper afforested parts had negligible sediment yield, runoff and erosion, while the bare soils on the south-facing slope had very high runoff rates. Runoff sediment concentration decreased over time during simulated rainfall events on the vegetated areas while it increased on the bare ones. Solute release decreased over time on both surface types. Seasonally, runoff sediment concentration was highest in a…

Mapping Ash CaCO3, pH, and Extractable Elements Using Principal Component Analysis

Abstract Ash cover in fire-affected areas is an important factor in the reduction of soil erosion and increased availability of soil nutrients. Thus it is important to understand the spatial distribution of ash and its capacity for soil protection and to provide nutrients to the underlying soil. In this work, we aimed to map ash CaCO3, pH, and select extractable elements using a principal component analysis (PCA). Four days after a medium to severe wildfire, we established a grid in a 9 ×27 m area on a west facing slope and took ash samples every 3 m for a total of 40 sampling points. The PCA carried out retained five different factors. Factor 1 had high positive loadings for ash with elect…

The influence of geomorphological position and vegetation cover on the erosional and hydrological processes on a Mediterranean hillslope

Soil erosion and runoff rates are assumed to be highly dependent on slope position. However, little knowledge exists about the hydrogeomorphological processes at the pedon scale that support this idea. In order to assess the hydrological and erosional behaviour of soils at different slope positions, simulated rainfall experiments (55 mm was applied during one hour) were carried out on a south-facing slope with underlying limestone in south-east Spain. In the mean terms, the erosion rates (9 g m2 hr−1) and the runoff coefficients (12%) were very low at the scale of measurement (0·25 m2). The slope position does not affect erosion rates when the measurements are carried out under extreme dry …

Erodibility prioritization of sub-watersheds using morphometric parameters analysis and its mapping: A comparison among TOPSIS, VIKOR, SAW, and CF multi-criteria decision making models

Soil erosion, every year imposes extensive damages to human beings by means of reducing soil productivity and filling reservoirs from sedimentation in Ghaemshahr Basin in Mazandaran Province, (Iran); therefore, identifying prone areas to soil erosion for preventive measures is essential in this basin. In this research, erodibility prioritization of sub-watersheds of Ghaemshahr Basin has done using morphometric parameters analysis and different multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) models such as simple additive weighing (SAW), VlseKriterijumska optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje (VIKOR), technique for order preference by similarity to ideal solution (TOPSIS), and compound factor (CF). For t…

Design and operation of a small and portable rainfall simulator for rugged terrain

A rainfall simulator designed to perform experiments in rugged terrain is presented. The portability of the apparatus allows the researcher to work in remote areas and on steep slopes. Rainfall intensity and distribution within the plot (0.24 m2) and drop-size were measured under different water pressure. For the best simulated rainfall distribution (1.55 kg cm2 of water pressure and 55 mm h−1 of rain intensity) the drop velocity and the kinetic energy were measured.

Designer ecosystems : A solution for the conservation-exploitation dilemma

Increase in human population is accelerating the rate of land use change, biodiversity loss and habitat degradation, triggering a serious threat to life supporting ecosystem services. Existing strategies for biological conservation remain insufficient to achieve a sustainable human-nature relationship and this situation has fueled a debate on the conservation-exploitation dilemma. We need to devise novel strategies, in a mutually inclusive way, which can support biological conservation and secure economic development of deprived populations. Here we propose the use of designer ecosystems which can ensure ecological sustainability while providing ample and some new means of livelihood to loc…

The use of barley straw residues to avoid high erosion and runoff rates on persimmon plantations in Eastern Spain under low frequency-high magnitude simulated rainfall events

[EN] Soil and water losses due to agricultural mismanagement are high and non-sustainable in many orchards. An experiment was set up with rainfall simulation at 78 mm h(-1) over 1 hour on 20 paired plots of 2 m(2) (bare and straw covered) in new persimmon plantations in Eastern Spain. Effects of straw cover on the control of soil and water losses were assessed. An addition of 60% straw cover (75 gm(-2)) resulted in delayed ponding and runoff generation and consequently reduced water losses from 60% to 13% of total rainfall. The straw cover reduced raindrop impact and thus sediment detachment from 1014 to 47 g plot(-1) h(-1). The erosion rate was reduced from 5.1 to 0.2 Mg ha-(1) h(-1). The …

Soil erosion and hydrology of the western Mediterranean badlands throughout rainfall simulation experiments: A review

Abstract Rainfall simulation experiments are widely used in geomorphological research in badland areas. This technique contributed significantly to our understanding of badland geomorphology in the Mediterranean belt. Due to the different types of simulated rainfall applied and the variable size of the plots a review of the State-of-the-Art is necessary. This study confirmed that rainfall simulations are well suited to (i) analyse runoff-infiltration processes and sediment detachment within badlands, and (ii) to establish the factors determining the hydrological and erosion response at interrill scale in badland areas. The hydrological response of badlands is characterized by rapid response…

Calibration of the SARI portable rainfall simulator for field and laboratory experiments

The Simulator of Artificial RaInfall (SARI) rainfall simulator (RS) is a newly designed, constructed and calibrated, portable, two-nozzle RS with low water consumption, accurate measurement, easy m...

Assessment of soil particle erodibility and sediment trapping using check dams in small semi-arid catchments

Check dams can be used as a source of information for studies on sediment characteristics and soil particle erodibility. In this study, sediment yield and grain size distribution (GSD) were measured in twenty small catchments draining into a rock check dam in NW Iran for different runoffs during 2010–2011. Significant correlations were found between sediment yield and slope steepness, vegetation cover and soil erodibility factor (K) of the catchments. The erodibility of soil particles was determined using the comparison of GSD between sediment and original soil. Clay was the most erodible soil particle which showed 2.05 times more percentage in sediment than the original soil. The erodibili…

Role of rock fragment cover on runoff generation and sediment yield in tilled vineyards

The soil in conventional Mediterranean vineyards is an active and non-sustainable source of sediment and water. Lack of vegetation cover, small soil organic matter content and intense ploughing result in large rates of erosion in a millennia-old tillage system. There is a need for soil conservation strategies that enable sustainability of wine and grape production; therefore, it is essential to measure the rates and to investigate the processes and factors of soil erosion. This study evaluated factors that can reduce soil losses in traditional Mediterranean vineyards. The investigation was carried out with 96 rainfall simulation experiments at the pedon scale (0.24 m2) to measure soil detac…

Simulated raindrop's characteristic measurements. A new approach of image processing tested under laboratory rainfall simulation

Abstract The size of the drops determines soil erosion and runoff rates, and then the fate of ecosystems. Various raindrop measurement techniques and tools have been developed to determine natural and simulated raindrop size distributions and mean drop size. There is a need to improve the procedure to determine the raindrop properties, and this is why we develop a new technique to analyze drop size distribution and fall velocity. For this purpose a rainfall simulator with two oscillating Veejet 80100 nozzles in laboratory condition, and high speed imaging technique and edge detection approach in image processing was applied to identify and measure drop size and calculate drop velocity. The …

Contribution of raindrop impact to the change of soil physical properties and water erosion under semi-arid rainfalls

Soil erosion by water is a three-phase process that consists of detachment of soil particles from the soil mass, transportation of detached particles either by raindrop impact or surface water flow, and sedimentation. Detachment by raindrops is a key component of the soil erosion process. However, little information is available on the role of raindrop impact on soil losses in the semi-arid regions where vegetation cover is often poor and does not protect the soil from rainfall. The objective of this study is to determine the contribution of raindrop impact to changes in soil physical properties and soil losses in a semiarid weakly-aggregated agricultural soil. Soil losses were measured und…

Evaluation of deep learning algorithms for national scale landslide susceptibility mapping of Iran

The identification of landslide-prone areas is an essential step in landslide hazard assessment and mitigation of landslide-related losses. In this study, we applied two novel deep learning algorithms, the recurrent neural network (RNN) and convolutional neural network (CNN), for national-scale landslide susceptibility mapping of Iran. We prepared a dataset comprising 4069 historical landslide locations and 11 conditioning factors (altitude, slope degree, profile curvature, distance to river, aspect, plan curvature, distance to road, distance to fault, rainfall, geology and land-sue) to construct a geospatial database and divided the data into the training and the testing dataset. We then d…

Ecosystem responses to land abandonment in Western Mediterranean Mountains

Agricultural expansion in the Mediterranean resulted in plant and soil degradation due to the intensive use, climate conditions, and rugged terrain. After abandonment, the recovery of vegetation contributed to improvement in soil quality from a hydrological, pedological and geomorphological point of view. This paper shows three examples of ecosystem evolution in abandoned fields in Valencia, Murcia and Andalucia and the application of different methodological approaches that resulted in similar findings. In Valencia, the main responses were the recovery of vegetation after land abandonment and an increase in organic matter and infiltration capacity of soils. In Murcia, with the exception of…

Influence of Site and Check Dam Characteristics on Sediment Retention and Structure Conservation in a Mexican River

Previously, in a large river of Mexico regulated by more than 200 check dams, we demonstrated that vegetation cover and channel characteristics were the dominant factors on the structure conditions and capacity to store sediments. This study focuses on other categorical (i.e., check dam type and location, soil texture and land use) and numerical (i.e. water discharge, check dam dimensions) variables, to whom statistical analysis is applied, in order to assess their influence on sediment filling degree and conditions (functional or destroyed) of the check dams in the same river. ANOVA has shown that: (i) check dam type (gabion or stone) and location (headwater, middle or valley reaches), and…

Sediment transport mechanisms and selective removal of soil particles under unsteady-state conditions in a sheet erosion system

Abstract Selective removal of particles and nutrients by water erosion is a key factor in soil erosion studies. Most agricultural soils are located on gentle slopes where fertility is high; however, until now, the main attention on sediment transport mechanisms was paid to high-slope gradients, where soil erosion is intense, but soils are less productive. Despite the importance of sediment size distribution (SSD) and transport mechanisms under unsteady-state conditions, few studies have been done on this issue. Higher sediment concentrations in the early stages of the runoff indicate the need to deal with unsteady-state conditions. To address this issue, sheet erosion experiments were done …

Short-Term Vegetation Recovery after a Grassland Fire in Lithuania: The Effects of Fire Severity, Slope Position and Aspect

In Lithuania, fire is frequently used by farmers as a tool to remove dry grass, improve soil nutrient status and help soil tilling. However, little is known about the ecological impacts of these fires, including vegetation recovery. The objective of this work is to study the impacts of a spring grassland fire on vegetation recuperation on an east-facing (A) and a west-facing slope (B), considering fire severity and slope position, 10, 17, 31 and 46 days after the fire. Because of their effects on fire behaviour, aspect, steepness and heterogeneity of topography favoured higher fire severity on slope B than on slope A. Three different slope positions were identified on slope A – flat top, mi…

Rainfall and water yield in Macizo del Caroig, Eastern Iberian Peninsula. Event runoff at plot scale during a rare flash flood at the Barranco de Benacancil

[EN] Floods are a consequence of extreme rainfall events. Although surface runoff generation is the origin of discharge, flood research usually focuses on lowlands where the impact is higher. Runoff and sediment delivery at slope and pedon scale receiving much less attention in the effort to understand flood behaviour in time and space. This is especially relevant in areas where, due to climatic and hydrogeological conditions, streams are ephemeral, so-called dry rivers (¿wadis¿, "ramblas" or ¿barrancos¿) that are widespread throughout the Mediterranean. This paper researches the relationship between water delivery at pedon and slope scale with dry river floods in Macizo del Caroig, Eastern…

Effects of soil management techniques on soil water erosion in apricot orchards.

Soil erosion is extreme in Mediterranean orchards due to management impact, high rainfall intensities, steep slopes and erodible parent material. Vall d'Albaida is a traditional fruit production area which, due to the Mediterranean climate and marly soils, produces sweet fruits. However, these highly productive soils are left bare under the prevailing land management and marly soils are vulnerable to soil water erosion when left bare. In this paper we study the impact of different agricultural land management strategies on soil properties (bulk density, soil organic matter, soil moisture), soil water erosion and runoff, by means of simulated rainfall experiments and soil analyses. Three rep…

Soils from an iron and steel scrap storage yard remediated with aided phytostabilization

The interdisciplinary nature of &amp;lt;i&amp;gt;SOIL&amp;lt;/i&amp;gt;

Abstract. The holistic study of soils requires an interdisciplinary approach involving biologists, chemists, geologists, and physicists, amongst others, something that has been true from the earliest days of the field. In more recent years this list has grown to include anthropologists, economists, engineers, medical professionals, military professionals, sociologists, and even artists. This approach has been strengthened and reinforced as current research continues to use experts trained in both soil science and related fields and by the wide array of issues impacting the world that require an in-depth understanding of soils. Of fundamental importance amongst these issues are biodiversity,…

Spatial Gradients of Intensity and Persistence of Soil Water Repellency Under Different Forest Types in Central Mexico

Organic residues release hydrophobic compounds to the soil that may induce soil water repellency (WR), which may inhibit infiltration and increase runoff and soil loss rates. Although there are many studies on soil WR through the world, very few investigations have been conducted in Mexican areas. This paper studies the natural background of soil WR in soils from central Mexico under representative forest types, analyzing the spatial distribution of soil WR in relation with tree canopy, vegetation cover and main soil chemical (pH, CaCO3, organic C content and exchangeable cations) and physical properties (texture). The water drop penetration time and the ethanol tests were used to assess pe…

Limitations to plant establishment on eroded slopes in southeastern Spain

10 páginas, 3 figuras, 3 tablas, 1 apéndice.

FORUM paper: The significance of soils and soil science towards realization of the UN sustainable development goals (SDGs)

Abstract. In this FORUM paper we discuss how soil scientists can help to reach the recently adopted UN Sustainable Development Goals in the most effective manner. Soil science, as a land-related discipline has important links to several of the SDGs which are demonstrated through the functions of soils and the ecosystem services that are linked to those functions. We explore and discuss how soil scientists can rise to the challenge both internally, in terms of our procedures and practices, and externally in terms of our relations with colleague scientists in other disciplines, diverse groups of stakeholders and the policy arena. To meet these goals we recommend the following steps to be take…

The Impact of Vineyard Abandonment on Soil Properties and Hydrological Processes

Long-term impact of rainfed agricultural land abandonment on soil erosion in the Western Mediterranean basin

[EN] Land abandonment is widespread in the Mediterranean mountains. The impact of agricultural abandonment results in a shift in ecosystem evolution due to changes in soil erosion, but little is known about long-term soil and water losses. This paper uses 11 years of measurements in two paired plots (abandoned vs control) with four subplots to determine how soil and water losses evolved after abandonment within an agricultural parcel. For two years (2004¿2005) both plots were under tillage, and after 2006 one plot was abandoned. The monitored plots measured runoff and sediment concentration after each rainfall event.

The (Evolving) vineyard’s age structure in the valencian community, Spain. A new demographic approach for rural development and landscape analysis

Vineyards have assumed a key role as rural landmarks in recent decades. Investigating vineyard dynamics and contexts may reveal various economic, cultural, and environmental aspects of rural landscapes, which can be linked to land-use changes and major soil degradation processes, including soil erosion. As a contribution to rural landscape studies, the purpose of this work is to investigate the spatial distribution of vineyard plots in the Valencian community, located in the eastern area of the Iberian Peninsula, focusing on the final product, the type of vineyard and how long each vineyard has been settled over time. The work provides a comprehensive analysis of a wine-growing landscape, c…

Tillage Versus No-Tillage. Soil Properties and Hydrology in an Organic Persimmon Farm in Eastern Iberian Peninsula

There is an urgent need to implement environmentally friendly agriculture management practices to achieve the Sustainable Goals for Development (SDGs) of the United Nations by 2030. Mediterranean agriculture is characterized by intense and millennia-old tillage management and as a consequence degraded soil. No-Tillage has been widely examined as a solution for soil degradation but No-Tillage relies more on the application of herbicides that reduce plant cover, which in turn enhances soil erosion. However, No-Tillage with weed cover should be researched to promote organic farming and sustainable agriculture. Therefore, we compare Tillage against No-Tillage using weed cover as an alternative …

FIRElinks. Fire in the Earth System: Science & Society

FIRElinks is a EU-spanning network of scientists and practitioners involved in forest fire research and land management with backgrounds such as fire dynamics, fire risk management, fire effects on vegetation, fauna, soil and water, and socio-economic, historical, geographical, political perception and land management approaches. FIRElinks connect communities from different scientific and geographic backgrounds, allowing the discussion of different experiences and the emergence of new approaches to fire research. The main aim of FIRElinks is to power synergistic collaborations between European research groups and stakeholders with the objective to synthesise the existing knowledge and exper…

Historical Perspectives on Soil Mapping and Process Modeling for Sustainable Land Use Management

Basic soil management goes back to the earliest days of agricultural practices, approximately 9000 BCE. Through time humans developed soil management techniques of ever increasing complexity, including plows, contour tillage, terracing, and irrigation. Spatial soil patterns were being recognized as early as 3000 BCE, but the first soil maps did not appear until the 1700s and the first soil models finally arrived in the 1880s. The beginning of the 20th century saw an increase in standardization in many soil science methods and wide-spread soil mapping in many parts of the world, particularly in developed countries. However, the classification systems used, mapping scale, and national coverag…

Comparing Beerkan infiltration tests with rainfall simulation experiments for hydraulic characterization of a sandy-loam soil

[EN] Saturated soil hydraulic conductivity, K-s, data collected by ponding infiltrometer methods and usual experimental procedures could be unusable for interpreting field hydrological processes and particularly rainfall infiltration. The K-s values determined by an infiltrometer experiment carried out by applying water at a relatively large distance from the soil surface could however be more appropriate to explain surface runoff generation phenomena during intense rainfall events. In this study, a link between rainfall simulation and ponding infiltrometer experiments was established for a sandy-loam soil. The height of water pouring for the infiltrometer run was chosen, establishing a sim…

Changes in soil microbial community structure influenced by agricultural management practices in a mediterranean agro-ecosystem.

Agricultural practices have proven to be unsuitable in many cases, causing considerable reductions in soil quality. Land management practices can provide solutions to this problem and contribute to get a sustainable agriculture model. The main objective of this work was to assess the effect of different agricultural management practices on soil microbial community structure (evaluated as abundance of phospholipid fatty acids, PLFA). Five different treatments were selected, based on the most common practices used by farmers in the study area (eastern Spain): residual herbicides, tillage, tillage with oats and oats straw mulching; these agricultural practices were evaluated against an abandon…

Islands of biogeodiversity in arid lands on a polygons map study: Detecting scale invariance patterns from natural resources maps.

Many maps (geology, hydrology, soil, vegetation, etc.) are created to inventory natural resources. Each of these resources is mapped using a unique set of criteria, including scales and taxonomies. Past research indicates that comparing results of related maps (e.g., soil and geology maps) may aid in identifying mapping deficiencies. Therefore, this study was undertaken in Almeria Province, Spain to (i) compare the underlying map structures of soil and vegetation maps and (ii) investigate if a vegetation map can provide useful soil information that was not shown on a soil map. Soil and vegetation maps were imported into ArcGIS 10.1 for spatial analysis, and results then exported to Microsof…

Long-term non-sustainable soil erosion rates and soil compaction in drip-irrigated citrus plantation in Eastern Iberian Peninsula.

Abstract Agriculture is known to commonly cause soil degradation. In the Mediterranean, soil erosion is widespread due to the millennia-old farming, and new drip-irrigated plantations on slopes, such as the citrus ones, accelerate the process of soil degradation. Until now, the published data about soil erosion in citrus orchards is based on short-term measurements. Long-term soil erosion measurements are needed to assess the sustainability of drip-irrigated citrus production and to design new strategies to control high soil erosion rates. The objective of this study is to assess long-term soil erosion rates in citrus plantations and report the changes in soil bulk density as indicators of …

Soil organic carbon stocks assessment in Mediterranean natural areas: A comparison of entire soil profiles and soil control sections

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important part of the global carbon (C) cycle. In addition, SOC is a soil property subject to changes and highly variable in space and time. Over time, some researches have analyzed entire soil profile (ESP) by pedogenetic horizons and other researches have analyzed soil control sections (SCS) to different thickness. However, very few studies compare both methods (ESP versus SCS). This research sought to analyze the SOC stock (SOCS) variability using both methods (ESP and SCS) in The Despeñaperros Natural Park, a nature reserve that consists of a 76.8 km(2) forested area in southern Spain. Thirty-four sampling points were selected in the study zone. Each samp…

Spatial variability of soil roughness in persimmon plantations: A new combined ISUM (improved stock unearthing method) approach

Made available in DSpace on 2019-10-06T16:49:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2019-11-01 Universidade Estadual Paulista Soil roughness (SR) is an ecological indicator that describes the distribution of soil surface accumulations and ponds in a terrain, which allows understanding the connectivity of the flows as they act as sinks and sources of water and sediments. There is a set of methods that allows investigating the SR, and we test the use of the improved stock unearthing method (ISUM) as an easy-to-apply and low-cost approach. The ISUM has been initially tested in vineyards using the graft union and measures in the inter-row areas to assess the current soil surface l…

Long-term effects of soil management on ecosystem services and soil loss estimation in olive grove top soils

Soil management has important effects on soil properties, runoff, soil losses and soil quality. Traditional olive grove (OG) management is based on reduced tree density, canopy size shaped by pruning and weed control by ploughing. In addition, over the last several decades, herbicide use has been introduced into conventional OG management. These management strategies cause the soil surface to be almost bare and subsequently high erosion rates take place. To avoid these high erosion rates several soil management strategies can be applied. In this study, three strategies were assessed in OG with conventional tillage in three plots of 1. ha each. Soil properties were measured and soil erosion …

Performance assessment of individual and ensemble data-mining techniques for gully erosion modeling

Gully erosion is identified as an important sediment source in a range of environments and plays a conclusive role in redistribution of eroded soils on a slope. Hence, addressing spatial occurrence pattern of this phenomenon is very important. Different ensemble models and their single counterparts, mostly data mining methods, have been used for gully erosion susceptibility mapping; however, their calibration and validation procedures need to be thoroughly addressed. The current study presents a series of individual and ensemble data mining methods including artificial neural network (ANN), support vector machine (SVM), maximum entropy (ME), ANN-SVM, ANN-ME, and SVM-ME to map gully erosion …

A methodological comparison of head-cut based gully erosion susceptibility models

Abstract A GIS-based hybrid approach for gully erosion susceptibility mapping (GESM) in the Biarjamand watershed in Iran is presented. A database comprised of 15 geo-environmental factors (GEFs) was compiled and used to predict the spatial distribution of 358 gully locations; 70% (251) of which were extracted for training and 30% (107) for validation. A Dempster-Shafer (DS) statistical model was employed to map susceptibility. Next, the results of four kernels (binary logistic, reg logistic, binary logitraw, and reg linear) of a boosted regression tree (BRT) model were combined to increase the efficiency and accuracy of the mapping. Area under receiver operating characteristics (AUROC), tru…

Pinus halepensis M. versus Quercus ilex subsp. Rotundifolia L. runoff and soil erosion at pedon scale under natural rainfall in Eastern Spain three decades after a forest fire

Abstract Afforestation aims to recover the vegetation cover, and restore natural ecosystems. The plant species selected for restoration will determine species richness and the fate of the ecosystem. Research focussing on the impact of vegetation recovery on soil quality are abundant, especially on fire affected land and where rehabilitation, afforestation and restoration projects were carried out. However, little is known about how different plants species affect soil erosion and water losses, which are key factors that will impact the fate of the afforested land. Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis M.) is the species commonly used for afforestation in the Mediterranean and is very successful whe…

Soil erosion after land abandonment in a semiarid environment of southeastern Spain

Different soil units were selected in southeastern Spain to investigate the effects of land abandonment on soil erosion under semiarid conditions. The study sites selected were a cultivated field (bare), a 3‐yr‐abandoned field (herbs), a 10‐yr‐abandoned field (Artemisia herba‐alba Asso.), and two soil units covered with semi‐native (Stipa tena‐cissima L) and native (Pinus halepensis Miller) vegetation. Simulated rainfall measurements showed that the erosion and runoff increased after the land abandonment, but later erosion decreased owing to the influence of increasing vegetation. Runoff discharge (35%) and the erosion rates (334 g m2 h‐1) were high in the 3‐yr‐abandoned land in comparison …

Offsetting land degradation through nitrogen and water management during maize cultivation under arid conditions

Corrigendum to “Do conservative agriculture practices increase soil water repellency? A case study in citrus-cropped soils” [Soil Tillage Res. 124 (2012), 233–239]

An economic, perception and biophysical approach to the use of oat straw as mulch in Mediterranean rainfed agriculture land

[EN] Soil erosion is a key cause of land degradation in agriculture lands; and it is a worldwide threat that must be solved by means of nature-based strategies to be able to achieve sustainability. The use of mulches can be a solution, but there is a lack of information on long-term effects of the use of straw. Furthermore, little is known about the perception of farmers and the economic cost on the implantation of straw as a conservation measure. Eight paired plots were selected in Sierra de Enguera on an agriculture field to determine the effect of straw cover on soil erosion. Four plots were tilled three times per year (Control) and four plots were not ploughed and 0.125 kg m(-2) y(-1) o…

The use of Easy-Barriers to control soil and water losses in fire-affected land in Quesada, Andalusia, Spain

Abstract Soil erosion is enhanced by wildfire, mainly due to the loss of vegetation cover and changes in soil properties. After wildfires, there is a need to control the non-sustainable soil and water losses. Of the strategies commonly applied, the use of contour felled log debris barriers to sediment trapping is widespread, but this is not always successful in Mediterranean Ecosystems. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of a new barrier which can be applied on steep terrains affected by wildfires. The hydrological response and sediment delivery were measured to test a innovative design, which are easy to transport and use. The Easy-Barriers (EB) size is 0.8 × 0.1 × 0.2 m and were desig…

Connectivity assessment in Mediterranean vineyards using improved stock unearthing method, LiDAR and soil erosion field surveys

The interaction between processes and landforms is accelerated in vineyards due to bare tilled soils that enhance splash, runoff, and erosion. Traditionally, in order to assess these processes, the stock unearthing method (SUM) is considered a useful methodology that uses the graft union of the vine plant as passive bio-indicator of the topsoil level changes. However, SUM assumes that the topography between the rows is planar when development of a model of the current micro-topography is performed. Thus, we consider that there is a need to develop a new methodology (ISUM: improved SUM) that, by adding new measurements in the inter-row areas (at least 3), allows inclusion of the absent micro…

FT-IR spectroscopy reveals that ash water repellency is highly dependent on ash chemical composition

Abstract After a fire, an ash layer is commonly present, which influences soil properties and hillslope hydrology. The wettability of ash, which can vary from highly absorbent to water repellent, is an important characteristic in this context. Recent work has suggested that ash wettability is related to its degree of combustion, which in turn, can be expected to determine ash chemical composition. In this paper we therefore examine the relationship between ash water repellency and ash chemical composition. Ten ash samples with different wettability were each taken from four burned Mediterranean forest sites located at Albaida (A), Lliber (L), Navalon (N), and Pinoso (P), in the east of Spai…

The impact of soil erosion on soil fertility and vine vigor. A multidisciplinary approach based on field, laboratory and remote sensing approaches

Soil erosion processes in vineyards, beyond surface runoff and sediment transport, have a strong effect on soil organic carbon (SOC) loss and redistribution along the slope. Variation in SOC across the landscape can determine differences in soil fertility and vine vigor. The goal of this research was to analyze the interactions among vines vigor, sediment delivery and SOC in a sloping vineyard located in Sicily. Six pedons were studied along the slope by digging 6 pits up to 60 cm depth. Soil was sampled every 10 cm and SOC, water extractable organic carbon (WEOC) and specific ultraviolet absorbance (SUVA) were analyzed. Erosion rates, detachment and deposition areas were measured by the po…

Scales and erosion

Soil water erosion on Mediterranean vineyards: A review

Soil water erosion on cultivated lands represents a severe threat to soil resources in the world, and especially in Mediterranean areas, due to their topographic, edaphic and climatic conditions. Among the cultivated lands, vineyards deserve a particular attention because, aside representing one of the most important crops in terms of income and employment, they also have proven to be the form of agricultural use that causes one of the highest soil losses. Although the topic of soil water erosion on vineyards has been studied, it still raises uncertainties, due to the high variability of procedures for data acquisition, which consists into different scales of analysis and measurement method…

Ecohydrological adaptation of soils following land abandonment in a semi-arid environment

Representative land use types were selected in southeast Spain to investigate the redistribution of soil water in relation to vegetation development and land abandonment.Simulated rainfall experiments were performed during 2 days on each of the four selected surfaces: ploughed, a 3-year fallow field, a 12-year abandoned field with shrubs and a semi-natural field with Stipa tenacissima tussocks. Each experiment consisted of five runs of artificial rain. Soil moisture dynamics were measured by time domain reflectometry (TDR), as well as runoff and ponding on the plot surface. Also the movement of the wetting front was measured after each run.On the ploughed field, ponding and local runoff wer…

Seed population dynamics on badland slopes in southeastern Spain

6 páginas, figuras, tablas.

Links Between Soil Security and the Influence of Soil on Human Health

Soil is important to human health because of (1) food availability and quality, (2) human contact with various chemicals in soil, (3) human contact with soil organisms, and (4) disposal of wastes. The five dimensions of soil security each have ties to soils and their influence on human health. Capability is related to the ability of soils to produce adequate and high-quality food and filter waste products to provide a clean environment, particularly clean, safe water supplies. Condition influences the nutritional quality of agricultural products produced in a given soil. Capital recognizes that there is value to the services soil provides in promoting human health, costs when soil constitue…

Integrating in situ measurements of an index of connectivity to assess soil erosion processes in vineyards

In this research, we survey soil erosion processes using an index of connectivity and a non-invasive and long-term assessment in situ technique: the improved stock unearthing method (ISUM), for whi...

Editorial &amp;quot;The Interdisciplinary Nature of SOIL&amp;quot;

Abstract. The holistic study of soils requires an interdisciplinary approach involving biologists, chemists, geologists, and physicists amongst others, something that has been true from the earliest days of the field. This approach has been strengthened and reinforced as current research continues to use experts trained in both soil science and related fields and by the wide array of issues impacting the world's biosphere that require an in-depth understanding of soils. Of fundamental importance amongst these issues are biodiversity, biofuels/energy security, climate change, ecosystem services, food security, human health, land degradation, and water security, each representing a critical c…

The combined effect of phytostabilization and different amendments on remediation of soils from post-military areas

Army bases and battle fields are areas of high pollution due to the chemicals released there. Soils in these areas suffer from these uses of the land, and ecosystem services are affected. Although, in the 20th century, the production of bombs and the locations of battle fields and army bases were widespread, there is little research on the impact of war on nature. Moreover, there is a need to rehabilitate the disturbed soils. The contents and ecological risks of Cu, Ni, Cd, Pb, Zn, and Cr in the topsoil from a post-military area (north-eastern Poland) were investigated. In addition, a vegetation experiment was performed with the technique of aided phytostabilization on soils from the study …

Comparison of machine learning models for gully erosion susceptibility mapping

© 2019 China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and Peking University Gully erosion is a disruptive phenomenon which extensively affects the Iranian territory, especially in the Northern provinces. A number of studies have been recently undertaken to study this process and to predict it over space and ultimately, in a broader national effort, to limit its negative effects on local communities. We focused on the Bastam watershed where 9.3% of its surface is currently affected by gullying. Machine learning algorithms are currently under the magnifying glass across the geomorphological community for their high predictive ability. However, unlike the bivariate statistical models, their structu…

Soil microbial biomass and activity under different agricultural management systems in a semiarid Mediterranean agroecosystem

Abstract A field experiment was carried out in a semiarid agricultural Mediterranean area located at the “El Teularet” experimental field in the Enguera Sierra (Valencia, southeast Spain) to assess the influence of different agricultural management systems on indicators of soil biological quality and activity (microbial biomass C, basal respiration, C mineralization coefficients, metabolic quotient (qCO2), respiratory quotient (RQ: moles CO2 evolved/moles O2 consumed), soluble C and dehydrogenase, urease, protease-BAA, phosphatase and β-glucosidase activities), one year after treatment establishment. The management practices assayed were as follows: application of the herbicides paraquat, g…

Combining land preparation and vegetation restoration for optimal soil eco-hydrological services in the Loess Plateau, China

Abstract In semiarid terrestrial ecosystems, optimized eco-rehabilitation strategies, such as land preparations and planting vegetation, are keys to achieve a successful ecological restoration. Land preparations and vegetation are supposed to have the coupled and respective impacts on soil ecosystem services, which are still unclear now. In this study, eighteen experimental plots with six different combinations and repetitions of land preparations and vegetation were built in the Chinese Loess Plateau in 2014 and soil moisture storages (SMS), soil carbon stocks (SCS) and other soil nutrient stocks were calculated at 0–100 cm, also the effects of land preparations and planting vegetation on …

Modelling the Impacts of Wildfire on Ash Thickness in a Short‐Term Period

Ash can provide valuable soil protection. However, ash is also very mobile, and soil protection patterns can be quickly changed, favouring the protection of some areas and exposing others with implications for soil erosion. In this research, the effects of a high severity wildfire on ash thickness were studied, 1 and 15 days after the fire. For this evaluation, several interpolation methods were tested to identify the best spatial predictor of ash distribution. The results showed that 1 day after the fire, ash was thinner in high severity areas. Fifteen days after the fire, ash thickness decreased, and the spatial pattern changed. This implies that evaluation of fire severity based on ash t…

Integrating Extensive Livestock and Soil Conservation Policies in Mediterranean Mountain Areas for Recovery of Abandoned Lands in the Central Spanish Pyrenees. A Long-Term Research Assessment

Land abandonment is a global issue with important implications in Mediterranean mountain areas. Abandoned Mediterranean croplands start a process of secondary succession that is initially colonized by grasslands, shrubs and forest. In Mediterranean mountain areas, the process is very slow, so the shrubs remain for decades, preventing livestock from accessing pastureland. Therefore, farmers have to burn or clear the shrubs in order to provide pasture, a practice that has recently been encouraged by several regional governments in Spain. Data from experimental plots of the Aisa Valley Experimental Station in the Spanish Pyrenees allow to evaluate the effects of burning and clearing shrubs on …

Magnitude-frequency analysis of water redistribution along a climate gradient in Spain

Abstract Banded patterns in soils and vegetation form part of important discontinuities on semi-arid slopes in Spain. At fine scales (

Runoff initiation, soil detachment and connectivity are enhanced as a consequence of vineyards plantations.

[EN] Rainfall-induced soil erosion is a major threat, especially in agricultural soils. In the Mediterranean belt, vineyards are affected by high soil loss rates, leading to land degradation. Plantation of new vines is carried out after deep ploughing, use of heavy machinery, wheel traffic, and trampling. Those works result in soil physical properties changes and contribute to enhanced runoff rates and increased soil erosion rates. The objective of this paper is to assess the impact of the plantation of vineyards on soil hydrological and erosional response under low frequency - high magnitude rainfall events, the ones that under the Mediterranean climatic conditions trigger extreme soil ero…

Biological soil crusts determine soil properties and salt dynamics under arid climatic condition in Qara Qir, Iran

Biological soil crusts are a thin layer within the soil system but strongly determine the infiltration, runoff and water and solute movement. Little is known about the role of biological soil crusts on soil solute dynamics in arid ecosystems and the objective of this paper is to determine in Qara Qir rangeland how biological soil crusts control the water and salt distribution along the soil profile. Rainfall simulation experiments were carried out at five locations, and measurements of the soil at 0-5, 5-10, 10-20, 20-30, 30-50 and 50-80 cm depth were done before, 48 h and 21 days after the rainfall simulations. Soil particle size distribution, bulk density, water content, organic carbon an…

Current Wildland Fire Patterns and Challenges in Europe: A Synthesis of National Perspectives

Changes in climate, land use, and land management impact the occurrence and severity of wildland fires in many parts of the world. This is particularly evident in Europe, where ongoing changes in land use have strongly modified fire patterns over the last decades. Although satellite data by the European Forest Fire Information System provide large-scale wildland fire statistics across European countries, there is still a crucial need to collect and summarize in-depth local analysis and understanding of the wildland fire condition and associated challenges across Europe. This article aims to provide a general overview of the current wildland fire patterns and challenges as perceived by natio…

Peer review report 1 on âControls on runoff generation along a steep climatic gradient in the Eastern Mediterraneanâ

Spatial Variation of Soil Seed Bank under Cushion Plants in a Subalpine Degraded Grassland

Cushion plants can affect wind speed and sediment movement patterns which probably modify the water and sediment redistribution along slopes and increase the accumulation of seeds under and around their canopies. This study was carried out to assess the spatial variability of soil seed bank (SSB) and seed bank composition around cushion plants to estimate the SSB potential for restoration of degraded area. Twenty cushions of Onobrychis cornuta were selected in a mountainous rangelands in northern Alborz in Iran, measuring density, richness and composition of SSB at four locations of each cushion (upslope edge, downslope edge, center and outside). SSB composition and density were determined …

Soil Erosion on Mountain Trails in Eastern Iberian Peninsula

A review on trial erosion shows that soil erosion rates are one to three orders of magnitude higher than the ones recommended as sustainable. This is threatening the sustainable managements of mountain terrains, mainly in the popular hiking paths. The warm temperatures characterize Eastern Spain in winter, which results in visitors from northern Europe to walk in the coastal land mountainous terrain. This increases the pressure to the currently highly visited most popular paths. We selected representative transects of the trails of Serra de Bérnia, Puigcampana, Penyagolosa, Montcabré, Serra del Sit, Aitana, Les Tres Creus, Caroig, Cupurutxo and Circ de la Safor. All the selected study sites…

Ecological and human health risks appraisal of metal(loid)s in agricultural soils: a review

Agriculture is one of the major human activities that changed the landforms, water resources and the biogeochemical cycles. Pollution of agricultural soilsby metal(loid)s is a serious and global hazard but worldwide studies related to metal(loid)s pollution in agricultural soils are very limited. To fulfil this gap, metal(loid)s content in agricultural soils from 2001 to 2019 all over the world was reviewed. Multivariate statistical techniques, contamination indices and human health risk assessment were determined for the metal(loid)s. Among the analysed metal(loid)s, the average contents of Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, Cd, As and Ni exceeded the Canadian, and China soil guidelines limits. The results o…

Soil Physical Quality of Citrus Orchards Under Tillage, Herbicide, and Organic Managements

Abstract Soil capacity to support life and to produce economic goods and services is strongly linked to the maintenance of good soil physical quality (SPQ). In this study, the SPQ of citrus orchards was assessed under three different soil managements, namely no-tillage using herbicides, tillage under chemical farming, and no-tillage under organic farming. Commonly used indicators, such as soil bulk density, organic carbon content, and structural stability index, were considered in conjunction with capacitive indicators estimated by the Beerkan estimation of soil transfer parameter (BEST) method. The measurements taken at the L'Alcoleja Experimental Station in Spain yielded optimal values fo…

Corrigendum to “Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects”, Earth Sci. Rev. 130 (2014) [103–127]

Corrigendum to “Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects”, Earth Sci. Rev. 130 (2014) [103–127] Merche B. Bodi⁎, Deborah A. Martin, Victoria N. Balfour, Cristina Santin, Stefan H. Doerr, Paulo Pereira, Artemi Cerda, Jorge Mataix-Solera a ECOBE (Ecosystem Management Research Group), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Belgium b SEDER (Soil Erosion and Degradation Research Group), Departamento de Geografia, Universitat de Valencia, Valencia, Spain c National Research Program, U.S. Geological Survey, Boulder, CO, USA d Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences, College of Forestry and Conservation, University of Montana, Missoula, USA e Depa…

Splash erosion: A review with unanswered questions

66 Pags.- 1 Tabl.- 7 Figs. The definitive version is available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/00128252

Short-term low-severity spring grassland fire impacts on soil extractable elements and soil ratios in Lithuania

Abstract Spring grassland fires are common in boreal areas as a consequence of slash and burn agriculture used to remove dry grass to increase soil nutrient properties and crop production. However, few works have investigated fire impacts on these grassland ecosystems, especially in the immediate period after the fire. The objective of this work was to study the short-term impacts of a spring grassland fire in Lithuania. Four days after the fire we established a 400 m2 sampling grid within the burned area and in an adjacent unburned area with the same topographical, hydrological and pedological characteristics. We collected topsoil samples immediately after the fire (0 months), 2, 5, 7 and …

Effects of hydrological events on morphological evolution of a fluvial system

Abstract This study quantifies morphological evolution of the Dez River, Iran, from 1955 to 2016. The approach uses a sequence of Landsat images, aerial photos, and topographic maps. In addition, the hydrological data including average daily discharge and yearly maximum discharge at the Dezful hydrological station for the period (1955–2016) were used. The study reach was divided into 48 meander loops from upstream to downstream. Active channel width (w) was determined at 10 m intervals and changes assessed along the study reach of the Dez River. Morphological indices including sinuosity index; straight meander length; centerline flow length; erosion area; erodible length channel migration; …

Characterizing rainfall erosivity by kinetic power-Median volume diameter relationship

Abstract Kinetic power, i.e. kinetic energy per unit time and area, is the variable widely used to represent the rainfall erosivity which affects soil loss and sediment yield. This paper shows the results of an experimental investigation using the raindrop size distributions (DSDs) measured by an optical disdrometer installed at the Department of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Sciences of University of Palermo in Italy (June 2006–March 2014) and at the El Teularet experimental station in Spain (July 2015–May 2016). At first an analysis of the DSDs aggregated into intensity classes is carried out, then the measured kinetic power values are determined. The aggregated DSDs allowed to establis…

Biohydrology research after Landau 2013 conference

Biohydrology gives a new view on hydrological research. The impact of biota on hydrological processes was a disregarded topic in the early years of hydrology research. It has been present since the 1960s, but as a „Cinderella“ research topic. It emerged as a new aspect of the hydrological processes after the 1980s. In the 21st century, it has become a well established research topic, bringing new knowledge to aid understanding on how biota influence the hydrological cycle and the rates of hydrological processes. The importance of biohydrology research is growing, and the number of conferences, publications and research projects is being doubled every decade. The 4th Biohydrology conference,…

Soil erosion assessment on tillage and alternative soil managements in a Sicilian vineyard

Mediterranean crops favour high erosion rates. Vineyards use to reach the highest soil and water losses due to the lack of vegetation cover. A topographical approach by means of the use of vineyards poles as fixed reference point as erosion markers allowed to quantify high and non-sustainable soil erosion rates on the Sicilian vineyards during 9 years. In order to develop strategies to control the soil losses, seven land management were selected and applied in a typical blanc wine grape vineyard located in southwestern Sicily. Comparable plots were managed traditionally using conventional tillage and alternatively using various cover crops: 1) Vicia faba; 2) Vicia faba and Vicia sativa; 3) …

Soil and water losses from new citrus orchards growing on sloped soils in the western Mediterranean basin

Ten representative research sites were selected in eastern Spain to assess soil erosion rates and processes in new citrus orchards on sloping soils. The experimental plots were located at representatives sites on limestone, in areas with 498 to 715 mm year−1 mean annual rainfall, north-facing slopes, herbicide treated, and new (less than 3 years old) plantations. Ten rainfall simulation experiments (1 h at 55 mm h−1 on 0·25 m2 plots) were carried out at each of the 10 selected study sites to determine the interill soil erosion and runoff rates. The 100 rainfall simulation tests (10 × 10 m) showed that ponding and runoff occurred in all the plots, and quickly: 121 and 195 s, respectively, fo…

Assessment of soil suitability for improvement of soil factors and agricultural management

The dramatic growth of the world&rsquo

European small portable rainfall simulators: A comparison of rainfall characteristics

28 páginas, 6 figuras, 2 tablas.- The definitive version is available on: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0341816213001252

Evaluating the Efficiency of Different Regression, Decision Tree, and Bayesian Machine Learning Algorithms in Spatial Piping Erosion Susceptibility Using ALOS/PALSAR Data

Piping erosion is one form of water erosion that leads to significant changes in the landscape and environmental degradation. In the present study, we evaluated piping erosion modeling in the Zarandieh watershed of Markazi province in Iran based on random forest (RF), support vector machine (SVM), and Bayesian generalized linear models (Bayesian GLM) machine learning algorithms. For this goal, due to the importance of various geo-environmental and soil properties in the evolution and creation of piping erosion, 18 variables were considered for modeling the piping erosion susceptibility in the Zarandieh watershed. A total of 152 points of piping erosion were recognized in the study area that…

Effect of land management on soil properties in flood irrigated citrus orchards in Eastern Spain

Abstract. Agricultural land management greatly affects soil properties. Microbial soil communities are the most sensitive and rapid indicators of perturbations in land use and soil enzyme activities are sensitive biological indicators of the effects of soil management practices. Citrus orchards frequently have degraded soils and this paper evaluates how land management in citrus orchards can improve soil quality. A field experiment was performed in an orchard of orange trees (Citrus Sinensis) in the Alcoleja Experimental Station (Eastern Spain) with clay-loam agricultural soils to assess the long-term effects of herbicides with inorganic fertilizers (H), intensive ploughing and inorganic fe…

Vulnerability of Mediterranean ecosystems to Climatic Change, study of soil degradation under different climatological conditions in an altitudinal transect in the south east of Spain

Abstract To investigate the potential response of soils to climatic change, measurements of soil physical and chemical properties were carried out during a year in a mountain zone in Alicante (Spain), along an altitudinal and climatological gradient. Hydrological properties (infiltration runoff and sediment concentration) were measured under winter and summer conditions. Chemical and physical soil properties were analyzed for reference soil profiles along the transect. The erosional response of the soils as well as soil properties like organic matter and CEC are found to be under the direct influence of the climate, and as a result they have to be considered as important factors in the dese…

Soil wettability, runoff and erodibility of major dry-Mediterranean land use types on calcareous soils

This study examines six land uses (pine woodland, long unburnt scrubland, recently burnt scrubland, orange grove, olive grove and cereal crop), typical for calcareous soils in a dry-Mediterranean region such as eastern Spain, with regard to soil surface water repellency occurrence, hydrological response and erodibility. For each land use, we performed water drop penetration time (WDPT) tests and rainfall simulations respectively on in situ soils at ten replicate plots for extremely dry antecedent conditions in summer 2002 and for wet winter conditions, in early 2003 in the Canyoles river valley. In contrasts to what might have been expected, water repellency was absent or subcritical (WDPT …

Rainfall simulation and Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry for the analysis of soil water erosion in Mediterranean vineyards

[EN] Soil water erosion is a serious problem, especially in agricultural lands.Among these, vineyards deserve attention, because they constitute for the Mediterranean areas a type of land use affected by high soil losses. A significant problem related to the study of soil water erosion in these areas consists in the lack of a standardized procedure of collecting data and reporting results, mainly due to a variability among the measurement methods applied. Given this issue and the seriousness of soil water erosion in Mediterranean vineyards, this works aims to quantify the soil losses caused by simulated rainstorms, and compare them with each other depending on two different methodologies: (…

Combination of contamination indices and ecological risk assessment index for evaluation of pollution level in sediments

Abstract Sediments act as the key storehouse of heavy metals (HMs) and play a vital function in the transport and potential discharge of HMs. Lower basins and agricultural areas are frequently inundated with various pollutants from different origins, which are categorized as constant, bioaccumulative, and unsafe pollutants. Moreover, the unrestricted development of urban and rural parts of developing countries has a great influence on water quality and ultimately on sediments. The human contributions to HM pollution and allied ecological and health risks are discussed in this chapter. Also in this chapter, details of the single pollution indices and multiple pollution indices are described.…

Fire in Protected Areas - the Effect of Protection and Importance of Fire Management

Fires are important but socially and economically unwanted disturbances of the ecosystems. They cannot be considered as a problem, they are global phenomena. Protected areas are created to protect biodiversity, and strict protection is often applied, forgetting that fire had shaped that that we aim to protect. This harsh protection is producing important changes in the protected habitats and is increasing their vulnerability to destructive wildfires. Thus, it is of major interest to incorporate fire management in the protected areas plan, including the (re)use of prescribed fire and traditional burning in order to reintroduce fire regimens, fundamental to the landscape sustainability. This …

Influencia de la litología en los procesos de erosión en &lt;i&gt;badlands&lt;/i&gt;. Los casos de Anna (Valencia) y Petrer (Alicante)

By means of experiments with simulated rainfall the hydrological and erosional behaviour of degraded surfaces (badlands) developed on two different parent materials (marls and clays) is studied. On the Keuper clays, the ponding (4'07") and runoff (6' 36") initiation is delayed, the infiltration rates (38.63 mm h&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;) are high, and the runoff coefficient (11.2 % after 30 minutes and 19.4 % after 60 minutes) and the erosion rates (13 g m&lt;sup&gt;2&lt;/sup&gt; h&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;) are low. On the contrary, over Cretaceous marls, the ponding (1’ 37") and the surface runoff (2' 52") initiation is very rapid, the infiltration rates are low (11.2 mm h&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;…

The immediate effectiveness of barley straw mulch in reducing soil erodibility and surface runoff generation in Mediterranean vineyards

Soil and water loss in agriculture is a major problem throughout the world, and especially in Mediterranean areas. Non-conservation agricultural practices have further aggravated the situation, especially in vineyards, which are affected by one of the highest rates of soil loss among cultivated lands. Therefore, it is necessary to find the right soil practices for more sustainable viticulture. In this regard, straw mulching has proven to be effective in other crop and fire affected soils, but, nonetheless, little research has been carried out in vineyards. This research tests the effect of barley straw mulching on soil erosion and surface runoff on vineyards in Eastern Spain where the soil …

Effect of climate on surface flow along a climatological gradient in Israel: a field rainfall simulation approach

Abstract A climatological gradient was selected in Israel to examine the effects of climate on surface flow and soil erosion. The gradient is composed of eight study areas located between the Dead Sea and the Galilee Mountains. Mean annual rainfall ranges from 100 mm year −1 in the driest site to 900 mm year −1 in the wettest site. Simulated rainfall experiments were performed in order to determine the main hydrological and erosional parameters. Data were recorded in 36 different plots after showers of 50 mm h −1 rain intensity and 45–60 min duration. In the arid sites ( −1 ) abundant runoff appeared on the soil surface very quickly, and the infiltration rates were very low. Erosion rates, …

Long-Range Ecogeomorphic Processes

Processes operating at larger spatial scales interact with those operating at smaller scales (discussed in the previous chapter) to produce spatial patterns in drylands. Hydrological processes operating at the catchment scale, the effects of grazing, fire, water and wind erosion are considered separately and in relation to their interactions with propagules and plants. The chapter concludes with a consideration of the extent to which feedbacks are central to pattern formation.

Functionalization of ultrasound enhanced sewage sludge-derived biochar: Physicochemical improvement and its effects on soil enzyme activities and heavy metals availability.

Abstract Poor physicochemical characteristics and high heavy metals content are main limitations of applying sludge-based biochars in remediation studies. The present study attempts to combine two practical approaches of ultrasound pre-treatment with low-time and low-frequency and chemical functionalization using citric acid. The aims of this study are enhancement physicochemical characteristics and environmental applicability of sludge-derived biochar. The characteristics of obtained ultrasound-treated functionalized biochar (UFB), sludge-derived biochar (SDB) and sewage sludge (SS) were evaluated. Then, the effects of these additives on soil heavy metals availability, soil enzyme activiti…

Análisis de la escorrentía y la erosión estimada mediante simulación de lluvia en varios usos del suelo (NE España)

Wildfire effects on extractable elements in ash from aPinus pinasterforest in Portugal

This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Technology, project CGL2006-11107-C02-02/BOS ‘Evaluation of the quality of Mediterranean soils affected by fire in a middle and large term’ and the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER). We are also thankful to Serveis Cientifico-Tecnics from the University of Barcelona. The authors would also like to acknowledge FuegoRed (Fire Effects on Soil Properties Network) for financing the projects CGL2007-28764-E/BTE CGL2008-01632-E/BTE y CGL2009-06861-E/BTE, the Lithuanian Research Council for financing the project LITFIRE, Fire effects on Lithuanian soils and ecosystems (MIP-48/2011), the HYDFIRE project (CGL2010-21670-C02-01) a…

Agricultura comercial frente a agricultura de subsistencia. Implicaciones sobre la calidad de la estructura del suelo en el valle del río Camacho (Sur de Bolivia)

La calidad de la agregación del suelo es un parámetro identificador y cuantificador de la degradación del suelo, ya que constituye una interfase entre la componente biótica y abiótica del medio edáfico. En la formación de los agregados influyen factres como la micro y la mesofauna, la cubierta vegetal y los usos del suelo. Además, la estructura del suelo está directamente relacionada con la capacidad el suelo para absorber y almacenar agua, así como con su grado de erodibilidad. Esto hace de la estabilidad de los agregados un parámetro sintético del grado de estabilidad del ecosistema. Mediante experimentos en laboratorios (impactos de gotas, ultrasonidos y dispersión en agua destilada) se …

Nitrogen losses in vineyards under different types of soil groundcover. A field runoff simulator approach in central Spain

The soils of Mediterranean vineyards are usually managed with continuous tillage, resulting in bare soil, low infiltration and high soil erosion rates. Soil nutrients, such as nitrogen, could be lost dissolved in the runoff, causing a decrease in soil fertility on such degraded soils and producing eutrophication downstream. The influences of groundcover on the soil erosion processes and sediment yields in Mediterranean vineyards have been widely addressed. However, the runoff process itself, excluding the effect of raindrop impacts, has barely been studied. Thus, a field runoff simulator was built to assess runoff and nutrient losses under different soil management strategies in Central Spa…

Wildland fire ash: Production, composition and eco-hydro-geomorphic effects

Abstract: Fire transforms fuels (i.e. biomass, necromass, soil organic matter) into materials with different chemical and physical properties. One of these materials is ash, which is the particulate residue remaining or deposited on the ground that consists of mineral materials and charred organic components. The quantity and characteristics of ash produced during a wildland fire depend mainly on (1) the total burned fuel (i.e. fuel load), (2) fuel type and (3) its combustion completeness. For a given fuel load and type, a higher combustion completeness will reduce the ash organic carbon content, increasing the relative mineral content, and hence reducing total mass of ash produced. The hom…

Policies can help to apply successful strategies to control soil and water losses. The case of chipped pruned branches (CPB) in Mediterranean citrus plantations

[EN] There is a need to devise management strategies that control soil and water losses in agriculture land to allow the design of proper policies to achieve sustainability. It is the responsibility of scientists to work with other actors to co-construct strategies that will lead to sustainable land-use policies. Using chipped pruned branches (CPB) as mulch can be a viable option because they represent local (in situ) organic material that can restore soil nutrient and organic matter. This research assesses: i) the perception of farmers towards different types of management strategies and CPB's costs; ii) the biomass yield of citrus branches and the impact of CPB on soil properties; iii) ho…

Analyzing long-term soil erosion in a ridge-shaped persimmon plantation in eastern Spain by means of ISUM measurements

Abstract Graft unions of cultivated plants have been used as passive bio-indicators to assess long-term soil erosion rates. By taking complementary topographical measures in inter-row areas, soil erosion can be more accurately estimated as done with the Improved Stock Unearthing Method (ISUM) in vineyards. As vines are not the only plants that are grafted, ISUM could be also applied to other crops. Most fruit trees are planted in ridges and our objective was to test if ISUM could be applied in a ridge planted persimmon plantation. This update in the methodology will allow the scientific community to expand measurements that will contribute to assessing soil erosion processes in intensive an…

Contribution of the largest events to suspended sediment transport across the USA

This work analyses the contribution of the largest events to suspended sediment transport on the continental scale. The analysis is based on the United States Geological Survey (USGS) Suspended Sediment and Ancillary database. Data were obtained from 1314 catchments, comprising more than 2 500 000 daily events. The total number of days in the dataset amounts to 10 000 years. Catchments are of different sizes and belong to distinct climatic environments; they are distributed for the analysis according to USA hydrological divisions (HDs). The main objective of the research is to examine the effect of the n-largest event on the total suspended sediment load over recorded periods, and to discus…

Four-year soil erosion rates in a running-mountain trail in eastern Iberian Peninsula

During the last decades, the use of mountain trails for running is more and more popular. New trails are opened to allow the runners to practice and compete. This form of human impact on the landscape is new as the new trails do not follow the conservation strategies in design and maintenance as traditional mountain trails constructed by farmers, shepherds and muleteers do. This impact of sport events in nature is not measured and we know little about this impact on vegetation, fauna and soils. We surveyed in September 2018 a trail that was opened in September 2014 and was used for four official mountain trail races, and for training by local runners. Our interviews with organizers and user…

Spatial and temporal variations of water repellency and probability of its occurrence in calcareous Mediterranean rangeland soils affected by fires

Abstract Water repellency (WR) is a common soil property in many fire-affected ecosystems, but it also occurs in long-unburned terrain. It can vary in space at different scales (between point and pedon or slope and catchment) and time (during the same day, between seasons or years, or with a post-fire recovery period). This paper: i) reports on the occurrence and persistence of WR in fire-affected calcareous forest soils under Mediterranean climatic conditions, examining its spatial variability at macro-, meso- and micro-scales, and monthly changes with soil moisture content; and ii) develops exploratory models to estimate the probability of the natural background (not fire-induced) WR to o…

The Role of Fire in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations do not mention Fire as a key factor in achieving an environmentally-friendly human society. This paper reviews the key aspects of the impact of fire that make it necessary to update the SDGs. Upon reviewing the scientific literature, it was found that fire has been part of the Earth System for the last 400 million years, and that it is part of biogeochemical cycles. From a geological perspective, fire shaped the current Earth System. Humans have used fire in the last million years as hunter-gatherers, and the last Pleistocene period evolved with the presence of fire. Since the Neolithic revolution, humankind spread the use of fi…

Changes in soil microbial activity and physicochemical properties in agricultural soils in Eastern Spain

Agricultural land management greatly affects soil properties. Microbial soil communities are the most sensitive and rapid indicators of perturbations in land use and soil enzyme activities are sensitive biological indicators of the effects of soil management practices. Citrus orchards frequently have degraded soils and this paper evaluates how land management in citrus orchards can improve soil quality. A field experiment was performed in an orchard of orange trees (&lt;em&gt;Citrus Sinensis&lt;/em&gt;) in the Alcoleja Experimental Station (Eastern Spain) with clay-loam agricultural soils to assess the long-term effects of herbicides with inorganic fertilizers (H), intensive ploughing and i…

Micro-scale post-fire surface cover changes monitored using high spatial resolution photography in a semiarid environment: A useful tool in the study of post-fire soil erosion processes

[ES] Although post-fire soil erosion has been studied, little attention has been paid to changes in soil surface cover following fires, despite this being a key factor in understanding the water and sediment yield. This study, at Peñaflor (Spain), investigated the effect of fire on soil erosion using data from soil erosion plots and high spatial resolution photography (HSRP). Measurements were made from October 2003 to October 2005 in a control plot and a plot experimentally exposed to a fire in October 2004. Ground cover components were identified, including vegetation, bare soil, stones, charcoal and ash. Runoff and sediment concentrations were low because of the absence of intense rainfa…

Rhizosphere soil indicators for carbon sequestration in a reclaimed coal mine spoil

Abstract Re-vegetation of mine spoil enhances carbon storage in both above-ground plant biomass and mine soil. The current study was conducted at the coalmine overburden dumps of Jharia Coalfield (India), with the aim to evaluate the effect of different tree species on the rhizosphere soil properties and to identify key rhizosphere soil indicators that influence tree biomass and carbon density. Rhizosphere soil samples were collected from five tree species ( Acacia auriculiformis , Albizia lebbeck , Cassia siamea , Delonix regia , and Dalbergia sissoo ) of the same age. An area without ground vegetation was selected as a non-rhizosphere soil. The carbon density was higher for D. sissoo and …

Managing soil nitrate with cover crops and buffer strips in Sicilian vineyards

When soil nitrate levels are low, plants suffer nitrogen (N) deficiency but when the levels are excessive, soil nitrates can pollute surface and subsurface waters. Strategies to reduce the nitrate pollution are necessary to reach a sustainable use of resources such as soil, water and plant. Buffer strips and cover crops can contribute to the management of soil nitrates, but little is known of their effectiveness in semiarid vineyards plantations. The research was carried out in the south coast of Sicily (Italy) to evaluate nitrate trends in a vineyard managed both conventionally and using two different cover crops (Triticum durum and Vicia sativa cover crop). A 10 m-wide buffer strip was se…

Measuring, modelling and managing gully erosion at large scales: A state of the art

Soil erosion is generally recognized as the dominant process of land degradation. The formation and expansion of gullies is often a highly significant process of soil erosion. However, our ability to assess and simulate gully erosion and its impacts remains very limited. This is especially so at regional to continental scales. As a result, gullying is often overlooked in policies and land and catchment management strategies. Nevertheless, significant progress has been made over the past decades. Based on a review of >590 scientific articles and policy documents, we provide a state-of-the-art on our ability to monitor, model and manage gully erosion at regional to continental scales. In this…

Soil aggregate stability under different Mediterranean vegetation types

The influence of vegetation type on soil erodibility was studied by means of aggregate stability measurements using the Modified Emerson Water Dispersion Test (MEWDT), water-drop impacts (CND and TDI) and Ultrasonic Disruption (UD) methods on soils from north-facing slopes of the mountain range of La Serra Grossa in the eastern Iberian Peninsula. Soils with similar characteristics but covered by the main plant species at the study area were selected. Quercus ilex woodland showed the most resistant soil aggregates followed by Q. coccifera and Pistacea lentiscus scrubland, Brachypodium retusum grassland and Pinus halepensis woodland. Aggregates developed beneath dwarf shrubs like Rosmarinus o…

Soil erosion assessment and control in Northeast Wollega, Ethiopia

Soil erosion is the main driver of land degradation in Ethiopia, and in the whole region of East Africa. This study was conducted at the Northeast Wollega in West Ethiopia to estimate the soil losses by means of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). The purpose of this paper is to identify erosion spot areas and target locations for appropriate development of soil and water conservation measures. Fieldwork and household survey were conducted to identify major determinants of soil erosion control. Six principal factors were used to calculate soil loss per year, such as rainfallerosivity, soil erodiblity, slope length, slope steepness, crop management and erosion-control practices…

Spatial models for monitoring the spatio-temporal evolution of ashes after fire-a case study of a burnt grassland in Lithuania

Ash thickness is a key variable in the protection of soil against erosion agents after planned and unplanned fires. Ash thickness measurements were conducted along two transects (flat and sloping areas) following a grided experimental design. In order to interpolate data with accuracy and identify the techniques with the least bias, several interpolation methods were tested in the grided plot. Overall, the fire had a low severity. However, the fire significantly reduced the ground cover, especially on sloping areas, owing to the higher fire severity and/or less biomass previous to the fire. Ash thickness depended on fire severity and was thin where fire severity was higher and thicker in lo…

Relationships between climate and soil hydrological and erosional characteristics along climatic gradients in Mediterranean limestone areas

An investigation was undertaken to determine the relationships between climate and soil hydrological and erosional characteristics. Rainfall simulation experiments were carried out along three climatological gradients on similar limestone lithologies in the Mediterranean region. Standard experiments were used to characterize each site so that an objective comparison could be made. At each of the eleven south-facing slopes three experiments were carried out. A total of 33 plots were selected for the experiments; located in the Galilee and Carmel Mountains (Israel), Crete (Greece) and Alicante (Spain). Simulated rainfall was used in order to measure time to ponding and runoff, steady-state in…

The impact of cotton geotextiles on soil and water losses from Mediterranean rainfed agricultural land

High soil erosion risk of Mediterranean cultivated soils is due to steep slopes, high rainfall intensities and low vegetation cover. Traditional land management as ploughing and herbicides give rise to high soil erosion rates. This paper reports on the use of a cotton geotextiles to control soil and water losses on agricultural land under Mediterranean climatic conditions. Eight paired plots (1, 2, 4 and 16 m2) were studied during 1-year period under natural rainfall. Forty rainfall simulations under wet and dry climatic conditions, and water drop penetration time (WDPT) tests, were carried out in order to analyze the effect of a geotextile on soil and water losses on a typical rainfed orch…

Soil Erosion as an Environmental Concern in Vineyards. The Case Study of Celler del Roure, Eastern Spain, by Means of Rainfall Simulation Experiments

Soil erosion in vineyards is considered as an environmental concern as it depletes soil fertility and causes damage in the fields and downstream. High soil and water losses decrease soil quality, and subsequently, this can reduce the quality of the grapes and wine. However, in specialized journals of viticulture and enology, soil erosion studies are not present. This paper surveys the soil erosion losses in the vineyards of Celler del Roure, Eastern Spain, as an example of Mediterranean vineyards. We applied rainfall simulation experiments (10 plots) using a small portable rainfall simulator and 55 mm h&minus;1 in one hour to characterize soil erodibility, runoff discharge, and soil erosion…

Post-fire practices benefits on vegetation recovery and soil conservation in a Mediterranean area

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG. [Abstract] Post-fire practices (PFP) aim to reduce soil erosion and favour vegetation recovery, but their effectiveness is spatially heterogeneous and under debate because of the economic and environmental costs. This study evaluates the different changes (Δ) of canopy cover (CC), sediment connectivity (SC) and local topography in four areas affected by the Pinet fire in eastern Spain (August 8th, 2018) and managed with: totally burnt with tree removal and long log erosion barriers (LEBs) (Pinet-1), partially burnt without PFP (Pinet-2), totally burnt with tree removal and short LEBs (Pinet-3), and totally burnt wit…

Pollution assessment of heavy metals in soils of India and ecological risk assessment: A state-of-the-art

Soil is substantive component of biosphere, which is exposed to plethora of pollutants including heavy metals. These are added by natural as well as anthropogenic activities. Upsurge in heavy metal content affects all organisms by biomagnification. So, it becomes vital to create a database of heavy metals concentration in soil. This is relevant in countries where unsustainable intensive agriculture, industrial and urban development is in progress. The present review of the scientific literature from 1991 to 2018 on heavy metals in soils in India shows that Zn and Pb exceeded their limits for Indian natural soil guidelines (Zn 22.1 and Pb 13.1 μg/g), Canada (Zn 200 μg/g), Swedish (80 μg/g) a…

Soil water repellency assessment in olive groves in Southern and Eastern Spain

Soil water repellency (SWR) has been reported under different soils, land uses and regions of the world, particularly in forest land and after wildfires, yet the understanding of this variable in agricultural lands is still rather limited. This study presents the characterization from field-based measurements of SWR in four contrasted olive groves (Olea europaea L.) in Spain in terms of different environmental conditions and management: abandoned and commercial farms under permanent cover crop, conventional tillage and herbicide use. The main objectives were [1] to evaluate the potential occurrence, intensity and persistence of soil water repellency in different types of olive groves and [2…

Alfalfa crops amended with MSW compost can compensate the effect of salty water irrigation depending on the soil texture

The availability of water resources of marginal quality such as drainage water or high-saltcontaining groundwater is turning into an important issue in Tunisia and other countrieswith scarce water resources. A pot experiment was carried out to evaluate plant produc-tion, nutrient content and heavy metal bioaccumulation in agricultural soils amended withMSW compost and irrigated with salty water, by using two different soil textures (clay andsandy). Salt water supply decreased plant dry yield in both soils. Salt stress had signifi-cantly reduction in plant biomass in sandy soil compared to those in clay soil (biomass ofdry weight is significantly higher in clay soil than those in sandy soil …

Developing scoring functions to assess soil quality at a regional scale in rangelands of SW Spain

ABSTRACT The drawing of maps of soil quality at a large scale is increasingly being more useful to land planners and stakeholders. Nevertheless, it involves different methodological steps from the description of soil profiles in the field until the regional mapping of integrative soil quality index (IQI) values. The development of proper scoring functions is a paramount task for the calculation of these IQI values since every parameter needs to be standardized accordingly and weighting factors are usually estimated by multivariate techniques. The main goal of this study was to map soil quality in the Spanish region of Extremadura (commonly known by its rangelands called dehesas). To do that…