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Featured Application: A number of negative consequences, including reduced soil fertility, increased desertification, diminished agricultural productivity, and heightened air pollution, have been caused by soil erosion and dust deposition in the Al-Baha region; therefore, the methodologies and outcomes of this study provide practical guidance for measuring these effects on soil properties. This study emphasizes the development of sustainable management techniques that mitigate these adverse impacts, ensure compliance with international environmental standards, and support long-term ecological balance and agricultural sustainability. The results could be used to help land managers and policymakers develop efficient soil conservation measures in areas susceptible to wind erosion. Soil loss due to wind erosion and dust deposition has become a growing concern, particularly in arid regions like Al-Baha, Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was to quantitatively assess soil loss and dust deposition using three different dust collection methods across 20 sites during the summer of 2022. The methods include Big Spring Number Eight (BSNE), which measures airborne dust particles using passive samplers; Surface Dust Collector (SDC), designed to collect dust settling on the ground surface; and Marble Dust Collector (MDCO), which utilizes marble-coated surfaces to trap and measure dust deposition. These methods collectively provide a comprehensive evaluation of dust dynamics in the study area. The objective was to evaluate the effects of wind erosion and dust deposition on soil properties, offering insights into the mechanisms of soil loss in arid environments. The study revealed significant variations in soil characteristics, including low organic matter content (<1%), high calcite (up to 19.62%), and increased salinity levels, with notable quantities of Cl− (211.58 meq kg⁻1) and Na⁺ (165.98 meq kg⁻1). July showed the highest dust deposition (0.0133 ton ha−1), particularly at site S11, while soil loss was lowest at site S5. This research offers novel insights into the nonlinear relationship between soil loss and time, contributing to sustainable soil management strategies. By aligning with Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the findings underscore the need to mitigate soil loss to enhance environmental sustainability, prevent desertification, and promote long-term resilience in arid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prioritization of preventing soil loss in Türkiye's watersheds has become a pressing concern for planners. Numerous mathematical models are presently utilized on a global scale for soil erosion prediction. One such model is the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), commonly used to estimate average soil loss. Recently, there has been an increased emphasis on utilizing USLE/RUSLE in conjunction with Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, enabling grid-based analysis for predicting soil erosion and facilitating control measures. This study evaluates the effectiveness of erosion and flood control initiatives started in the 1970s within the Emine Creek watershed and its tributary rivers in Osmancık, Türkiye, utilizing RUSLE/GIS technologies. Two distinct maps illustrating the potential erosion risks were produced for two distinct temporal intervals, and a comparative analysis was conducted to evaluate the alterations that transpired. The implementation of various measures such as terracing, afforestation, and rehabilitation in the watershed led to a notable prediction of decreasing soil loss in the watershed. From 1970 to 2020, the rate of estimated soil loss was reduced from 417 to 256 metric tons per hectare per year, demonstrating the effectiveness of soil conservation measures in a semi-arid and weakly vegetated area at reducing potential soil loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cantareira System is one of the largest water supply systems in the world, supplying about half of the water consumed by 22 million inhabitants in the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo, in southeastern Brazil. In this scenario, in view of climate change, silting is a serious environmental threat and a major challenge to the sustainability of water reservoirs. Therefore, identifying the provenance of sediments is an essential tool to support soil conservation policies, slowing erosion processes and mitigating the deposition of sediments in water reservoirs. Thus, this study aimed to model soil losses—sediment production, by water erosion in the Cantareira System, based on the RUSLE model—Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation, GIS—Geographic Information System and SR—Remote Sensing. The work was conducted on data obtained from online platforms of Brazilian public institutions. The results indicate an average rate of soil loss of 13 Mg ha−1 yr−1, which corresponds to an annual loss of 3 million tons, of which 22% reaches water bodies. The data also show that: (1) in 66 % of the Cantareira System, soil losses are below the soil loss tolerance limits, and, in 34% of the region, water erosion is compromising the sustainability of water and soil resources; (2) the areas with the greatest soil losses are predominantly located in planted forests, agricultural crops and non-vegetated areas; and (3) sectors with high rates of soil loss require the adoption of conservationist practices aimed at reducing sediment production rates and thereby increasing supply and improving water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the impact of agro-ecological practices on soil losses, by assessing experimental field topography changes and cauliflower crop yield after an artificial extreme rainfall event. Data were collected in an innovative experimental device in which different combined agronomic strategies were tested such as hydraulic arrangement, crop rotations and agro-ecological service crops (ASC) introduction. The collection of elevation data was carried out in kinematic way before rainfall, and in punctual surveys to evaluate the effects of artificial event on this parameter. Non-parametric tests were performed to evaluate differences between samples. High-resolution digital elevation models were generated from independent data using kriging, and elevation difference maps were produced. The results indicated that the data before and after the artificial rainfall were statistically different. The raised strips suffered soil loss showing that the strip with permanent intercropping was higher than that in the absence of ASC. A significant rise of elevation was registered in the furrowed strips after rainfall, and deposition of soil occurred at the lowest areas of the experimental field. Moreover, the study showed a relationship between cash crop yield and elevation: the areas with lower elevation (higher flooding) were characterized by the lowest yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to propose a methodology for identifying vulnerable regions in the Cameron Highlands that are susceptible to soil loss, based on runoff aggregation structure and the energy expenditure pattern of the natural river basin, within the framework of power law distribution. To this end, three geomorphologic factors, namely shear stress and stream power, as well as the drainage area of every point in the basin of interest, have been extracted using GIS, and then their complementary cumulative distributions are graphically analyzed by fitting them to power law distribution, with the purpose of identifying the sensitive points within the basin that are susceptible to soil loss with respect to scaling regimes of shear stress and stream power. It is observed that the range of vulnerable regions by the scaling regime of shear stress is much narrower than by the scaling regime of stream power. This result seems to suggest that shear stress is a scale-dependent factor, which does not follow power law distribution and does not adequately reflect the energy expenditure pattern of a river basin. Therefore, stream power is preferred as a more reasonable factor for the evaluation of soil loss. The methodology proposed in this study can be validated by visualizing the path of soil loss, which is generated from the hillslope process (characterized by the local slope) to the valley through a fluvial process (characterized by the drainage area as well as the local slope). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]