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Effect of rainfall intensity, slope, land use and antecedent soil moisture on soil erosion in an arid environment

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TLDR
In this paper, the effect of rainfall intensity, slope, land use and antecedent soil moisture on soil erosion and runoff was investigated in the Al-Muwaqqar watershed, Jordan.
Abstract
Most climate change scenarios predict a significant increase in the frequency of high intensity rainfall events especially in the dry areas, which will increase runoff and soil erosion. Understanding the factors that control soil erosion is crucial to recommending appropriate measures to protect soils and reduce their vulnerability. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of rainfall intensity, slope, land use and antecedent soil moisture on soil erosion and runoff. Twelve sites from Al-Muwaqqar watershed, Jordan, were selected to represent six slope angles: 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 9%. Two sites, one cultivated with barley and one as rangeland, were selected within each slope. Erosion was measured under three rainfall intensities: 3, 5 and 10 mm h−1; and three different antecedent soil moisture contents: dry, wet and very wet; using a rotating disk rainfall simulator. Regression equations indicated that rainfall intensity was the most important factor affecting soil erosion and that erosion could occur at a relatively small intensity on wet soils as a result of subsequent rainfall events. Soil erosion on cultivated land was primarily affected by moisture content, while on uncultivated land, it was mostly affected by slope steepness. Rainfall intensity, slope and antecedent moisture explained 84–89 and 59–66% of the variation in runoff and soil loss, respectively. The results indicated the significant influence of cultivating the land on soil erosion. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Water erosion hazard mapping using analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and fuzzy logic modeling: a case study of the Chaffar Watershed (Southeastern Tunisia)

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Soil Erosion under Simulated Rainfall in Loess Lands with Emphasis on Land-Use, Slope and Aspect

TL;DR: In this article, the runoff generation and soil erosion in the Kechik Watershed, Golestan Province, was assessed, using a designed and constructed portable rainfall simulator, using different land-uses, slopes and aspects as the most influential factors.
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A systematic review on comprehensive sloping farmland utilization based on a perspective of scientometrics analysis

TL;DR: In this article, the authors conducted a quantitative analysis of literature related to comprehensive slope farmland utilization over the past few decades (1946-2019) by using scientometrics methods, with the objectives to identify the research hotspots and summarize the relevant research processes in different time periods; reveal the temporal evolution of those hotspots.
Journal ArticleDOI

Mangroves diversity and erosion mitigation performance in a low salinity soil area: case study of Vinh City, Vietnam

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the diversity of mangrove species and their soil erosion mitigation performance in Hung Hoa Mangrove Forest, Vinh City, Vietnam. Under high rainfall climatic condition, the mangrove plants were found to reduce soil erosion due to storm runoff during dry season. The soil organic matter in the covered and uncovered part by species of the mangrove forest was 141.1 ± 37.6 g/kg and 95.2 ± 19.2 g/kg, respectively. The percentage of clay and silt in the mangrove forest, covered and uncovered by mangrove species were found to be 55.7 ± 2.4% and 45.5 ± 2.2%, respectively. The increase in distance from 10,045 to 14,378 m was correlated to the decrease in soil salinity from 5.9 ± 0.8 to 3.8 ± 0.5 ppt (r2 = 0.546; P < 0.05). A total of 11 mangrove species were detected in the mangrove forest. The number of species ascribed to dicotyledons, monocotyledons and pteridophytes in the mangrove forest community were 17, 12 and 3, respectively. Based on the result obtained from this field study, it was observed that the mangrove forest plays an important role to provide growth and reproduction habitat for the local flora and protect the land from the effects of high precipitation.
References
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Book

Predicting rainfall erosion losses : a guide to conservation planning

TL;DR: The Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE) as discussed by the authors is a model designed to predict the average rate of soil erosion for each feasible alternative combination of crop system and management practices in association with a specified soil type, rainfall pattern and topography.
Journal ArticleDOI

Fire effects on soil aggregation: A review

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors provide an up-to-date review of the research on this topic and an analysis of the causes for the different effects observed and the implications for soil system functioning and for the hydrology of the affected areas are also discussed.
Journal ArticleDOI

Effects of land use, land cover and rainfall regimes on the surface runoff and soil loss on karst slopes in southwest China

TL;DR: Wang et al. as discussed by the authors analyzed surface runoff and soil loss from 2007 to 2010 related to land use and rainfall regimes in karst hill slopes in Guizhou Province, southwest China.
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