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The changes in land use in Goiás state due to the advancement of agriculture and livestock have caused a major influence on soil losses. This study identified the potential soil loss in the state and alone in 183 watershed basins for water catchment in the state of Goias using the universal soil loss equation (USLE), and their R, K, LS, and CP factors were obtained by geoprocessing tool. The results generated a scenario where most of the area of the state, 77.6%, shows weak erosive sensitivity, 8.5% moderate, and 6.9% erosive susceptibility with high erosive susceptibility. Concerning soil loss of funding basins it was found that twelve basins showed very high class and two in severe erosive susceptibility, 64% of the basins were framed with low and moderate erosive susceptibility. Thus, the use of USLE in conjunction with the Geoprocessing tool was effective in the spatial representation of soil loss, identifying areas most vulnerable to the erosion process, and assisting in proposing priority measures for soil conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion poses a significant global concern due to its role in land degradation and soil erosion, particularly pronounced in Northeast China's diverse agro-geomorphic regions. However, there is a lack of comprehensive studies on gully characteristics, development rates, and the topographic threshold of gully formation in these areas. To address this gap, we selected three different agro-geomorphic watersheds, named HL (Hailun), ML (Muling), and YKS (Yakeshi), with areas of 30.88 km2, 31.53 km2, and 21.98 km2, respectively. Utilizing high-resolution (2.1 m, 2 m) remote sensing imagery (ZY-3, GF-1), we analyzed morphological parameters (length, width, area, perimeter, etc.) and land use changes for all permanent gullies between 2013 and 2023. Approximately 30% of gullies were selected for detailed study of the upstream drainage area and gully head slopes to establish the topographic threshold for gully formation (S = a·A−b). In HL, ML, and YKS, average gully lengths were 526.22 m, 208.64 m, and 614.20 m, respectively, with corresponding widths of 13.28 m, 8.45 m, and 9.32 m. The gully number densities in the three areas were 3.14, 25.18, and 0.82/km2, respectively, with a gully density of 1.65, 5.25, and 0.50 km km−2, and 3%, 5%, and 1% of the land has disappeared due to gully erosion, respectively. YKS exhibited the highest gully head retreat rate at 17.50 m yr−1, significantly surpassing HL (12.24 m yr−1) and ML (7.11 m yr−1). Areal erosion rates were highest in HL (277.79 m2 yr−1) and lowest in YKS (105.22 m2 yr−1), with ML intermediate at 243.36 m2 yr−1. However, there was no significant difference in gully expansion rate (0.37–0.42 m yr−1) among the three areas (p > 0.05). Differences in gully development dynamics among the three regions were influenced by land use, slope, and topographic factors. The topographic threshold (S = a·A−b) for gully formation varied: HL emphasized drainage area (a = 0.052, b = 0.52), YKS highlighted soil resistance (a = 0.12, b = 0.36), and the parameters a and b of ML fell within the range between these of HL and YKS (a = 0.044, b = 0.27). This study has enriched the scope and database of global gully erosion research, providing a scientific basis for gully erosion prevention and control planning in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental & Social Management Journal / Revista de Gestão Social e Ambiental is the property of Environmental & Social Management Journal and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Karst hillslopes are generally characterized by different land uses. Land use and slope position impact soil erosion seriously, which in turn impacts the process of soil development and the patterns of soil properties. However, the impact of land use on soil physicochemical properties and the spatial variations and correlations between them are not fully understood on karst hillslopes. Therefore, nine sites had similar soil types, slope gradients, elevations, slope aspects and previous tillage practices were selected to conduct further research. This study was conducted to quantify the spatial distribution, variability and correlation of soil physical and chemical properties and stoichiometries as impacted by different land uses on a karst hillslope in Southwest China. Soil physical properties were significantly affected by slope position and soil depth. The soil bulk density and clay content increased with soil depth, while the opposite was true for the sand content. For the three land uses, the soil bulk density varied the most at the lower slope position, while clay and sand particles varied the most at the middle slope position. The mean spatial coefficient of variation (CV) of soil physical properties was ranked as sand (11.08%) > clay (7.77%) > bulk density (6.85%) > silt (3.81%). The mean spatial CV of soil chemical properties was ranked as available K (44.49%) > total P (16.77%) > total C (16.31%) > total N (13.09%) > available P (8.45%) > total K (7.51%). Overall, soil physicochemical properties exhibited significant spatial differences with slope location and land use on karst hillslopes. Soil chemical properties had greater spatial variation than physical properties, moreover, there were significant correlations between them. The results not only contribute to a deeper understanding of the impact of land use on the erosion process and mechanism on karst hillslopes but also provide a scientific understanding of the sustainable restoration of karst ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focuses on the rapidly changing landscape of Majuli island, the world's largest inhabited riverine island, constantly reshaped by the river Brahmaputra. Investigating the period from 1991 to 2022, we employ Landsat imagery to analyse changes in land use/land cover patterns and their consequential impacts on the island's inhabitants, leading to significant relocation. We observed notable changes in the spatial coverage of the Brahmaputra, which increased while that of agricultural and barren land decreased. The land use/land cover change data are supplemented by population data to validate satellite data. This approach of analysing satellite imageries on population using both quantitative and qualitative data is novel and important since it not only highlights the rapidly changing land cover but also highlights the complex relationship between environmental dynamics and human responses. Our findings indicate that the population is increasingly (re)settling towards the northern and eastern stretches of the island. Since the population prediction map for the year 2051 indicates that this trend continues, our results can contribute an understanding of the human-environment relationship in the wake of climate change as an important component of planning processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the findings of ecogeomorphological studies conducted in the high-mountain belt of the southern slope of the Main Caucasus Range by utilizing satellite imagery. The investigations reaffirmed the dynamic nature of exogenous relief-forming processes evident in slope surface conditions and the diverse array of natural landscapes in high-mountain regions. The data acquired facilitated the development of measures aimed at enhancing the natural environment and guiding future land use practices. Through this research, various factors contributing to degradation processes were identified, enabling the pinpointing of erosion-prone areas on both slopes of the Greater Caucasus and the formulation of what we believe to be the most optimal anti-erosion measures scheme. Analysis of satellite imagery revealed that some river basins originating from the southern slope of the Main Caucasus Range exhibit the most pronounced soil and vegetation degradation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document is a correction notice for an article titled "The effect of land use and land cover changes on soil erosion in semi-arid areas using cloud-based google earth engine platform and GIS-based RUSLE model" published in the journal Natural Hazards. The correction states that there were errors in the figures presented in the original article, specifically in Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. The corrected figures are described in the correction notice. The original article has been corrected. The publisher, Springer Nature, remains neutral and does not take a position on jurisdictional claims or institutional affiliations. The authors of the article are Maryam Nourizadeh, Hamed Naghavi, and Ebrahim Omidvar. [Extracted from the article]

Bluff landforms, sought-after for housing and development, present a hazard management challenge due to erosional processes despite the perceived safety of elevated land. This study focuses on the Neuse River Estuary in North Carolina, exploring coastal risk perception and erosion. A survey protocol was developed, and questionnaires targeted 246 residents with property within 100 m of the shoreline and 54 land use professionals in Craven County. To explore the connection of individual experiences with erosion, we use openly accessible LiDAR to quantify bluff retreat and erosion between 2014 and 2020, a period that encompasses Hurricane Florence in 2018. Our findings show: 1) survey results reveal a consensus among residents, with 90% observing alterations attributed to storm impacts, 2) preferences for addressing erosion lean towards structural measures, aligning with existing protection strategies (e.g., bulkheads, rip-rap) as opposed to nature-based solutions, 3) bluff tops are eroding at a higher median rate of -0.59 m per year, compared to -0.19 m per year for high sediment banks, and 4) an overall net volume decrease of approximately -1.89 cubic meters per year for Craven County, slightly more than the overall net loss for the Neuse River Estuary, which was -1.74 cubic meters per year. The findings underscore the need for a cohesive bluff erosion management plan, emphasizing the complexity of challenges and the importance of a holistic approach that combines technical studies with effective risk communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil erosion is one of the major environmental concerns, causing a reduction in soil carbon stock and soil fertility. It is generally difficult to estimate soil erosion in hilly terrains. To overcome this, different types of erodibility indices are developed and used to describe the intensity of soil erosion. The present study was conducted in Nagaland state of northeast India, where clay ratio (CR), modified clay ratio (MCR), critical level of organic matter (CLOM) and erodibility factor (K) were used to assess the severity of soil erosion under different land uses. To study these, soil samples from forest, jhum, fallow jhum and tea gardens were collected from 0 to 30 cm soil depth. The results showed that sand and clay content were significantly different under different land uses, while soil organic carbon (SOC) and stocks followed the same trend, with maximum and minimum values under tea (60.55 t C ha–1 ) and jhum lands (40.74 t C ha–1 ) respectively. Among the different erodibility indices, only CR and MCR values were found to be significantly different from each other. Higher values of CR and MCR under jhum and fallow jhum lands indicate that these land uses are more prone to erosion. The present study provides a picture of severity of soil erosion under different land uses in Nagaland and recommends that CR and MCR can be used to evaluate soil erosion in hilly terrain areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil erosion has attracted the attention of researchers and managers as an environmental crisis. One of the effective factors in soil erosion is land use and land cover (LULC) change. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study is to explore the effect of LULC change on soil erosion in a semi-arid region in the southwest of Iran. LULC change map was generated over a period of 30 years (1989–2019) using a new approach in which the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) time series of each year was classified in the google earth engine (GEE). For classifying the NDVI time series, a nonparametric Support Vector Machine (SVM) classification method was employed. The LULC maps were also used as an input factor in the soil erosion estimation model. The amount of soil erosion in the region was estimated using the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) empirical model in the Geographical Information System (GIS) environment. Validation of LULC maps generated in GEE indicated overall accuracy higher than 86% and the kappa coefficient higher than 0.82. The study of LULC change trends revealed that the area of forests, pastures, and rock outcrop in the region has diminished, while the area of agricultural and residential LUs has been expanded. Also, the highest rate of LULC conversion was related to the conversion of forests to agricultural lands. Estimating the amount of soil erosion in the region using the RUSLE model indicated that the average annual erosion in 1989 and 2019 was 15.48 and 20.41 tons per hectare, respectively, which indicates an increase of 4.93 tons in hectares, while the hot spots of erosion in the area have increased at the confidence levels of 90, 95, and 99%. Finally, matching the LULC change map with the soil erosion map revealed that the degradation of forests and pastures as well as their conversion to agricultural lands has had the greatest impact on the increase in soil erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gully erosion is the main source of sediment in watersheds, and the assessment of soil erosion and deposition in gully systems is very important for land utilization and watershed management. Soil erosion and sediment transport are multiscale, and the digital elevation model (DEM) is one of the most important means to study the scale effect of soil erosion and deposition. To clarify the effect of DEM cell size on soil erosion and deposition in gullies, a series of DEMs with cell sizes of 0.5, 0.7, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 4 and 5 m were generated based on detailed field measurements in dry-hot valley region. Meanwhile, the unit stream power erosion and deposition (USPED) model was chosen to simulate soil erosion and deposition in this study. The results showed that cell size can greatly influence the average slope and aspect of the DEMs, while the accuracy and average elevation of the DEMs were only affected intensively when the cell size exceeds 3 m. As for the spatial distribution pattern of soil erosion and deposition, the increase of the DEM cell size could cause a concentration of soil erosion and deposition in main channels while weakening the occurrence on hillslopes, and the spatial proximity of soil erosion and deposition would not change with the DEM cell size. The highly positive correlation in simulation results for soil erosion and deposition was primarily observed in DEM cell sizes range of 0.5 to 2 m and from 3 to 5 m. Meanwhile, a slight increase in DEM cell size would significantly affect the simulated results of soil erosion and deposition based on the USPED model when DEM cell size ranged from 0.5 to 0.7 m, whereas the change in DEM cell size would not affect the simulation results when DEM cell size was greater than 0.7 m. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use and rainfall are two important factors affecting soil erosion processes. The red soil region of southern China is a representative region with high rainfall amounts and rapidly changing land use patterns where the water erosion process is sensitive to changes in land use and rainfall. To comprehensively understand the water erosion response to land use and rainfall in this region, a 6-year in situ experiment based on eight plots (bare land and seven typical land uses) was conducted from 2015 to 2020. The 320 rainfall events were divided into 4 types, and there were 3 main rainfall types. The runoff of different rainfall types was primarily determined by the rainfall amount, while the soil erosion of different rainfall types was primarily determined by the rainfall intensity. High-intensity rainfall contributed the most to both total runoff and soil erosion. Compared with bare land, the seven typical land uses reduced runoff and soil erosion by more than 75%. Grassland, cropland, and forest with low vegetation coverage experienced high runoff and soil erosion, while shrubland most effectively reduced runoff and soil erosion. The combination of land use and rainfall type significantly affected the annual average runoff depth, soil erosion modulus, and soil loss coefficient. Rainfall types can change the relationship between runoff and soil erosion for different land uses. The runoff and soil erosion of bare land were highly correlated with rainfall characteristics, while vegetation weakened this relationship under short- or moderate-duration rainfall. To effectively reduce water erosion, high-intensity rainfall should receive special attention, and all land uses should ensure that vegetation is well developed, especially understory vegetation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-induced shoreline instability is a widespread issue among the world's Mega Deltas. Out of 120 million tons/year of sediment, 30 million tons/year reached Damietta promontory before the entire operation of Aswan High Dam (AHD), which blocks most of that sediment. This study uses remote sensing techniques to investigate the Land Use Land Cover Changes (LULCC) and the shoreline dynamics around Damietta promontory. In addition, more attention was devoted to the challenges of Damietta Harbour, which regularly suffers from inlet closure using a filed validated morpho-dynamic model addressing sediment transport and erosion problem at the eastern part. The LULCC based Maximum Likelihood approach shows that the developed areas were doubled from 1984 to 2018. Besides, within the Area of Interest (AoI), 8.961 km2 were eroded during the period (1984–2000), while 2.7046 km2 were eroded during (2000–2018). Change detection technique showed that accretion area was 1.8991 and 2.4909 km2 for the periods 1984–2000 and 2000–2018, respectively. Six scenarios were tested to investigate the best combinations of interventions to mitigate the challenge of siltation inside the harbour entrance and the erosion at the eastern side. Morphodynamical results showed that scenario 4 (two groins each 1000 m length at the west side of the western jetty combined with two groins each 500 m length at the east side of the existing eastern jetty of the harbour) has considered the best scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This comprehensive study investigates the intricate interplay between geodiversity, geohazards, and anthropogenic influences within the Kratovska Reka catchment—an area distinguished by its remarkable geosites. Kratovska Reka, spanning a length of 17.3 km, serves as the left tributary to Kriva Reka. The watershed of Kratovska Reka, covering an area of 68.5 km2, is situated on the northwestern inclines of the Osogovo Mts in North Macedonia. Despite harboring exceptional geodiversity, the area lacks protective measures for its myriad geosites. Evaluating susceptibility to geohazards, including excessive erosion, landslides, and flash floods, this research identifies heightened risk zones, particularly in the valley of Kratovska Reka and its tributaries. A multi-hazard model reveals that 56.07% of the basin is vulnerable to geohazards. The study correlates lithological composition, relief features, and morphometric characteristics with geohazards, emphasizing the significance of paleovolcanic relief in resisting excessive erosion. Human-induced factors, notably deforestation and inappropriate land use, amplify geohazards. This research underscores the urgent need for geosite protection and sustainable land management to mitigate geohazards' impacts. Additionally, it explores the correlation between land use practices and geodiversity, emphasizing the importance of responsible land management in safeguarding the geological and geomorphological values of the researched area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The port of Tangier Med is essential due to its strategic location, as it is an important trading center linking Europe, North America, and Africa. However, the increased rates of downstream sediment transportation put pressure on the sustainable future of the port. Thus, assessing the existing erosion rates and future improvement scenarios is imperative for planning sustainable management at the catchment level. We utilize the Erosion Potential Model (EPM) combined with the Intensity of Erosion and Outflow (IntErO) algorithm to assess the erosion and outflow intensity and to distinguish the sediment-producing areas in the R'mel watershed. The port's proximity at the bottom of the slope opposite the R'mel Dam is relevant in this context. Initial results show an average erosion rate of 13 t/ha/year. Quarry operations were identified as the primary sediment source, as indicated by the factors contributing to erosion. The qualitative PAP/RAC (Priority Actions Program/Regional Activity Center) model was used to assess the development trends in the watershed, confirming a clear tendency toward irreversible degradation in the quarry areas. Considering that the mined carbonate lithology represents 23.77% of the total area of the catchment, the situation in the region could deteriorate if quarry operations continue. The simulation of quarry rehabilitation scenarios through land use and land cover change (LULC) with IntErO shows that reforestation of quarries can significantly reduce erosion rates (4.78 t/ha/year) compared to their conversion to agricultural land. This study underlines the effectiveness of IntErO, based on the EPM model, in quickly and effectively mapping and quantifying water erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Erosion is a major issue due to the global availability of land cover change and inadequate land use throughout the world. The topmost fertile soil is predominantly removed via erosion, which lowers both the productivity of the land and the storage capacity of reservoirs. This consequence has a large influence on the global economy; as a result, soil conservation practice is currently being used as a crucial solution to this issue. It is challenging, particularly for developing nations, to carry out soil conservation in a large basin without a significant investment. Therefore, it is essential to determine the most susceptible regions to erosion and implement the necessary remedial measures for those areas in order to lower the investment cost and enhance the efficiency of the work. In this study, erosion-prone areas are identified using the SWAT model. This model has a high level of acceptance globally for managing, allocating, and predicting water resources. However, there is some uncertainty with the model, and this uncertainty may come from the measured data, model structure, or input data. Therefore, extensive sensitivity analysis, uncertainty prediction, and model calibration are required to achieve good simulation results. Model calibration, sensitivity analysis, and prediction of uncertainty are conducted with SUFI-2, ParaSol, GLUE, and PSO, which are integrated with SWAT-CUP software. For this study, SUFI-2 algorithm gives the best simulation results out of the four algorithms, with R2 values of 0.76 and 0.85 under streamflow and R2 values of 0.8 and 0.66 under sediment for calibration and validation, respectively. From the final simulation of 34 subbasins, five subbasins were identified as the most sensitive areas for erosion; these subbasins are 1, 3, 5, 14, and 17, and they have a mean annual sediment yield of 23 tons/ha/year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, soils and their agricultural management have received great scientific and political attention due to their potential to act as a sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO 2). Agricultural management has strong potential to accelerate soil redistribution, and, therefore, it is questioned if soil redistribution processes affect this potential CO 2 sink function. Most studies analysing the effect of soil redistribution upon soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics focus on water erosion and analyse only relatively small catchments and relatively short time spans of several years to decades. The aim of this study is to widen this perspective by including tillage erosion as another important driver of soil redistribution and by performing a model-based analysis in a 200 km 2 sized arable region of northeastern Germany for the period since the conversion from forest to arable land (approx. 1000 years ago). The spatially explicit soil redistribution and carbon (C) turnover model SPEROS-C was applied to simulate lateral soil and SOC redistribution and SOC turnover. The model parameterisation uncertainty was estimated by simulating different realisations of the development of agricultural management over the past millennium. The results indicate that, in young moraine areas, which are relatively dry but have been intensively used for agriculture for centuries, SOC patterns and dynamics are substantially affected by tillage-induced soil redistribution processes. To understand the landscape-scale effect of these redistribution processes on SOC dynamics, it is essential to account for long-term changes following land conversion as typical soil-erosion-induced processes, e.g. dynamic replacement, only take place after former forest soils reach a new equilibrium following conversion. Overall, it was estimated that, after 1000 years of arable land use, SOC redistribution by tillage and water results in a current-day landscape-scale C sink of up to 0.66 ‰ yr -1 of the current SOC stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem services (ESs) associated with surficial processes may change according to shifts in land use, land cover, and climate parameters. Estimating these shifts can be important for land development planning, as urbanization alters soil processes that can manifest legacy effects. We employed the InVEST suite of models for sediment retention, nutrient delivery, and carbon storage to postulate how these ESs will change in the Upstate of South Carolina under future precipitation and land use and land cover (LULC) scenarios. We used the average precipitation from 1981–2010 and WorldClim precipitation projections for 2021–2040 and 2041–2060 to embody climatic precipitation shifts. For our LULC scenarios, we used 2011 and 2016 NLCD landscapes, then projected future LULC to hypothesize four future scenarios. We found that for the ES models that included both precipitation and LULC as inputs, precipitation dictated ES delivery far more heavily than land use or land cover. LULC scenarios produced consistent changes in ES delivery for all models except sediment export. Phosphorus and sediment exports increased between 2011 and 2016 due to LULC change, while nitrogen export stayed the same and carbon storage decreased. Land development that prioritizes forest cover will cause the least change in ESs, but allowing for continued forest loss to low-density development will have the most intense implications for ESs. Prioritization of land uses that preserve ESs associated with surficial processes will be critical to the longevity of agriculture and ecosystem integrity in this rapidly developing region. Land development planners should integrate consideration of ESs associated with surficial processes into future regional planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last two centuries, land-use change (LUC) has been the most important direct change driver for terrestrial ecosystems. In contrast with the consequent ecosystem degradation, forward-looking spatial policies and target landscape and land-use planning processes are needed from a sustainability perspective. The present paper proposes a framework of action, including different landscape-planning and ecological approaches: from spatial modelling to recognize LUC and build different scenarios, to ecosystem service (ES) assessment to evaluate possible environmental impacts. Three different scenarios were explored: Trend, No Tillage, and Energy crops. The sediment delivery ratio and carbon storage and sequestration ESs were assessed and compared for each scenario. The results show that regional development in line with past trends could lead to further land degradation (with ES value losses, in a decade, greater than 5%). Instead, the two scenarios proposed in compliance with EU policies could bring benefits, if only those related to moderate LUCs and respecting the naturally grass-vegetated land. The aim of the paper is to support decision makers and local communities in the landscape planning landscape planning process. From the local to global scale, guided and shared LUC management allows us to implement sustainable development, based not only on a deep knowledge of the physical environment but also of social and economic issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to determine the erosion risk caused by the change in land use/cover in Acısu Basin between 2000-2018. In the study where the RUSLE model was preferred, other parameters were kept constant, but the model was applied to the model twice separately with the land cover/use data of the relevant years and two independent erosion maps were created. With the study, how much soil is lost in Acısu Basin during the year, which regions are more exposed to erosion, and their distribution was classified and revealed. During the study, the data obtained from satellite images, topographic maps, and field observations were analyzed by GIS and IA techniques. Kappa statistical test was used for the accuracy of the findings. It was determined that the most change in the direction of growth in the basin in 18 years from 2000 to 2018 was 17.08 km² (3.35%) in grassland and pasture areas. On the other hand, it was determined that the highest change in the direction of the decrease occurred in plant change areas with a value of -23.05 km² (4.49%). It is seen that the change in the surface cover of the study area in this time interval caused the expansion of very light, light, and moderate erosion areas. Due to this change in the land surface of Acısu Basin covering 18 years, it was determined that there was an increase in the annual total of 197 t ha-1 y -1 and an increase in the average soil loss amount of 49 t ha-1 y -1 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to investigate the trend of land use changes and its impact on erosion and sediment, using Landsat satellite images of 1987, 2010 and 2019 and EPM model in the Kal-Aji watershed of Golestan province. Land use map was prepared using the maximum likelihood method. Training data were used to evaluate the accuracy of the results. Then, the most important methods of accuracy assessment, including total accuracy and classification kappa coefficient, were extracted. Those for 1987, 2010 and 2019, the total accuracy were 95, 98 and 95 and kappa coefficient were 0.93, 0.96 and 0.93, respectively. Erosion and sedimentation zoning maps were performed using the resulted land use maps, and such factors as slope, lithology, soil and precipitation were performed using the EPM method. The results showed that one of the most important factors in the Kal-Aji watershed is the loss of rangeland vegetation and its conversion into agricultural land. According to the hypothesis, the role of land use changes in the amount and increase of erosion and sediment was significantly determined. That is, with the change of land use, erosion and sediment have also increased. The reasons for the increase in the amount of sediment in the Kal-Aji area are the development of agricultural land uses and the decrease in rangeland between 1987 and 2019 (16.83%). These changes have reduced the important role of rangelands and vegetation of Kal-Aji watershed and have increased the amount of sediment in the outflow of sub-watersheds. Based on the obtained results, the total amount of special sediment was related to the period of 1987 (4353 cubic meters), which increased to 5164 cubic meters in 2019, which indicates the changes in land use that occurred in the watershed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change can lead to significant environmental and societal impacts; for example, through increases in the amount and intensity of rainfall with the associated possibility of flooding. Twenty-first-century climate change simulations for Great Britain reveal an increase in heavy precipitation that may lead to widespread soil loss by rising the likelihood of surface runoff. Here, hourly high-resolution rainfall projections from a 1.5 km ('convection-permitting') regional climate model are used to simulate the soil erosion response for two periods of the century (1996–2009 and a 13-year future period at ~2100) in the "Rother" catchment, West Sussex, England. Modeling soil erosion with EROSION 3D, we found a general increase in sediment production (off-site erosion) for the end of the century of about 43.2%, with a catchment-average increase from 0.176 to 0.252 t ha−1 y−1 and large differences between areas with diverse land use. These results highlight the effectiveness of using high-resolution rainfall projections to better account for spatial variability in the assessment of long-term soil erosion than other current methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, soils and their agricultural management have received great scientific and political attention due to their associated potential to act as sink of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2). It is questioned if soil redistribution processes affect this potential CO2 sink function, as agricultural management has a strong potential to accelerate soil redistribution. Most studies analysing the effect of soil redistribution upon soil organic carbon (SOC) dynamics focus on water erosion, analyse only relatively small catchments and relatively short timespans of several years to decades. The aim of this study is to widen the perspective by including tillage erosion as another important driver of soil redistribution and performing a model-based analysis in a 200 km2-sized arable region of north-eastern Germany for the period since the conversion from forest to arable land (approx. 1000 years ago). Therefore, a modified version of the spatially explicit soil redistribution and carbon (C) turnover model SPEROS-C was applied to simulate lateral soil and SOC redistribution and SOC turnover (spatial resolution 5 m x 5 m). The model parameterisation uncertainty was estimated by simulating different realisations of the development of agricultural management over the past millennium. The results indicate that in young moraine areas, which are relatively dry but intensively used for agriculture for centuries, SOC patterns and SOC dynamics are substantially affected by tillage-induced soil redistribution processes. To understand the landscape scale effect of these redistribution processes on SOC dynamics it is essential to account for long-term changes following land conversion, as typical soil-erosion induced processes, e.g. dynamic replacement, only take place after former forest soils reach a new equilibrium following conversion. Overall, it was estimated that after 1000 years of arable land use SOC redistribution by tillage and water erosion results in a landscape scale C sink of up to 0.66 ‰ per year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide movements and soil loss due to erosion have increased dramatically, causing numerous human and economic losses. Therefore, it is necessary to delimit these risks in order to prevent and mitigate the effects in natural parks of great value, as is the case of the Arribes del Duero Natural Park. As for landslide movements, they are evaluated by estimating the susceptibility to their occurrence, taking into account the different thematic layers: lithology, geomorphology (slopes, curvature, orientations), hydrogeology and vegetation, weighting each of them using the analytical hierarchy method. Then, by means of map algebra, the cartography of susceptibility to landslides is obtained. On the other hand, the RUSLE equation was used to calculate erosive losses. The results of the gravitational susceptibility are grouped into five classes: very high, high, medium, low and very low, so that the first corresponds to areas of high slope, without vegetation, south facing, with a lithology of quartzites, metapelites and gneisses (canyons, sloping valleys) and, on the contrary, the sectors of lower susceptibility coincide with flat areas, more density of vegetation, north facing, with conglomerates, cobbles, sands and clays, corresponding to erosion surfaces or valley bottoms. In terms of erosion results, the greatest losses are found in areas of steep slopes, with little or no vegetation and with poorly developed soils. Finally, taking into account the cartography of landslide risk, the cartography of potential water erosion and land use, it is possible to determine which conservation practices should be carried out, as well as the land uses that are less susceptible to these movements, highlighting in our study the importance of vineyards in their control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Having an area of approximately 57,8 km2, a perimeter of 46,12 km, and a water catchment area of about 246,5 km2, Laut Tawar Lake has undergone siltation which was allegedly caused by soil erosion from the water catchment area, leading to sedimentation of water bodies. This study aims to map vulnerable areas and calculate the erosion rate of the Laut Tawar Lake for the purpose of providing information on the spatial layout and development design of the lake water catchment area. We use remote sensing and geographical information system to map areas vulnerable to erosion. For analyzing the potential erosion rate, we adopt the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) approach. Our result showed erosion rate occurred in the Laut Tawar Lake ranged from very low to very high. In addition, erosion is also sparsely distributed in Laut Tawar Lake. The high erosivity index, domination of area more than 45% slope, and land use change from forest to the agricultural area in the study area become the main driver of the erosion. Analysis of the potential erosion rate of Lake Laut Tawar shows an increase from 1990 to 2019. Erosion was 12.4 tonnes/ha/year in 1990, 11.0 tonnes/ha/year in 2000, 14.6 tonnes/ha/year in 2009, and 27.4 tonnes/ha/year in 2019. The spatial distribution of erosion shows an increasing trend from year to year. The results of the overlay with villages in lake catchments show that 66 percent of villages are in the high and very high categories in the last year. The study suggested conservation through revegetation using local species as the best solution for the erosion issue in the lake cliff area. The vegetation also plays a crucial role as a soil cover that protects the soil from rainfall kinetic energy that led to erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Among the land degradation processes, gully erosion is the one that poses more environmental and societal challenges in arid regions. Predicting spatiotemporal gully development in a region under changing conditions is important to adopt proper mitigation measures. Here we investigate the Ghapan-Olya watershed in Golestan province in Iran, which is affected by many erosional landforms, including gully phenomena. We apply the pixel-based distributed LANDPLANER model to predict where rainfall induced gullies will occur by exploiting input maps including UAV data, the region soil, and seasonal land use information. We compare our topographic thresholds and an erosion index with field observations through the application of quantitative metrics such as sensitivity, specificity, fallout, precision, and recall. Our study reveals that the spatial density of the gully's location is more frequently predicted in the areas with an altitude of about 200–300 m, steep slope (between 15 and 30 degrees), and low average accumulation value (< 100) in the southeast facing slope. We obtain higher values of erosion index and topographic threshold for the minimum curve number where intense rainfalls are more frequent and where land use and cover conditions are more predisposing for gully occurrence. We obtain the largest values of soil erosion indices in the fall scenario when the daily rainfall is 80 mm (6.27), followed by the summer scenario with 80 mm daily rainfall (4.88), and spring again with 80 mm daily rainfall (2.99). In addition, topographic threshold maps illustrate the largest amount of soil erosion for the curve number scenario (without considering daily rainfall) in autumn. Our approach allows simulating gully erosion under changing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bangladesh, the largest delta in the world, is situated over the flow of more than 700 rivers. The Ganges is a transboundary river, and it takes the Padma after meeting Jamuna near Aricha. The Padma River's morphology and hydraulic parameters are so dynamic that it erodes a large portion of land every year. However, the situation of erosion has been very threatening since 2014 which is almost the same period when the construction of the Padma Bridge started. Our Study on the erosion-accretion rate and bar dynamics of the selected reach of Padma River shows that the downstream right bank of this river lost around 134.85 sq. km of land between 2003 and 2021. The total bar area has also increased to 76.8%. Land use land classification (LULC) analysis was done for the years 2003, 2009, 2015, and 2021 to predict how the river might act in the future. For this prediction, artificial neural network (ANN) system has been used, and the predicted land use map was generated for 2027. The current kappa validation was 0.869, and the accuracy of the prediction was 87.05%. This study aims at analyzing the current morphological condition and its connection to the construction of the Padma Bridge and also predicts how the lower Padma River might act in near future. According to the study findings, in absence of prompt and appropriate measures, this country is highly susceptible to experiencing catastrophic consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to assess the erosion hazard level in the Wairutung Watershed. The land unit in this study was generated from the overlaying land use maps, slope maps, and soil types maps. The class of vulnerability was determined based on the sum of the parameters' rating results using a computer-based Geographic Information System (GIS) with the ArcGIS program, which was integrated with the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) model. The results indicated the division of 4 classes of landslide hazards consisting of a very light class with an area of ​​2,900.865 ha spread over land units with alluvial soil types. The medium type, with a total area of ​​3,683.285 ha, is spread over land units with podzolic soil types. Heavy type with a total area of ​​1,458.367 ha and the whole area is spread over land units with podzolic and Litosol soil types. The erosion hazard level is very heavy, with a total area of ​​421.97 ha and is spread over land units with Podzolic and Litosol soil types.

Loess Plateau seriously suffers from severe soil erosion. The large-scale Grain for Green Project (GFGP) has been implemented since 1999. This study aims to analyze the impact of land use change driven by the GFGP on soil erosion in this area. Taking the Qingshuihe watershed (a typical watershed on the Loess Plateau) as the study area, four stages were divided into the project implementation from 2000 to 2020, according to the different main measures. The change in soil erosion intensity was estimated by applying the RUSLE (revised universal soil loss equation) model. An effect degree (ED) algorithm was proposed by using scenario simulation method. A systematic analysis was implemented on the degree of impact of land use change on soil erosion. The land use change was divided into two forms of land use conversion and modification. The impact of rainfall change was excluded from the impact process of land use change on soil erosion. The results indicated that: 1) The average erosion moduli of this watershed were 36.21, 41.02, 24.93, 23.72 and 8.24 t/(hm² ·a) in 2000, 2005, 2011, 2014 and 2020, respectively, indicating a significant decline trend in erosion intensity. The average EDs of the impacts of only land use change and only rainfall change on soil erosion for the four stages were 75.23% and 24.77%, respectively, indicating that land use change was the dominant factor on soil erosion. 2) The change of erosion intensity was directly influenced by the change of land use categories and the different measures in the regions of each land use type during conversion. By contrast, the implemented measures only directly dominated the change of erosion intensity in the regions of each land use type during modification. The average initial erosion modulus for the four stages in the modification regions of this watershed was 43.47% higher than that of conversion regions, indicating that the overall difficulty in the comprehensive soil erosion management of modification regions was greater than that of conversion regions. The average decrease of erosion modulus for the four stages in the conversion regions of this watershed was 50.80% higher than that of modification regions. By contrast, the reduction of erosion amount over the four stages in the modification regions accounted for 71.16% of the total reduction of the watershed. It inferred that the land use conversion played an important role in the decrease of erosion intensity only in the implementation regions, whereas, the land use modification posed an essential effect to reduce the erosion amount in the whole watershed, due to the larger implementation area. 3) The total variation in the grassland erosion amount over the four stages accounted for 70.51% of this watershed's total variation in the erosion amount. The variation of erosion amount in the modification regions accounted for 67.41% of the grassland's total variation. Therefore, the grassland change, particularly its modification, posed the greatest impact on soil erosion in this watershed. An attempt was made to analyze the degree and process of the impact of land use change on soil erosion. The research result can provide the scientific basis for the achievement consolidation and the high-quality development of the GFGP on the Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long‐term extending cultivation activities resulted in the world's worst soil erosion on the Chinese Loess Plateau (LP). By converting cropland into vegetated land, the Grain for Green Project (GfGP)—the world's largest investment revegetation project—effectively alleviates the soil erosion on the LP. However, during the GfGP implementation, the positive effect of cropland to the revegetation and soil erosion control has been underestimated to date, hindering a comprehensive evaluation to the effect of cropland on ecological restoration. Here, we evaluated the effect of the GfGP on soil erosion control across the LP, analyzed the dominant driver of the LP vegetation greening, and further identified the contributions of croplands to this world's largest revegetation project. We found that the vegetation of the LP was significantly improved and its leaf area increased by 1.23 × 105 km2 after the implementation of the GfGP, which contributed 42% to the decrease of the LP soil loss. Among them, our results show that cropland contributed 39.3% to the increased leaf areas of the LP, higher than grassland (36.3%) and forestland (14.3%). With the reduction of agricultural area, the contribution of cropland to the increased leaf areas in the LP was still the largest, which was mainly due to the increase in cropland utilization intensity. This study highlights the significance of the GfGP in soil erosion control and revises our understanding of the role of cropland in ecological restoration and society development. Plain Language Summary: Long‐term extending cultivation activities resulted in the world's worst soil erosion on the Chinese Loess Plateau (LP). For controlling this soil erosion, the Grain for Green Project (GfGP)—the world's largest investment revegetation project—was carried out. This was followed by the conversion of large amounts of cropland to vegetated land. However, this manuscript offers evidence indicating that cropland, rather than grassland and forestland, contributed the most to the vegetation improvement of the LP during the implementation of GfGP. We find that vegetation improvement after the GfGP could explain 42% of the reduction in the LP soil loss. The contribution of cropland to the LP greening was 39.3%, higher than that of grassland (36.3%) and forestland (14.3%). Although the area of cropland was greatly reduced after the implementation of GfGP, the contribution of cropland to the LP vegetation greening was still dominant, which was mainly due to the intensive cropland utilization. The positive effect of cropland on ecological restoration indicates its significant potential for future human land‐use management and revegetation management. Key Points: Vegetation greening reduces the sediment yield of the Loess Plateau by 42%Cropland contributes 39.3% to the Loess Plateau vegetation greening, higher than grassland (36.3%) and forestland (14.3%)Cropland dominates the Loess Plateau greening, mainly due to the improvement of cropping intensity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

River sediment fluxes have been impacted in South America (SA), one of the continents with the highest erosion and sediment transport rates globally. However, the magnitude and spatio‐temporal distribution of the main drivers of changes have been poorly identified and explored. Here, we performed simulations using a hydrological‐hydrodynamic‐sediment model to comprehensively estimate the spatial and temporal sediment changes and trends in SA from 1984 to 2019. We found that 51% of the main SA rivers experienced significant changes in simulated sediment transport (QST) over this period, with 36% due to Amazon deforestation and river damming and 15% due to precipitation changes. We also estimated a 10% reduction in the average sediment delivery to the oceans. Deforestation was responsible for QST changes higher than 80% in some Amazon sites, and hydropower expansion led to a greater reduction of sediment flows (80%–100%) in the Tocantins, Uruguay, Upper Paraná, lower São Francisco, Desaguadero, and Negro rivers. In addition, our results suggest that reservoirs built in the Amazon region in the 2011–2019 period are also affecting sediment transport. Our modeling outputs provide unprecedented information about the status of river sediment dynamics in SA, and a template to develop evidence‐based strategies and transboundary policies related to continental‐wide sediment dynamics and the conservation and restoration of ecosystems. Key Points: 51% of the main South America rivers have undergone significant sediment changesAverage sediment delivery to the oceans reduced in 10%Amazon deforestation and river damming are the main responsible for changes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic carbon (SOC) of agricultural soils is observed to decline in many parts of the world. Understanding the reasons behind such losses is important for SOC accounting and formulating climate mitigation strategies. Disentangling the impact of last century's climate change from effects of preceding land use, management changes and erosion is difficult and most likely impossible to address in observations outside of warming experiments. However, the record of last century's climate change is available for every part of the globe, so the potential effect of climate change on SOC stocks can be modelled. In this study, an established and validated FAO framework was used to model global agricultural topsoil (0–30 cm) SOC stock dynamics from 1919 to 2018 as attributable to climate change. On average, global agricultural topsoils could have lost 2.5 ± 2.3 Mg C ha−1 (3.9 ± 5.4%) with constant net primary production (NPP) or 1.6 ± 3.4 Mg C ha−1 (2.5 ± 5.5%) when NPP was considered to be modified by temperature and precipitation. Regional variability could be explained by the complex patterns of changes in temperature and moisture, as well as initial SOC stocks. However, small average SOC losses have been an intrinsic and persistent feature of climate change in all climatic zones. This needs to be taken into consideration in reporting or accounting frameworks and halted in order to mitigate climate change and secure soil health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Watershed prioritization has gained importance for locating critical areas of erosion and for taking up proactive steps in watershed management. The present study attempts to forecast land use/land cover change and prioritize the sub-watersheds of Bhavani watershed, Tamil Nadu based on morphometric, land use/land cover and slope coupled with the multicriteria analytical (MCA) framework using remote sensing and GIS. The land use/land cover is predicted for 2030 using an artificial neural network-based cellular automata simulation model, and the sub-watersheds sensitive to erosion were identified and compared for the years 2020 and 2030. Parameters having direct and inverse effects on erosion risk were used as the criteria in the ranking process. Using geospatial data and GIS, a set of eleven morphometric parameters, eight LULC classes, and five slope classes was analysed using a compound value weight calculator for the 26 sub-watersheds. The study demonstrates significant land use changes on cropland, built-up land, wasteland, fallow land and forest land between 2020 and 2030. The entire watershed was divided into four zones based on the prioritization approach and were categorized into very high, high, medium, and low priority zones. The results showed that SW-19, SW-22 and SW-26 were categorized under very high priority zones for the years 2020 and 2030. Besides, the SW-07 was added under very high priority zone for the year 2030. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating soil erosion by water is important in the management of watersheds. The growth of anthropogenic activities and climate change fluctuation in north-eastern Algeria are expected to influence land use/cover and soil sustainability. For this, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), remote sensing (RS), geographic information system (GIS), and Machine Learning (ML) were combined to investigate the influence of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes on soil loss rates and its distribution in the Seybouse basin during a span of two decades between 1990 and 2010. The land use land cover classifications were categorized into six classes: water, dense forest, degraded forest, croplands, barren lands and urbanisation. The evaluation of the soil erosion distribution was based on the analyses of the LULC changes and RUSLE factors. The results reveal that the average annual soil loss based RUSLE in the basin for the years 1990, 2000, and 2010 were 12.73 t ha–1 y–1, 12.60 t ha–1 y–1, and 13.88 t ha–1 y–1 respectively. The study found that for the years 1990, 2000, and 2010 around 17, 15, and 20% areas are under the very severe and extremely severe erosion category, occurring mostly located in barren lands and degraded forests LULC classes. Overall, the results concluded that due to the impact of rainfall variability and decreased crop managements in the Seybouse basin, there was an increase in the surfaces of barren lands and degraded forests over crop lands and dense forests which resulted in the increase of erosion rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water erosion is one of the major land degradation problems all over the globe, and its accurate quantification in different land use contexts is required in order to propose suitable conservation measures and curtail related hazards. In the Andaman and Nicobar (A&N) Islands, the land use changes due to faster urbanization and deforestation practices have led to accelerated erosion at many points around the inhabited Islands. Moreover, agricultural land uses in the A&N Islands are vulnerable to severe soil erosion, mainly due to cultivation practices along the steep slopes and mono-cropping culture. A study was conducted by establishing runoff plots in areas with different land uses to measure soil and nutrient losses and to estimate soil erosion using a semi-process-based soil erosion model, i.e., Revised Morgan Morgan and Finney (RMMF). The RMMF model was calibrated using primary data from runoff plots for the years 2019–21, validated for the year 2022, and applied in a Geographical Information System (GIS) to estimate soil erosion spatially over the Andaman ecosystem. The RMMF model simulated soil erosion during validation with a coefficient determination (R2) greater than 0.87 as compared to measured soil erosion from the runoff plots. The study revealed that annual N, P, and K losses of 41–81%, 42–95%, and 7–23%, respectively, due to runoff from various land uses. The land use land classification analysis of the Andaman Islands revealed that about 88% of the total geographical area is under the forest and mangrove land uses, which exhibited very slight soil erosion of <5 t/ha. This 88% of forest and mangrove areas requires suitable conservation measures such as afforestation and rehabilitation/restoration of mangroves. Moreover, 6% of cultivated areas need terracing, bunding, intercropping, etc., at the highest priority in order to conserve a sustainable Andaman ecosystem. On average, the annual soil loss from the Andaman Islands is 3.13 t/ha. About 6% of the study area exceeds the soil tolerance limit of 2.5–12.5 t/ha/year, which needs suitable soil and water conservation measures at the lowest priority due to economic implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this work was to analyze the hydrodynamic and erosive behavior of soils in the wadi Sra catchment (Central Rif, Morocco) using a mini ramp rain simulator on micro-plots of 1 m2 . The plots were selected on vertisols with a slope (between 17 and 33%), considering four types of land use: cannabis cultivation, cereal cultivation, fallow land and abandoned land, with the aim of comparing and determining the effects of the land use types on infiltrability and sediment production. The simulation tests were carried out during each season, due to the variability of cultivation practices, surface conditions and prior soil moisture from one season to another. Before each simulation, the surface condition of the concerned plots was checked; it is a question of raising the rate of closed or open surfaces and covered or bare surfaces according to the quadrat points method. Laboratory tests allowed identifying the physico-chemical properties of the soil, the initial humidity, the bulk density and the porosity. The results obtained show that the final infiltration is characterized by a significant variation, between (8.32 mm/h and 70.40 mm/h). Low values concern abandoned and fallow land and very high values are recorded on plowed land (cannabis and cereal cultivation). In addition, solid transport recorded significant spatio-temporal variations, between (5.15 and 157 g/l); the maximum average values are recorded in the cannabis cultivation plots, followed by abandoned land, then fallow land and cereal cultivation land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Amazon River basins present distinct natural and anthropogenic characteristics that influence the structure of stream habitats and their associated biota. The influence of these characteristics can be evaluated through different spatial scales. We aimed to assess the influence (with and without the effect of spatial-geographical factors) of local, macroscale, and land-use variables in the structure of stream fish assemblages of Amazonian catchments with different deforestation levels. A partial redundancy analysis and a reduced metrics model were used to assess these influences. With geographic-spatial effects, we verified that the macroscale and local variables explained the variation in fish composition, and, without the effects, land use also explained the variation in this composition. In the forested catchments, the biota was associated with streams with natural characteristics (e.g., leaf banks). In the deforested catchments, it was associated with land use, sandy catchments with higher soil density (higher capacity of degradation), and less complex streams (fewer leaf banks, more sand). The associated fish have life features linked to these characteristics (e.g., Gymnorhamphichthys rondoni associated with sand). This configuration seems to be a result of both the impact of land use in the catchment (i.e., increased erosion, increased sedimentation) and the naturally sandy constitution of the catchment as well, reflecting the sandy substrate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suspension flow into the upstream of volcano watershed is sensitive to land use. In Indonesia, a settlement is a form of land use in several volcanic landscapes. There is currently no detailed study on the suspension flow sediment from the settlement land use. The purpose of this study is to investigate the characteristics of the relationship between water and suspension flow discharge. The study was conducted through the measurements at a gully outlet that produced 747 suspension load data. For each rainfall event, suspension load measurements were made in the field, followed by laboratory analysis. Additionally, field surveys were used to determine the characteristics of settlement land use and the water flow into the gully system. According to the findings, the peak flow discharge corresponds to the peak suspension discharge, the peak flow discharge comes before the peak suspension discharge, and the peak flow discharge happens after the peak suspension discharge. The average time lag between initial rainfall events and suspension flow was 10.36 minutes, and the suspension peak content varied by an average of 2.22 gl-1. The grain size was also dominated by the clay fraction, averaging 67.86% on the ascending branch and 67.82% on the descending branch. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is normally used independently of the physical and temporal location of the product, process or service under analysis. This makes LCA results more easily comparable and globally accepted. At the same time, it has drawbacks though, e.g. land use will have the same impact regardless of location. However, the use of certain terrains in high erosion risk areas as compared to others in low erosion risk areas will have a different impact on the ecosystem. The availability of airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data (ALS) allows a quick and accurate morphogeometric analysis of any terrain. For this reason, this article offers a methodology, based on Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) method and airborne LiDAR data, for the straightforward detection of zones with high vulnerability to erosion problems. Based on these local erosion risk data, a method is developed to assess the environmental impact of land use, based on its location. In this way, the LCA methodology is incorporated to gather local data, dependent on the specific location of the activity under analysis. The methodology developed has been applied, as a case study, to a specific municipality in the high mountains of the Autonomous Community of La Rioja (Spain). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The erosion potential model was applied to estimate the soil erosion status of rural settlements during the years 1971 and 2011. We used univariate and bivariate local Moran's I indices to detect and visualize the spatial clustering of settlements with respect to changes in erosion intensity and agricultural land use, as well as their mutual spatial correlation. The study area was differentiated into four statistically significant clusters using the calculated bivariate local Moran's I indices. The statistical analysis examined the two largest clusters, i.e., the high–high and low–low clusters, and the results of the research indicate that the first four principal components explained 70.50% and 73.47% of the total variance, respectively. In the high–high cluster, the low rates of erosion reduction (average Index Z = 98) in the most significant types of rural settlements were determined according to demographic indicators (i.e., the higher population vitality and population density, the smaller share of the old population and the lower average age of the population) and the large proportion of arable land and Neogene sediments. In the low–low cluster, high erosion reduction rates were detected (average index Z = 64). In this cluster, the more statistically significant influence of natural conditions in combination with demographic–agrarian processes (i.e., the larger share of the old population, the higher average age of the population, the lower vitality index and deagrarization) were decisive factors in changing erosion intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive land use in the long term can cause land degradation, affecting soil fertility, especially on Vertic Endoaquepts in Pati that have been managed as rainfed rice fields. The characteristics of rainfed rice fields are low nutrient availability and rice yields. This study aimed to determine the effect of tillage depth management and soil ameliorants on nutrient availability, plant uptake, and rice yield in rainfed rice fields. The field experiment that was conducted at farmer's field used a split-plot design. The main plot was the treatment of tillage depth treatments (OT), with depths of 10 cm (T1) and 20 cm (T2). The subplots were ameliorant treatments (A), consisting of A1 = sugarcane leaf compost, A2 = rice straw compost, A3 = chicken manure, and A4 = cow manure, with each dose of 5 t ha-1. The Inpari 32 rice variety was grown for 95 days. Available N, P and K of the soil were measured at 0, 62, and 94 days after transplanting (DAT). Plant N, P, and K contents, plant height, number of tillers, and rice yield were measured at 62 DAT. The results showed that the interaction of soil depth and ameliorant significantly affected soil available P and K but had no significant effect on soil available N. Ameliorant treatment of cow manure significantly increased rice yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alluvial rivers all over the world have one common problem, which is their meandering pattern. This meander formation is because of natural and anthropogenic processes. Barak River is dynamic, and due to this, it is exposed to regular shifting and creates many problems for the people who reside near the river. The livelihood of many people depends on agriculture, which they conduct on the nearby sides of the river. However, the regular shifting of riverbanks makes their life miserable and leads to severe economic losses. Further, roadways and railways run along the banks of the Barak River, and during monsoon, Assam (Silchar), along with three states, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura, become disconnected from the rest of India because the road and rail connections fail due to riverbank erosion. Therefore, considering the catchment area and the importance of this river, we have tried to understand the spatiotemporal changes (erosion, deposition, and unchanged area) in the Barak River. From our analysis, we found that the maximum and minimum amount of erosion occurred from 2012–2017 and 2002–2012 and were 727.56 ha and 332.69 ha, respectively. While the highest amount of deposition that occurred during 1984–2017 was 1054.21 ha, the minimum amount of deposition that occurred during 2012–2017 was 351.32. Overall, it was identified that the area under the deposition was more dynamic than the erosion from 1984–2017. Moreover, from the temporal analysis of land use/land cover from 1984–2017, it was found that the area that comes under the settlement and arable land has increased by 10.47% and 5.05%, respectively. The dynamic factors, such as the nature of channel gradient, land use/land cover, and riparian vegetative cover, could be the probable driving forces that cause changes in the erosional and depositional areas. This study will help us understand the dynamics of the Barak River and other rivers of this type worldwide. This study shall help implement strategies that will help manage bank erosion by adapting scientific bank protection measures.

Alluvial rivers all over the world have one common problem, which is their meandering pattern. This meander formation is because of natural and anthropogenic processes. Barak River is dynamic, and due to this, it is exposed to regular shifting and creates many problems for the people who reside near the river. The livelihood of many people depends on agriculture, which they conduct on the nearby sides of the river. However, the regular shifting of riverbanks makes their life miserable and leads to severe economic losses. Further, roadways and railways run along the banks of the Barak River, and during monsoon, Assam (Silchar), along with three states, Mizoram, Manipur, and Tripura, become disconnected from the rest of India because the road and rail connections fail due to riverbank erosion. Therefore, considering the catchment area and the importance of this river, we have tried to understand the spatiotemporal changes (erosion, deposition, and unchanged area) in the Barak River. From our analysis, we found that the maximum and minimum amount of erosion occurred from 2012–2017 and 2002–2012 and were 727.56 ha and 332.69 ha, respectively. While the highest amount of deposition that occurred during 1984–2017 was 1054.21 ha, the minimum amount of deposition that occurred during 2012–2017 was 351.32. Overall, it was identified that the area under the deposition was more dynamic than the erosion from 1984–2017. Moreover, from the temporal analysis of land use/land cover from 1984–2017, it was found that the area that comes under the settlement and arable land has increased by 10.47% and 5.05%, respectively. The dynamic factors, such as the nature of channel gradient, land use/land cover, and riparian vegetative cover, could be the probable driving forces that cause changes in the erosional and depositional areas. This study will help us understand the dynamics of the Barak River and other rivers of this type worldwide. This study shall help implement strategies that will help manage bank erosion by adapting scientific bank protection measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: On-wall flow on gully headwalls plays a critical role in gully headcut erosion, and the erosion morphology of gully headwalls caused by on-wall flow scouring varies under different land uses/covers due to variations in soil resistance. However, it is unclear how vegetation roots affect the soil resistance of gully headwalls to on-wall flow scouring. Materials and methods: Taking bare land as the control, this study analysed the vertical distribution of vegetation roots and its influence on the soil properties and antiscourability (ANS) of gully headwalls under three land uses (forestland, grassland, and farmland). Results and discussion: The results showed that root mass density (RMD), root length density (RLD), root surface area density (RAD), and root volume density (RVD) decreased overall with increasing soil vertical depth at the gully headwall under the three land use types. The soil ANS ranked highest to lowest in forestland, grassland, farmland, and bare land. Compared with that of bare land, the ANS of each soil layer (0–20, 20–40, 40–60, 60–80, and 80–100 cm) under the three land use types increased by 3.0–9.1, 6.7–8.6, 2.6–10.5, 3.9–5.6, and 0.2–1.9 times, respectively. The ANS of the gully headwalls had a logarithmic relationship with RLD, RAD, and RVD (R2 = 0.45–0.56, P < 0.01). In particular, the most significant correlation was found between the ANS and RVD of fine roots (diameters of 0–0.5 mm). The ANS decreased with the decrease in root density with vertical depth. Conclusions: Our results reveal that vertically distributed roots determine the vertical variations in soil ANS on gully headwalls in the gullied Loess Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating the on-site and off-site impacts of soil erosion as a function of land use and climate conditions in semi-arid basins is key for soil and water conservation strategies. However, a research gap exists in the theme, requiring further investigation using local hydrological data. To accomplish it, the SDR-InVEST model was applied to the Pardo-FB basin (Brazil) using different land use, soil conservation, and climate conditions. The mean annual soil loss and the mean sediment yield in the basin varied between 7 and 36 Mg ha−1 yr−1 and 1.2 and 52.2 Gg yr−1, respectively. The basin areas where on-site and off-site erosion tolerances were exceeded ranged from 20% to 50% and from 0% to 1%, respectively, depending on the scenario. The results indicate that anthropic areas and high erosivities increase soil detachment and decrease sediment retention, generating higher erosion and sedimentation rates in the basin. The restoration of native vegetation and soil conservation practices reduced the erosion impacts, but their effectiveness was reduced in the wet climate scenario. The results contribute to the establishment of soil conservation strategies in the Pardo basin, as well as in similar basins around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]