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• Hillslope erosion dynamic model integrating vegetation effect was established. • Unified baseline parameters were obtained across different land uses. • Effect of vegetation on soil detachment and sediment transport was revealed. • Contribution rates of vegetation to sediment reduction along slopes were quantified. Developing a process-based soil erosion model that comprehensively considers the effects of vegetation is complex but crucial for evaluating sediment reduction during vegetation restoration. Current understanding of the effect of vegetation on sediment reduction along hillslopes across different land uses is limited. In this paper, we developed a dynamic model of hillslope erosion that integrates the effects of vegetation on soil detachability and hydrodynamics (VED) based on the feedback mechanism between soil detachment and sediment transport. The VED was calibrated and validated with runoff plot data for woodland, grassland, and farmland in the Wuding, Yan, Jing and Wei Rivers of the Loess Plateau in China. Unified baseline parameters and decay coefficients of vegetation were obtained. The model validation results indicated that the coefficient of determination, Nash–Sutcliffe simulation efficiency and relative error ranged from 0.59 to 0.99, 0.56 to 0.90, and −45.99 % to 46.36 %, respectively. The decay coefficients for soil detachment capacity (Φ), sediment transport capacity (T c), and the sediment reduction effect of vegetation exhibited the following order: woodland > grassland > farmland. Compared with VED, existing process-based soil erosion models failed to effectively characterize the influence of vegetation on Φ and T c on the Loess Plateau, with differences of several orders of magnitude. The individual contributions of runoff, soil detachability, and hydrodynamics with vegetation impact on sediment yield were quantified by VED. The contribution rates of vegetation to sediment reduction decreased gradually with increasing slope length because the soil detachment capacity of bare slopes exceeded that of vegetated slopes, resulting in a faster increase in sediment yield. The contribution rates of vegetation to sediment reduction for woodland, grassland, and farmland with 20 %–60 % vegetation covers were 66.75 %–99.95 %, 57.43 %–99.63 %, and 27.91 %–88.63 % in the boundary conditions of this study, respectively. The results reveal the potential for integrating VED into other distributed watershed hydrological and sediment models to assess the effects of vegetation restoration on sediment reduction at a watershed scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Wenchuan earthquake greatly reduced the forest water conservation capacity along the banks of Minjiang River. With the intensified soil erosion and the rapid increasing sediment transport, the sediment erosion of hydraulic turbines running on the river has become more and more serious, especially of high head Francis turbines. In this study, the k-ε multiphase flow turbulence model was used to calculate the sediment-water flow of a high head Francis turbine with long and short blades in Minjiang River. The distribution pattern of sediment concentration (sediment volume fraction) on the blade surface shows that the sediment particles mainly gather on the outlet edge at 10% of the blade height on the suction surface of the long blade, while the sediment concentration on the surface of the short blade is small. The erosion of the 0Cr13Ni5Mo runner blade was tested by the flow around erosion method, and the erosion amount on the blade surface in the severe erosion area was obtained. Based on the test data of erosion and the numerical calculation results of sediment flow, a formula to calculate the sediment erosion rate of flow passage components with 0Cr13Ni5Mo material was given for turbines operating in Minjiang River. By using this formula, the sediment erosion of flow passage components in hydraulic turbines with 0Cr13Ni5Mo or similar materials operating in Minjiang River can be predicted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• SY and Sr of the SL was the largest, but the sediment MWD was the smallest. • Change in the flow discharge did not affect the distribution pattern of sediment particles. • Dynamic coupling of runoff hydraulics and EG morphology drove soil loss. • SDR was the most direct influencing factor on the Sr in EGs. Ephemeral gully (EG) erosion represents the early stage of large-scale gully (locally named as "Benggang") development on Ultisols in the granite hilly area. However, the EG erosion process and the mechanism underlying sediment production have not been fully elucidated. In this study, a series of field scouring experiments were conducted under different flow discharge levels (10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 L·min−1), and the primary EGs in three typical soil layers with different weathering degrees (red soil layer (RL), transition layer (TL), and sandy layer (SL)) was dynamically monitored. The results indicated that the ratio of width to depth of the EGs rapidly decreased as the flow discharge increased. At 30 L·min−1, the average sediment yield and transport rate (Sr) of the SL were 4.85 and 5.39 times, greater than those of the RL, respectively. The sediment particles were concentrated within the 1–2 mm particle size range, accounting for over 35 %. In addition, the mean weight diameter of the sediment particles in the RL was the largest. The sediment distribution characteristics did not respond to flow changes but were affected by EG morphological changes. With increasing flow discharge, the flow shear stress and stream power increased. Further analysis revealed that the coupling effect of flow hydraulic characteristics and EG morphological evolution drove the EG erosion sediment production process, and the Sr of the SL was highly sensitive to flow discharge changes. The soil disintegration rate was an internal factor that directly affected soil loss in the EGs, with a path coefficient of 0.71. The bulk density, organic matter content, and sand content were all indirect influencing factors. The RL exhibited greater anti-erodibility than the other layers and could serve as an effective protective layer for granite hilly areas. These findings provide a theoretical basis for improving soil loss management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water erosion, a notorious major threat to food security and ecosystem sustainability, is strongly conditioned by spatial and temporal scale effects. This paper systematically reviews the scale issues in runoff and sediment delivery (SIRSD) as a research field by integrating the traditional review approach and bibliometric analysis. This review summarises SIRSD's roots and the scale effect on runoff and sediment delivery. Then, we provide quantitative insights into the SIRSD domain's development history, thematic structure, geographic distribution, international cooperation, and methodologies. Findings show that: i) SIRSD arises from the gap between the non-linearity of runoff and sediment delivery across scales and our ability to measure it. Point-based and short-term measurements cannot capture the non-linearities from the spatio-temporal heterogeneities and cross-scale interactions of factors or processes. ii) Previous literature provides evidence that the spatial scaling of specific runoff (r), soil erosion (SE), sediment yield (SSY), or sediment delivery ratio (SDR) with drainage area (A) or slope length (L) exhibits contrasting patterns due to distinct mechanisms. Infiltration-excess and saturation-excess processes account for inverse and positive r - A relations, respectively. Interrill-erosion and rill-erosion cause inverse and positive SE-L relations. Hillslope-erosion and channel/bank-erosion explain inverse and positive SSY-A relations. Downstream increasing deposition and additional sediment inputs drive inverse and positive SDR-A relations. These scaling relationships can be nonlinear or complex due to spatial heterogeneities in land use, vegetation, topography, climate, lithology, and soil characteristics. Hence, applying an empirical scaling equation developed from the region with distinct environmental contexts is not recommended. Furthermore, the existing scaling patterns or equations may require updating given global climate and land use change. iii) SIRSD is a complex and multidisciplinary issue investigated by scientists from 93 countries since 1928. International research has substantially facilitated the understanding of SIRSD; still, more collaboration should focus on less-developed countries with high soil and water loss risks and urgent conservation needs, such as those in Africa and South America under cropland expansion. iv) Scale mismatch and scale break have discredited large-scale erosion and sediment assessments. Incorporating gully and bank erosion into modelling, extending the scale range of the L factor, and expanding the sediment scaling scope from watershed to slope may make a difference. Therefore, more research with nested design incorporating multiple scales is necessary for cross-scale analysis and scalable modelling. Addressing global climate change requires improving real-time urban flood forecasting and integrating downscaled climate models with hydrology, erosion, and sediment transport models. • A bibliometric review of the global SIRSD research for the first time. • SIRSD is rooted in the gap between natural nonlinearity and our measuring ability. • Scaling of specific runoff, erosion, sediment yield, and SDR has diverse patterns. • Scale mismatch and scale break discredit large-scale modelling and assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Submarine canyons serve as important sediment transport conduits from littoral zones to the deep sea, with strong impacts on the sedimentation patterns in marginal areas of the ocean. Moreover, such canyons can be major geohazards for submarine infrastructure, warranting a good understanding of their past and current behavior. Here, we present a study of the geological history and the recent activity of the Nahariya submarine canyon, the longest of a system of ∼15 small blind canyons located in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, offshore Israel. Two piston cores retrieved from the middle and outlet of the canyon, at 650 m and 915 m water depth, respectively, were the focus of a multi-proxy study aiming to characterize sediment transport and deposition along the canyon during the Last Glacial and up to the present. Both cores reveal a sequence of homogenous sediment of late last glacial age, which are capped by an unconformity overlying by fine laminated sediment dated to the last ∼200 years. Thus, the deglacial and most of the Holocene intervals are absent from the record. Evidence for down canyon sediment transport are abundant and include a 70 cm interval of mud clasts with disordered glacial ages that appears immediately below the hiatus, as well as broken calcareous shells of dead benthic foraminiferal species of shallow marine habitats, which are abundant throughout both cores. Similarly, shelf-derived living benthic foraminiferal species were found in the core-tops, indicating that active sediment transport persists along this canyon today. We conclude that the history of Nahariya submarine canyon includes a period of sediment accumulation that lasted until the last deglaciation. Thereafter, the canyon was dominated by an erosive regime that persisted throughout the Holocene. Sediment accumulation resumed ∼200 years ago. We suggest that the recent resumption of sediment-accumulation is a result of anthropogenic amplification of on-land soil erosion accompanied by a wet period that persisted in the region and enhanced land to sea sediment transport. • The geological history of a blind submarine canyon of E. Mediterranean is studied. • In-canyon last glacial sediment accumulation and Holocene erosion are observed. • Resumption of sediment accumulation occurred ca. 200 years ago. • This resumption reflects anthropogenic on-land soil erosion and shift to wet climate. • Shelf origin sediment is transported to deep canyon during glacial period and recent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine the effect of vegetation on soil erosion, runoff generation and sediment transport on saline rangeland hillslopes. Rainfall simulations were conducted at a fixed 114 mm/h intensity on 6 m × 2 m erosion plots with varying degrees of vegetation. Plots were grouped into three categories (L, M and H) based on their canopy cover (L: <5%, M: 5–19%, H: >19%) and selected to limit variations in slope across canopy cover groups. Runoff and sediment samples were combined with three dimensional (3D) reconstruction data used to monitor soil surface microtopographic changes. Runoff initiation was significantly delayed on the L plots but cumulative runoff after 20 min of rainfall simulation indicated a positive effect of vegetation on infiltration processes. Cumulative sediment after 20 min of rainfall was similar across vegetation cover categories. The 3D data suggest that vegetation reduced net sediment delivery from the plots by primarily increasing opportunities for deposition while marginally affecting gross soil erosion. Plots with H vegetation cover experienced lower 3D-estimated erosion volumes but average erosion depth on L plots was lower than that on plots with M and H vegetation covers. Lower runoff volumes on M and H plots may have been compensated by greater runoff erosivity on these plots as runoff was concentrated in a narrower inter-patch space compared to L plots. This study highlights the need for an increased integration between traditional runoff measurement techniques and 3D reconstruction methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Effective sediment sizes were determined along a gradient of soil structural stability. • Sediment average size exhibited a unimodal variation with soil structural stability. • Suspension-saltation dominated sediment transport for low and high stable soils. • Suspension-saltation and rolling jointly dominated erosion for medium stable soils. • Soil structural stability determined rainfall intensity effect on sediment transport. Sediment transport patterns (suspension, saltation and rolling) not only depend on flow hydrodynamic characteristics, but also on sediment properties, both of which are largely influenced by soil structural stability. However, how sediment sizes and transport patterns response to original soils over a wide range of structural stability remains unclear. Herein, field plot rainfall simulation experiments on five soils along an increased gradient of structural stability were conducted at two rainfall intensities of 45 and 90 mm h−1 to investigate effective sediment size characteristics and associated transport patterns in sheet erosion. Differing from runoff and sediment yield, sediment sizes were most influenced by soil structural stability (F = 386.9) rather than rainfall intensity (F = 246.7, p < 0.001). Mean weight diameter of sediment (0.16–0.84 mm) and the proportion of coarse particles (>0.25 mm) exhibited a unimodal variation with increased soil structural stability. The effective sediment size distribution shifted from unimodal with the peak at < 0.10 mm for low and high stable soils to bimodal with two peaks at < 0.10 mm and 0.5–1 mm for medium stable soils. Correspondingly, suspension-saltation (>74 %) dominated sediment transport for low and high stable soils, which was determined by fine sized fragments from aggregate breakdown and small flow transport capacity, respectively; while both suspension-saltation (<0.10 mm) and rolling (>0.25 mm) jointly contributed to sediment transport for medium stable soils, which was controlled by the interaction between fragment size and flow transport capacity. Moreover, the positive effect of rainfall intensity on sediment sizes was more remarkable for the medium than for the low and high stable soils. A conceptual model of sediment transport mechanisms in response to soil structural stability is firstly proposed, which merits consideration in the future development of erosion modeling and soil conservation techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Demonstration of rise and fall of carbon discharge with time. • Demonstration of enrichment of sand in loose layer above soil. • Demonstration of no carbon enrichment is sediment at the steady state. Soil carbon losses from sheet and interrill erosion areas have an impact on the global carbon cycle. Sediment discharged in many experiments where artificial rainfall has been applied to sloping soil surfaces show greater proportions of carbon in the sediment than found in the cohesive soil source. In many cases, conclusions drawn from these experiments fail to recognise that the enrichment of carbon in the sediment discharge is a result of unsteady conditions that occur before the steady state develops. It is known that particles of sand of different sizes move at different rates when raindrop induced salation occurs with the result that initially the particle size distribution is finer than the source but tends towards that of the source as time progresses. The presence of carbon in aggregates influences the density of aggregates. Here a qualitative model of sediment transport of sand and coal particles by raindrop induced saltation is used to demonstrate time varying enrichment of coal resulting from the effect of carbon on particle settling velocity. The model also demonstrates how the layer of loose particles that develops on top of the cohesive soil surface influences the relative amounts of carbon and sand in the sediment discharges. The steady state is not achieved until the slowest moving particle detached at the farthest distance from the downslope boundary is discharged. That may not be achieved in many of the experiments reported in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mudstone deposits behave like noncohesive sediments in terms of erosion resistance. • High erosion resistance of laterites cannot be predicted merely by particle size. • Shields' parameter predicted by water content, clay content, and plasticity index. Soil erosion and sedimentation are major factors in landscape evolution and river morphology. The erosion resistance of sediments plays an important role in landscape evolution processes because it determines the threshold of an acting force at the initiative sediment motion, and the amount of sediment transports. This study examined the sediment properties and their correlations to the erosion resistance of mudstone deposits and laterites, which are two representative natural cohesive soils in hill and terrace topography in Taiwan. Soil physical properties and pore water chemical properties, and the erosion resistance were investigated and determined using laboratory tests and hydraulic flume experiments, respectively. Investigations of sediment properties showed that the mudstone deposits and laterites had significant differences in median particle size, soil texture, level of plasticity, internal structure, and pH value and electrical conductivity of their aqueous slurry. Results from the hydraulic flume experiments showed that the laterites had stronger erosion resistance, indicating by larger values of critical shear stress and the Shields' parameter, than the mudstone deposits. Through the stepwise multiple regression analysis, a quantitative equation was proposed to estimate the Shields' parameter using fine sediment properties including water content, clay content, and the plasticity index expressed in decimal fractions, of the two soils. Despite more experiments of the two natural soils with different ranges of the sediment properties are needed to validate the empirical equation for predicting the Shields' parameter, the proposed methodology provides an essential reference in which erosion resistance is an important parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The proposed sediment connectivity framework integrates the rainfall regime. • Event-based sediment connectivity helps identify the sediment source contribution. • The mismatched area exists for erosion and sediment connectivity. • The overlay between erosion and connectivity is key to explaining sediment yield. Sediment connectivity quantifies the intermediate processes between initial erosion and the corresponding sediment yield. However, fully capturing the variations in sediment connectivity at the event scale and revealing their impact on watershed sediment sources remains challenging. Herein, we established an event-based model to assess sediment connectivity by integrating runoff factors. The spatiotemporal variability of sediment connectivity was evaluated for 58 rainfall events in three heterogeneous watersheds. The degree of sediment connectivity served as an indicator to quantify the proportion of potential sediment transport from units to the watershed outlet, with 1 indicating that the eroded sediment can be fully connected and 0 indicating that it cannot be transported. Moreover, the controls of sediment connectivity on watershed sediment sources and yield were determined. Our results indicated that the watersheds with poor vegetation and dense gullies were characterized by high sediment connectivity during all the rainfall events. The connectivity degree was below 0.5 in approximately 80 % of the watershed area, suggesting that most of the eroded sediment was deposited. Rainfall amount and duration dominated the degree of connectivity of the distal hillslopes, while rainfall intensity exerted a primary control on the transport of sediments from riverbanks to the outlet. In addition, the increase of mismatched area between sediment connectivity and erosion resulted in the decrease of sediment yield. The interaction between sediment connectivity and erosion effectively explained the spatial patterns of sediment sources (p < 0.05). Our work confirmed that the coupled erosion model and sediment connectivity predicted the sediment yield accurately. The predictions for different watersheds portrayed that the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency and Willmott's agreement index were greater than 0.70 and 0.89, respectively. These findings revealed the role of sediment connectivity and are the critical basis to identify watershed-specific sediment management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The proposed sediment connectivity framework integrates the rainfall regime. • Event-based sediment connectivity helps identify the sediment source contribution. • The mismatched area exists for erosion and sediment connectivity. • The overlay between erosion and connectivity is key to explaining sediment yield. Sediment connectivity quantifies the intermediate processes between initial erosion and the corresponding sediment yield. However, fully capturing the variations in sediment connectivity at the event scale and revealing their impact on watershed sediment sources remains challenging. Herein, we established an event-based model to assess sediment connectivity by integrating runoff factors. The spatiotemporal variability of sediment connectivity was evaluated for 58 rainfall events in three heterogeneous watersheds. The degree of sediment connectivity served as an indicator to quantify the proportion of potential sediment transport from units to the watershed outlet, with 1 indicating that the eroded sediment can be fully connected and 0 indicating that it cannot be transported. Moreover, the controls of sediment connectivity on watershed sediment sources and yield were determined. Our results indicated that the watersheds with poor vegetation and dense gullies were characterized by high sediment connectivity during all the rainfall events. The connectivity degree was below 0.5 in approximately 80 % of the watershed area, suggesting that most of the eroded sediment was deposited. Rainfall amount and duration dominated the degree of connectivity of the distal hillslopes, while rainfall intensity exerted a primary control on the transport of sediments from riverbanks to the outlet. In addition, the increase of mismatched area between sediment connectivity and erosion resulted in the decrease of sediment yield. The interaction between sediment connectivity and erosion effectively explained the spatial patterns of sediment sources (p < 0.05). Our work confirmed that the coupled erosion model and sediment connectivity predicted the sediment yield accurately. The predictions for different watersheds portrayed that the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency and Willmott's agreement index were greater than 0.70 and 0.89, respectively. These findings revealed the role of sediment connectivity and are the critical basis to identify watershed-specific sediment management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soil erosion process on frozen-stony slope is experimentally investigated. • Sediment concentration on frozen-stony slope follows linear-exponent curves. • The impacts of thawed soil depth and rock fragment content on sediment transport process are quantified. Rill erosion on frozen-stony slope in high-altitude or high-latitude areas commonly undergo freeze–thaw cycle, which is significantly influenced by partially thawed soil with rock fragment. This research aims to investigate the influences of thawed soil depth (TSD) and rock fragment content (RFC) on rill erosion and quantifying the mathematical relationships among them. The laboratory experiment is conducted to evaluate the influences of TSD (1, 2, 5, and 10 cm) and RFC (0%, 10%, 20%, and 50%) on sediment delivery processes by concentrated meltwater flow under three slope gradients of 5°, 10°, and 15°, and three flow rates of 1, 2, and 4 L min−1 at nine rill lengths from 0.5 m to 8.0 m. Five runoff samples are obtained from each experiment run and used to calculate sediment concentration (SC). The SC increases linearly and then exponentially with rill length to approximate the extremum and fits well with piecewise functions. Restrictive effect of TSD and RFC on sediment supply is evident during linear stage induced by shallow TSD, which keeps a long distance under shallow TSD and low RFC to collect sufficient sediment for exponential period. However, TSD and RFC impacts become apparent during the exponential period and lead to higher sediment yield with RFC of 10% and 20% than that on totally thawed soil without rock fragment. In this research, the positive effect on sediment yield increases with RFC increases from 10% to 20%, which may need to be eliminated for efficiency in erosion control. In contrast to low RFC, the protection impact of rock fragment always exerts with RFC of 50%. The experimental data and the functional relationship can provide the basic knowledge for evaluating the model parameters such as soil detachment rate and erodibility of rill erosion on frozen-stony slope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Upslope sediment-laden flow caused additional erosion in ephemeral gully zone. • Transport-dominated sediment regime was found under filed and laboratory conditions. • An increase in sediment concentration of inflow decreased downslope soil erosion rates. • Laboratory simulations verified the field monitoring results for extreme rainfall events. Ephemeral gully (EG) is an important linear erosion feature, often occurring at mid-slope position, that can be greatly influenced by upslope inflow and its sediment transport capacity. How sediment concentration in upslope inflow influences downslope EG erosion is still unclear. Thus, field monitoring on a natural hillslope and indoor simulations on a dual-box system were conducted to better understand their relationship. The results showed that both field monitoring and indoor simulation displayed the additional sediment delivery caused by upslope sediment-laden flow, verifying the transport-dominated sediment regime in EG systems. In field observations, the sediment increment coefficient (SIC , ratio of net sediment delivery caused by upslope sediment-laden flow to the total sediment delivery) on an event scale varied from 4.6% to 88.6%. In indoor simulations, the SIC changed from 24.9% to 87.5%. Indoor simulation experiments with a range of 0–378.2 g L−1 sediment concentration supplied by a feeder box, showed that SIC linearly decreased as sediment concentration of upslope inflow increased. Field monitoring showed complicated phenomenon because of natural random variations. For rainfall events with PI 30 (the product of precipitation and maximum 30-minute rainfall intensity) larger than 400 mm2 h−1 (similar to the designed extreme rainfall in laboratory simulations), SIC also generally decreased as sediment concentration of upslope inflow increased, especially when sediment concentration of upslope inflow was smaller than 400 g L−1. Thus, laboratory simulations verified the field monitoring results of extreme rainfall events with large rainfall amounts and intensities. This study illustrated the necessity of in-situ field monitoring and indicated that design of indoor simulation experiments needs more comprehensive considerations on complicated hydrological and sediment conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Upslope sediment-laden flow caused additional erosion in ephemeral gully zone. • Transport-dominated sediment regime was found under filed and laboratory conditions. • An increase in sediment concentration of inflow decreased downslope soil erosion rates. • Laboratory simulations verified the field monitoring results for extreme rainfall events. Ephemeral gully (EG) is an important linear erosion feature, often occurring at mid-slope position, that can be greatly influenced by upslope inflow and its sediment transport capacity. How sediment concentration in upslope inflow influences downslope EG erosion is still unclear. Thus, field monitoring on a natural hillslope and indoor simulations on a dual-box system were conducted to better understand their relationship. The results showed that both field monitoring and indoor simulation displayed the additional sediment delivery caused by upslope sediment-laden flow, verifying the transport-dominated sediment regime in EG systems. In field observations, the sediment increment coefficient (SIC , ratio of net sediment delivery caused by upslope sediment-laden flow to the total sediment delivery) on an event scale varied from 4.6% to 88.6%. In indoor simulations, the SIC changed from 24.9% to 87.5%. Indoor simulation experiments with a range of 0–378.2 g L−1 sediment concentration supplied by a feeder box, showed that SIC linearly decreased as sediment concentration of upslope inflow increased. Field monitoring showed complicated phenomenon because of natural random variations. For rainfall events with PI 30 (the product of precipitation and maximum 30-minute rainfall intensity) larger than 400 mm2 h−1 (similar to the designed extreme rainfall in laboratory simulations), SIC also generally decreased as sediment concentration of upslope inflow increased, especially when sediment concentration of upslope inflow was smaller than 400 g L−1. Thus, laboratory simulations verified the field monitoring results of extreme rainfall events with large rainfall amounts and intensities. This study illustrated the necessity of in-situ field monitoring and indicated that design of indoor simulation experiments needs more comprehensive considerations on complicated hydrological and sediment conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The tropics of northern Australia have received relatively little attention with regard to the impact of soil erosion on the many large river systems that are an important part of Australia''s water resource, especially given the high potential for erosion when long dry seasons are followed by intense wet season rain. Here we use 137Cs concentrations to determine the erosion processes supplying sediment to two major northern Australian Rivers; the Daly River (Northern Territory), and the Mitchell River (Queensland). We also present data from five sediment samples collected from a 100km reach of the Cloncurry River, a major tributary of the Flinders River (Queensland). Concentrations of 137Cs in the surface soil and subsurface (channel banks and gully) samples were used to derive ‘best fit’ probability density functions describing their distributions. These modelled distributions are then used to estimate the relative contribution of these two components to the river sediments. Our results are consistent with channel and gully erosion being the dominant source of sediment, with more than 90% of sediment transported along the main stem of these rivers originating from subsoil. We summarize the findings of similar studies on tropical Australian rivers and conclude that the primary source of sediment delivered to these systems is gully and channel bank erosion. Previously, as a result of catchment scale modelling, sheet-wash and rill erosion was considered to be the major sediment source in these rivers. Identifying the relative importance of sediment sources, as shown in this paper, will provide valuable information for land management planning in the region. This study also reinforces the importance of testing model predictions before they are used to target investment in remedial action. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Plutonium fallout from atmospheric nuclear-weapons testing in the 1950s and 1960s constitutes an artificial tracer suitable for the study of recent soil erosion and sediment accumulation rates. Traditionally 137Cs has been the fallout isotope of choice for such studies, but the plutonium isotopes confer a number of advantages, which can be realised using the ultra-sensitive detection technique of Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS). As a first application of plutonium to a whole-of-basin study, Pu has been measured in both soil and sediment across the catchment of the Herbert River, which is one of the major rivers draining into Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Lagoon. Its catchment includes undisturbed areas as well as regions of pasture and sugar cultivation. The Pu measurements allow the relative contributions of surface and gully erosion from the different land use areas to be determined, and permit the discharged material to be apportioned between the relevant sources. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Ephemeral Gully (EG) Erosion is a major erosion concern and needs to be addressed. • Very few models simulate EG erosion. • A thorough review of processes behind EG simulation in existing models is discussed. • Future needs and directions to improve EG simulation processes in models are enumerated. Modeling of ephemeral gully (EG) erosion has lagged that of other soil erosion processes despite its major contribution to watershed sediment losses. Several process and semi-empirical based simulation models have been used to assess the occurrence and location of EGs, magnitude of soil losses from EGs, and degradation, aggradation, and transport of sediment through EGs, but no comprehensive EG model exists. This paper reviews these models and presents a thorough discussion of their background, general formulations, key equations, field assessments, assumptions and limitations. Most current EG models evolved from the original formulations used in CREAMS, with incremental improvements by EGEM, WEPP, AnnAGNPS-REGEM, RUSLER-EphGEE models. These models provide process-based estimation of EG processes and field-scale soil-erosion contributions, but all models, except EphGEE, require users to have a priori knowledge of EG locations and all have significant shortcomings. Several topographic index models are discussed that provide simplistic approaches to locate EGs on the landscape using only topographic features. Process-based threshold index models may provide a more robust simulation of EG location and length, though testing has been limited. EG modeling appears to still be in its infancy, with great opportunities for future research, as discussed herein, to improve the understanding and simulation of EG erosion and transport processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Spatio-temporal variations of effective sediment sizes were investigated on field plots. • Sediment size was more susceptible to erosional degradation under low intensity rainfall. • Erosional degradation impact exhibited a unimodal variation with soil structure stability. • Rainfall intensity, pH and bulk density contributed jointly to sediment size (p < 0.001). • This study facilitated an understanding of sediment transport mechanisms on eroded lands. Land degradation by erosion alters soil properties to a varying extent and definitely influences the subsequent soil erosion. However, little is known about the impact of erosion-induced land degradation on the erosion process from the aspect of sediment size characteristics, which may not only indicate aggregate breakdown and sediment transport mechanism, but also influence sediment deposition. Here, the effective sediment size distribution (undispersed) and its dynamics during sheet erosion on different eroded lands (non, moderately and very-severely eroded) were studied under field rainfall simulation on five types of soils (Calcic Luvisols, Ferric Luvisols, Plinthic Alisols, Plinthic Acrisols and Acric Ferralsols) formed separately on loess deposits, quaternary red clays and basalt from temperate to tropical climate. The rainfalls at the intensities of 45 and 90 mm h−1 were simulated on pre-wetted bare fallow plots (3 × 0.8 m2, 10° slope). The effect of erosion degree on the effective sediment size showed a unimodal trend from temperate Luvisols to tropic Ferralsols, coupled with the influence of rainfall intensity to a varying extent. Under the low-intensity rainfall, except for Ferralsol, the moderate erosion degree increased the sediment size by −49% to 72% relative to non-eroded lands, in contrast to a decrease of 6–64% for the very-severe erosion degree. The high-intensity rainfall was shown to lessen the erosion degree effect for Luvisols, magnify it for Alisol, and change it to positive for Acrisol. Sediment transport was dominated by suspension-saltation of <0.10 mm size fraction for Luvisols regardless of erosion degree due to the weak soil structure, and shifted from both rolling (0.5–2 mm) and suspension-saltation on the non/moderately eroded lands to only suspension-saltation on the very-severely eroded lands for the other soil types. Rainfall intensity, pH and bulk density contributed jointly to sediment size (Adj-R2 = 0.76, p < 0.001), and exchangeable sodium showed a positive effect on its temporal variation (Adj-R2 = 0.36, p < 0.001). The varying effects of land degradation by erosion on sediment size and transport mechanism at the soil pedon and regional scales merit consideration in land management and rehabilitation as well as erosion modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First validation of a daily large-scale sediment model using remote-sensing data. • Remotely-sensed reflectance can help sediment dynamics modeling in ungauged basins. • Better spatiotemporal sediment patterns using surrogate observations. Sediment models are important for estimating soil erosion, sediment transport, and deposition at different scales and for disparate scenarios; however, the availability of in-situ measurements may not be sufficient for the appropriate evaluation of model performance. For this reason, this study investigated how surrogate data (water quality [WQ] and remote sensing) could be used as a proxy for suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in order to evaluate the performance of a large-scale erosion and sediment transport model. To achieve this, the daily SSC was simulated, using the Large Scale Sediment Model (MGB-SED), a semi-distributed and conceptual model in which the Modified Universal Soil Loss Equation (MUSLE) is used to estimate sediment yield and an advection-diffusion equation is used to route suspended loads along rivers. Four experiments were performed that compared simulated SSC against: (1) in-situ SSC; (2) turbidity; (3) total suspended solids (TSS); and (4) surface spectral reflectance (SSR). Correlation analysis showed that r -values above 0.5 were found in 62%, 91%, 89% and 83% of the SSC, turbidity, TSS and SSR stations, respectively. Spatially, the model was evaluated in smaller drainage areas, using WQ data. Temporally, the number of SSR observations was greater than the number of in-situ measurements, allowing a better analysis of the temporal dynamics of the simulated SSC. Also, the SSR data improved the spatial coverage and could be employed for even large-scale, ungauged basins. These results bring a new perspective to the application of sediment models in poorly or ungauged basins, since surrogate data can improve the spatial and temporal suspended sediment coverage when compared to traditional SSC measurements, which is a common issue in large-scale sediment modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]