Utilizing sediment grain size characteristics to assess the effectiveness of clay–sand barriers in reducing aeolian erosion in Minqin desert area,China

The clay–sand barriers in Minqin desert area,China,represent a pioneering windbreak and sand fixation project with a venerable history of 60 a.However,studies on evaluating the long-term effectiveness of clay–sand barriers against aeolian erosion,particularly from the perspective of surface sediment grain size,are limited and thus insufficient to ascertain the protective impact of these barriers on regional aeolian activities.This study focused on the surface sediments(topsoil of 0–3 cm depth)of clay–sand barriers in Minqin desert area to explain their erosion resistance from the perspective of surface sediment grain size.In March 2023,six clay–sand barrier sampling plots with clay–sand barriers of different deployment durations(1,5,10,20,40,and 60 a)were selected as experimental plots,and one control sampling plot was set in an adjacent mobile sandy area without sand barriers.Surface sediment samples were collected from the topsoil of each sampling plot in the study area in April 2023 and sediment grain size characteristics were analyzed.Results indicated a predominance of fine and medium sands in the surface sediments of the study area.The deployment of clay–sand barriers cultivated a fine quality in grain size composition of the regional surface sediments,increasing the average contents of very fine sand,silt,and clay by 30.82%,417.38%,and 381.52%,respectively.This trend became markedly pronounced a decade after the deployment of clay–sand barriers.The effectiveness of clay–sand barriers in erosion resistance was manifested through reduced wind velocity,the interception of sand flow,and the promotion of fine surface sediment particles.Coarser particles such as medium,coarse,and very coarse sands predominantly accumulated on the external side of the barriers,while finer particles such as fine and very fine sands concentrated in the upwind(northwest)region of the barriers.By contrast,the contents of finest particles such as silt and clay were higher in the downwind(southeast)region of the sampling plots.For the study area,the deployment of clay–sand barriers remains one of the most cost-effective engineering solutions for aeolian erosion control,with sediment grain size parameters serving as quantitative indicators for the assessment of these barriers in combating desertification.The results of this study provide a theoretical foundation for the construction of windbreak and sand fixation systems and the optimization of artificial sand control projects in arid desert areas.

Distribution assessment of soil erosion with revised RUSLE model in Tianshan Mountains

aSoil degradation caused by soil erosion is one of the world's most critical environmental issues.Soil erosion in the Tianshan Mountains has caused various environmental problems in the surrounding areas.This study used remote sensing data to analyze the distribution of the factors influencing soil erosion,and the revised universal soil loss equation(RUSLE)to calculate the total amount and distribution characteristics of soil erosion in the Tianshan Mountains in 2019.Due to the large error of RUSLE in soil erosion estimation in mountainous areas,this study modified RUSLE equation based on the characteristics of snow cover in the Tianshan Mountains.The results show that the average soil erosion was 1690.3 t/(km^(2)·year),of which insignificant erosion,slight erosion and moderate erosion accounted for 42,8%,22.4%and 9.9%,respectively.Severe erosion and above accounted for 13.3%.The accuracy of the soil erosion modulus calculated by the RUSLE was only 61.9%,with an average error of 1631.9 t/(km^(2)·year).The average error of the double-coefficient correction method was 1259.1 t/(km^(2)·year),and the average error of the modified formula method was reduced by 40.3%compared with the RUSLE,reaching 973.7 t/(km^(2)·year),and its accuracy reached 76.2%.Very severe erosion and catastrophic erosion are distributed on mountain ridges with higher elevation and on the northern area with higher precipitation.Snow cover has a certain inhibitory effect on soil erosion,and snow cover in alpine mountains is a factor that cannot be ignored in soil erosion research.

Study on Soil Erosion Model Under Different Slopes in Southwest Karst Mountain Area

The aim was to further research soil erosion characteristics and accurately predict soil erosion amount in karst areas. Based on field surveys and research achievements available, yellow soils, which are widely distributed, were chosen as test soil samples and slope, rain intensity, vegetation coverage and bare-rock ratio were taken as soil erosion factors. Artificial rain simulation instruments （needle-type） were made use of to simulate correlation of rain intensity, vegetation coverage, and bare-rock ratio with soil erosion quantity. Furthermore, multiple-factor linear regression analysis, stepwise regression analysis and multiple-factor non-linear regression analy- sis were made to establish a multiple-factor formula of soil erosion modulus with dif- ferent slopes and select regression models with high correlation coefficients. The re- sults show that a non-linear regression model reached extremely significant level or significant level （0.692〈FF〈0.988） and linear regression model achieved significant lev- el （0.523〈FF〈0.634）. The effects of erosion modulus changed from decreasing to in- creasing and the erosion factors from high to low were rain intensity, vegetation cov- erage and bare-rock ratio when slope gradient was at 6~, 16~, 26~ and 36~. The mod- el is of high accuracy for predicting gentle slope and abtupt slope, which reveals correlation of erosion modulus with erosion factors in karst areas.

Soil Erosion and Its Basic Characteristics at Karst Rocky-desertified Land Consolidation Area: A Case Study at Muzhe Village of Xichou County in Southeast Yunnan, China

Xichou County of Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture in southeast Yunnan is one of the karst mountainous areas in southwest China showing typical rock desertification. During this study, we set up three soil erosion contrast test spots at Muzhe Village, Benggu Township, Xichou County, which was the birthplace of the Xichou rock-desertified land consolidation mode. The three spots included the terrace land spot （already consolidated land）, sloping land spot （unconsolidated sloping land under rock desertification）, and standard runoff spot （bare land spot）. In 2007, a whole-year complete observation was conducted during the rainy season and ＂rainfall-erosion＂ data were obtained for 32 times. Our analysis showed that during the entire observation period, the number of the rainfalls that led to soil erosion accounted for 34.04% of the number of all rainfalls and the amount of the rainfalls that led to soil erosion accounted for 84.17% of the total amount of all rainfalls. The average erosive rainfall standard in the three test spots was 11.0mm, slightly higher than the lO mm standard that has been adopted all over China, but lower than the 12.7 mm standard of the US and the 13.0 mm standard of Japan. According to single-factor analysis, the soil loss in the sloping land spot （L2） and that in the bare land spot （L3） are correlated to certain extent to manyother factors, including the single precipitation （P）, rainfall intensity during the maximum ten minutes （Lo）, rainfall intensity during the maximum 20 minutes （I2o）, rainfall intensity during the maximum 30 minutes （I30）, rainfall intensity during the maximum 40 minutes （I4o）, and rainfall intensity during the maximum 6o minutes （I60）. Among these factors, they are of the highest relativity with I6o. According to double-factor analysis, both L2 and L3 are of good relativity with P and I60. According to multi-factor analysis, L2 and L3 are also of good relativity with seven rainfall indexes, namely, P, Ia （average rainfall intensity）, L10, 120, I30, 140, and I60, with their related coefficient R reaching 0.906 and 0.914, respectively. The annual soil losses in the three test spots are widely different： 1030.70 t/km2.a in the terrace land spot, which indicates a low-level erosion; 12913.22 t/km2.a in the sloping land spot （unconsolidated spot）, some 12.5 times than that in the terrace land spot, which indicates an ultra-high-level erosion; and 19511.67 t/km2-a in the bare land spot, some 18.9 times than that in terrace land spot, indicating an acute erosion. These figures fully show that the Xichou rock-desertified land consolidation mode plays a significant role in soil conservation.

Erosion environment in the sediment-rich area on the Loess Plateau

Based on the investigation and analysis of characteristics of precipitation, natural environment, socio-economic factors and soil erosion, this paper indicates that the precipitation is the main driving force for the soil erosion in the sediment-rich area, its variability determines the characteristics of soil and water loss; the natural conditions such as the drainage systems, geological and topographic features, the composition of soil and land surface materials, vegetation and climate determine the seriousness of soil and water loss; irrational socio-economic activities of human beings usually accelerated soil and water loss; meanwhile, the low preservation rate and inferiority of soil and water conservation measures made it impossible to make rapid progress on soil and water loss control. Furthermore, the characteristics of erosion environment endowed this area with more sediment that is the main reason for the flooding disasters by the Yellow River. Therefore, more emphasis should be placed on the enhancement of soil and water conservation. The soil loss prediction models will provide scientific basis for the planning of soil and water conservation, the designing of soil and water conservation measures and the valuation of effects of soil and water loss control. According to the analysis of the previous studies on soil loss prediction, and the water-sediment variation features, it is thought that study on soil loss prediction under various rainfall conditions and soil-water conservation measures should be carried out.

The characteristics of gully erosion over rolling hilly black soil areas of Northeast China

In this study,short-term gully retreat was monitored from the active gullies selected in representative black soil area,using differential global positioning system(GPS).With the support of geographic information system(GIS),multi-temporal digital elevation models(DEM) were constructed from the data collected by GPS and used for further analysis.Based on the analysis of multi-temporal DEM,we discussed the erosion-deposition characteristics within gully and a developing model for black soil gully area of Northeast China was proposed.The results are:(1) The analysis of the monitored gully data in 2004 indicated that the retreat of gully head reached more than 10 m,gully area extended 170-400 m2,net gully eroded volume 220-320 m3,and gully erosion modulus 2200-4800 t?km?2?a?1.(2) Compared with the mature gully the initial gully grows rapidly,and its erosion parameters are relatively large.The erosion parameters have not only to do with flow energy,but also with the growth phase.(3) There are significant seasonal differences in gully erosion parameters.The extension of gully area and width dominates in winter and spring without marked net erosion while changes mainly occur in gully head and net erosion in rainy season.(4) It is remarkable for freeze-thaw erosion in the black soil area of NE China.The gully wall of SG2 extended 0.45 m under freeze-thaw effect in 2004,and the distance of gully head retreated maximally 6.4 m.(5) Due to freeze-thaw action and snowmelt,gully is primarily in the interior adjustment process in winter and early spring.There are much more depositions compared with that during rainy season,which can almost happen throughout the gully,while erosion mostly occurs near head,esp.for gullies having a relatively long history of development.On the other hand,the process of energy exchange with exterior dominates in rainy season.It is considered that this cyclic process is an important mechanism for gully growth in high latitude or/and high attitude regions.

STUDY ON THE MODEL FOR PREDICTING SOIL EROSION AND ITS APPLICATION IN ARID AREA

On the basis of analyzing the soil erosion factors in typical arid area basin, this article tries to build a model by using USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation). The first step is to digitize the topographic map (1∶100?000) and form the DEM (Digital Elevation Model), then use them to obtain necessary data of topographic factors. The second step is to get main elements causing soil erosion through using Main Element Analyzing Program. The third step is to systematically analyze all factors of soil erosion by applying Grey Dynamic Model and Fuzzy Mathematics, and then take GIS software to draw the colored map in the way that different colors present different intensities of soil erosion. At last the regional change of soil erosion amount on the basis of the color map is analyzed.

The Typical Watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area Soil Erosion Diversity Change on Different Slope Gradients Taking the Meixi River Watershed as an Example

[Objective] The diversity of soil erosion in the Meixi River watershed of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region was analyzed, in order to provide references for governance and protection of ecological environment of the study area. [Method] The soil erosion diversity index and evenness index of the Meixi River watershed in the Three Gorges Reservoir Region were studied based on the TM images in the year of 1988, 1999 and 2010, supported by GIS technology to extract various types of soil erosion in the area with different slope gradients and calculate soil erosion di- versity index and evenness index. [Result~ As slope gradients grew, the diversity in- dex and evenness index of soil erosion decrease after increasing with a turning point from 25~ to 35~. [Conchlsion] The proportion of light-erosion in the study area is 15.57%. Hence, the increase of diversity index and evenness index with gradients of 5^-35~ shows that the higher erosion intensity, the more uniform erosion types and the indexes decreased in gradients higher than 35°, suggesting that the lower erosion intensity, the better environment. Distribution and variation of different land types have close relation with soil erosion diversity and evenness indexes. Though soil erosion problems have been alleviated, by comparing soil erosion diversity index and evenness index, it can be concluded that changes of indexes are lower than 0.02, and soil erosion should be continued to be well controlled.

Gully Erosion Regionalization of Black Soil Area in Northeastern China

Gully erosion is the frequent and main form of soil erosion in the black soil area of the northeastern China, which is one of the most important commodity grain production bases in China. It is encroaching upon the fertile farmland there. Regionalization of gully erosion can reveal the spatial distribution and regularity of the development of gully erosion. Based on the eco-geographical regional background features of the black soil area, this study combined the regionalization with influencing factors of the development of gully erosion. GIS spatial analysis, geostatistical analysis, spatial statistics, reclassification, debris polygon processing and map algebra methods were employed. As a result, the black soil area was divided into 12 subregions. The field survey data on type, length, volume and other characteristics indicators of gully erosion were used to calibrate the results. Then the features of every subregion, such as where the gully erosion is, how serious it is, and why it happens and develops, were expounded. The result is not only an essential prerequisite for gully erosion surveys and monitoring, but also an important basis for gully erosion prevention.

The Effects of Land Uses on Purplish Soil Erosion in Hilly Area of Sichuan Province,China

In order to evaluate the soil erosion rate for different land uses and make recommendations on land-use alternatives for erosion control in hilly and mountain areas on a Purplish soil (Regosols in FAO taxonomy), experimental data were obtained from three continuously monitored sites located at Yanting, Nanbu and Pengxi of Sichuan province. The data showed that the rank of erosion rate is farmland > unfenced grassland > fenced grassland > forestland. The erosion rate of farmland was more than 3 times higher than that of forestland and fenced grassland, indicating that restricting human activity is crucial for over-erosion. The erodibility was higher at the initial period of rainy season for all the three types of land use. The erosion rates of fenced grassland and mature afforestation land were not proportional to rainfall intensity because these land uses changed impact energy of the rainfall. This research showed that restricting human activity, intensifying the management of initial period of rainy season, and increasing the cover rate of land surface are the three major measures for soil erosion prevention. It is recommended that farmers should cease cultivation on farmland at the top of hills and steep slope land return those lands back to grassland or forestland.

Wind Tunnel Study of Multiple Factors Affecting Wind Erosion from Cropland in Agro-pastoral Area of Inner Mongolia,China

In this paper,the process of wind erosion on two kinds of soil from the agro-pastoral area of Inner Mongolia are studied using wind tunnel experiments,considering the wind speed,blown angle of wind and soil moisture content.The results showed that the modulus of soil wind erosion increases with an increase of wind speed.When the wind speed exceeds a critical value,the soil wind erosion suddenly increases.The critical speed for both kinds of soil is within the range of 7-8m·s-1.For a constant wind speed,the rate of soil wind erosion changes from increasing to falling at a critical soil slope.The critical slope of loam soil and sandy loam soil is 20° and 10°,respectively.Soil moisture content has a significant effect on wind erosion.Soil wind erosion of both soils decreases with an increase of the soil water content in two treatments,however,for treatment two,the increasing trends of wind erosion for two soils with the falling of soil water content are no significant,especially for the loam soil,and in the same soil water content,the wind erosion of two soils in treatment one is significantly higher than treatment two,this indicates reducing the disturbance of soil surface can evidently control the soil wind erosion.

Spatiotemporal change of beneficiary area from wind erosion prevention service in the Ulan Buh Desert in 2008 and 2018

The Ulan Buh Desert is one of the eight deserts in China that provides wind erosion prevention service(i.e.,the ecosystem;vegetation,production,and construction activities that promote sand fixation).It is significant for the construction of the national ecological barrier,and the protection of the ecological security in the Yellow River and North China.In this study,we selected two representative years(2008 and 2018)and quantified wind erosion prevention service from the Ulan Buh Desert using the RWEQ model.Meanwhile,the HYSPLIT model was used to simulate the spatial flow process from the service supply area to the beneficiary area and to determine its scope.The specific dust reduction amount in the beneficiary area was then calculated.The energy and the time-space relation of wind erosion prevention service in the areas that receive benefits from Ulan Buh Desert were compared before and after implementing environmental restoration measures.The results showed that:(1)the total amount of wind erosion prevention in the Ulan Buh Desert in 2018 was 2.12×10^(10)kg,which was 5.17 times higher than that in 2008;(2)in 2018,the distribution density of the flow path of wind erosion prevention service was lower than that in 2008,and the flow paths in each year were concentrated in the beneficiary areas with the path distribution frequency of less than 10%;(3)the total dust reduction in the downwind area of the Ulan Buh Desert in 2018 was higher than that in 2008,totaling 15.54 million tons.Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Shanxi Province had the most significant amount of dust reduction.

Impact of soil texture and sweetpotato cropping system on soil erosion and nutrient loss in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of the Changjiang River

This study investigated the impact of soil texture and sweetpotato cropping system on soil erosion and nutrient loss in the drought infield of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of Changjiang River under field conditions. A factorial experiment was conducted in the study using five soil textures and two cropping systems. The lost soil during the crop season was recovered by a soil-blocking device and the dry weights for the total lost soil and its nutrient components, such as ammonium nitrogen, effective phosphorus, K^＋ and organic matter were analyzed. We found that soil texture significantly affected the dry weights of the total lost soil, effective phosphorus, K^＋, and organic matter, while sweetpotato cropping systems and interaction between soil texture and sweetpotato cropping system affected the dry weights of the total lost soil, the effective phosphorus and organic matter. Among the five soil textures tested, Da and Huang caused significantly less soil erosion and nutrient loss compared with the other three soil textures; intercropping sweetpotato with corn significantly reduced soil erosion and nutrient loss.

SOIL EROSION AND THE WATER & SOIL CONSERVATION IN THE LOESSIAL HILLY AREA OF SOUTHERN NINGXIA

1. General Situation of Soil Erosion The loessial hilly area of southern Ningxia, Situated at the south of Ningxia Hui Au-tonomous Region, middle-upper reaches of the Yellow River, part of Chinese Loess Pla-teau, covers an area of 1500 square kilometers with an annual mean temperature of 5-8℃,a precipitation of 300-500mm of which 70% taking place concentratively during the peri-od between June and September in form of rainstorm, The annual evaporation

Soil erosion types in the loess hill and gully area of China

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Control Measures of Soil Erosion in a Typical Construction Project Area ( Dina 2 Gas Field)

To treat the relationship between project construction and ecological environment and effectively prevent new soil erosion during the construction, according to the project layout, soil erosion distribution as well as natural and socio-economic conditions, the control measures of newly increased soil erosion along the project were carried out based on site survey and analysis of relevant information. In addition, adhering to the prin- ciple of partition prevention and treatment, some guiding prevention and control measures of the natural zone passed by the project and soil erosion control district were determined, which provided scientific references and technical support for the rational layout of water and soil conservation and ecological restoration measures in Dina 2 gas field.

^(137)Cs and^(210)Pb_(ex) as Soil Erosion Tracers in the Hilly Sichuan Basin and the Three Gorges Area of China

Accelerated soil erosion and land degradation represent major environmental problems for agricultural lands.Reliable information on the rates of soil loss is urgently needed.The traditional techniques for documenting rates of soil loss may meet this need,but face many limitations.The fallout radionuclides,especially 137 Cs and 210 Pb ex,are increasingly used as effective tracers to quantify soil erosion rates,and they represent a valuable complement to the existing classical methods.This paper aims to introduce the basis for assessing soil erosion rates on cultivated and uncultivated slopes by using 137 Cs and 210 Pb ex measurements,to compare the 137 Cs and 210 Pb ex reference inventories,and to report several case studies undertaken in the hilly area of Sichuan Basin and the Three Gorges area of China.

Interpreting sedimentation dynamics at Longxi catchment in the Three Gorges Area,China,using Cs-137 activity,particle size and rainfall erosivity

Reservoir sedimentation dynamics were interpreted using Cs-137 activity, particle size and rainfall erosivity analysis in conjunetion with sediment profile coring. Two sediment cores were retrieved from the Changshou reservoir of Chongqing, which was dammed in 1956 at the outlet of Longxi catchment in the Three Gorges Area using a gravity corer equipped with an aerylie tube with an inner diameter of 6 em. The extracted cores were sectioned at 2 cm intervals. All sediment core samples were dried, sieved （〈2 mm） and weighed. 137Cs activity was measured by y-ray spectrometry. The particle size of the core samples was measured using laser particle size granulometry. Rainfall erosivity was calculated using daily rainfall data from meteorological records and information on soil conservation history was collated to help interpret temporal sedimentation trends. The peak fallout of 137Cs in 1963 appeared at a depth of 84 cm in core A and 56 cm in core B. The peaks of sand contents were related to the peaks of rainfall erosivity which were recorded in 1982, 1989, 1998 and 2005, respectively. Sedimentation rates were calculated according to the sediment profile chronological controls of 1956, 1963, 1982, 1989, 1998 and 2oo5. The highest sedimentation rate was around 2.0 cm·a^-1 between 1982 and 1988 when the Chinese national reform and the Household Responsibility System were implemented, leading to accelerated soil erosion in the Longxi catchment. Since 1990s, and particularly since 2005, sedimentation rates clearly decreased, since a number of soil conservation programs have been carried out in the catchment. The combined use of ^137Cs chronology, particle size and rainfall erosivity provided a simple basis for reconstructing reservoir sedimentation dynamics in the context of both physical processes and soil restoration. Its advantages include avoiding the need for full blown sediment yield reconstruction and the concomitant consideration of core correlation and corrections for autochthonous inputs and reservoir trap efficiency.

Species-diversified plant cover enhances orchard ecosystem resistance to climatic stress and soil erosion in subtropical hillside

Naturally occurring plants in agroecosystem evidently play an important role in ecosystem stability. Field studies on the ecological effects of native plants conserved in orchard and their resistance to adverse climatic stress, and soil erosion were conducted from 1998 to 2001 in a newly developed Changshan-huyou (Citrus changshan-huyou Y.B. Chang) orchard. The experimental area covered 150 ha in typical red soil hilly region in southeastern China. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with six combinations of twelve plant species with four replications. All species used were native in the orchard. Plots were 15×8m^2 and separated by 2m buffer strips. Precipitation, soil erosion in rainstorm days and aboveground biomass of plant community when rainstorm days ended, soil temperature and moisture under various plant covers during seasonal megathermal drought period, antiscourability of soil with different root density under various simulated rainfalls were measured. Plant cover significantly decreased the daily highest and mean soil temperature and its daily variation in hot-drought season, but there was no significant difference of the alleviation among various plant covers. Plant covers significantly increased the soil moisture in seasonal megathermal drought period. Better moisture maintenance and soil erosion reduction was found when the plant species numbers in cover plant communities increased from one to eight. Higher root density in plant communities with higher species richness increased significantly the antiscourability of the soil. It was suggested that conserving plant communities with diversified native species could produce the best positive ecological effects on citrus orchard ecosystem stability.

RELATIONSHIP OF ECO-ENVIONMENTAL CHANGE WITH NATURAL EROSION AND ARTIFICIALLY ACCELERATED EROSION

The natural landscape of the Loess Plateau was changed by severe soil erosion. The Ziwuling forest area provides research base for tracing back eco environmental change related to natural erosion and artificially accelerated erosion. Using methods of typical region investigations, in situ experimental study and chemical analysis of samples, impact of vegetation destruction and rehabilitation on soil erosion, characteristics of natutal erosion under conditions of natural ecological balance and artificially accelerated erosion resulting from vegetation destruction in forest area, and the processes of artificially accelerated erosion and soil degradation have been analyzed and discussed.