Infiltration and soil erosion as influenced by vegetation and soil in northern Utah.
TL;DR: Results emphasize the importance of vegetation and litter cover in maintaining infiltration capacity and soil stability in high-elevation herbland on the Wasatch Front, which is affected significantly by soil properties, notably bulk density, aggregation, and moisture content.
Abstract: The influences of vegetation, soil properties, and slope gradient on infiltration capacity and soil stability of high-elevation herbland on the Wasatch Front in northern Utah were investigated under simulated rainfall conditions. Results emphasize the importance of vegetation and litter cover in maintaining infiltration capacity and soil stability. Infiltration is also affected significantly by soil properties, notably bulk density, aggregation, and moisture content.
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TL;DR: In this article, simulated rainfall was used to study infiltration rates and sediment production of 28 plant communities and soils of five watershed areas in central and eastern Nevada, and two antecedent moisture conditions were used: soil initially air dry and initially at field capacity.
Abstract: Simulated rainfall was used to study infiltration rates and sediment production of28 plant communities and soils of five watershed areas in central and eastern Nevada. Two antecedent moisture conditions were used: soil initially air dry and initially at field capacity. InfiltratIOn rates and sediment production of the various soils are largely controlled by extent and surface morphology of dune interspace soils. Vesicular horizons are unstable in dune interspace surface soils. These horizons seldom occur in coppice dunes or in well-aggregated dune interspace soils. Infiltration rate is negatively related, and sediment production positively related to the occurrence and morphology of vesicular horizons. More sediment is produced from soils with antecedent moisture initially at field capacity than from'initially dry soil because of the instability of vesicular horizons when the soils were saturated. High-intensity summer thunderstorms in the Great Basin account for most of the runoff and sediment production from rangelands. Runoff is the major force initiating soil movement and transporting sediment. In order to manage rangeland watersheds effectively, factors influencing infiltration and sediment production need to be understood. Infiltration and erosion on rangelands have been studied for some time. Review of the literature includes Chapline [1929], Forsling [1932], U.S. Department of Agriculture [1940], Harper [1953], Gifford [1968], and Branson et al. [1972]. However, for Nevada rangeland there is practically no infor matIOn on infiltration and sediment production or on the in fluence of dune interspace areas and associated vesicular hori zons on infiltration and sediment production. The objective of this study was to determine which ground cover and soil pa rameters most influence infiltration and sediment production. METHODS
214 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the impacts of long-term cattle grazing on litter and soil organic matter were assessed in mixed prairie, parkland fescue, and foothills grasslands of Alberta, Canada.
Abstract: Impacts of long-term cattle grazing on litter and soil organic matter were assessed in mixed prairie, parkland fescue, and foothills fescue grasslands of Alberta, Canada. Grazing regimes were of light to very heavy intensities, grazed early, late, and continuously during the growing season. Litter and soil organic matter were sampled in O.l-rnz quadrats and removed as live vegetation, standing Utter, fallen litter, and soil organic matter. Litter and organic matter samples were air dried and sorted by size using sieves and an automatic sieve shaker. Organic carbon content was determined by thermal oxidation. Ground cover was determined using point frames, and heights of standing litter and fallen litter were measured. Heavy intensity and/or early season grazing had greater neptive impacts on litter and soil organic matter than did light intensity and/or late season grazing. Under the former regimes there were significant reductions in heights of standing and fallen litter, decreases in live vegetative cover and organic matter mass, and increases in bare ground. More large particle-sized organic matter, particularly standing litter, occurred in controls than in grazed treatments since it would not be removed or trampled by grazing animals. More medium and small particle-sized organic matter occurred in grazed treatments than in ungrazed controls since vegetation likely decomposed more rapidly when it was trampled and broken down as animals grazed.
205 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors measured the infiltration rates for contrasting slopes in southeast Spain by means of simulated rainfall and ponding and found that aspect as well as slope position and vegetation cover determine the steady state infiltration rates.
157 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the seasonal changes of infiltration rates were investigated by means of simulated rainfall experiments and cylinder infiltrometer were done in a small E-W oriented watershed in Southeast Spain Data were collected during both the wet seasons (autumn, winter and spring) and the dry season (summer) Infiltration rates were very high in summer, when direct surface runoff is very low.
145 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the effects of land abandonment on soil erosion under semiarid conditions were investigated, and simulated rainfall measurements showed that the erosion and runoff increased after the land abandonment, but later erosion decreased owing to the influence of increasing vegetation.
Abstract: Different soil units were selected in southeastern Spain to investigate the effects of land abandonment on soil erosion under semiarid conditions. The study sites selected were a cultivated field (bare), a 3‐yr‐abandoned field (herbs), a 10‐yr‐abandoned field (Artemisia herba‐alba Asso.), and two soil units covered with semi‐native (Stipa tena‐cissima L) and native (Pinus halepensis Miller) vegetation. Simulated rainfall measurements showed that the erosion and runoff increased after the land abandonment, but later erosion decreased owing to the influence of increasing vegetation. Runoff discharge (35%) and the erosion rates (334 g m2 h‐1) were high in the 3‐yr‐abandoned land in comparison with the other land uses. Cultivation promotes infiltration of rainfall; as a consequence, the runoff and erosion rates were greatly reduced. Under Stipa tenacissima and Artemisia herba‐alba, site conditions were very stable because of the high infiltration rates in the vegetated patches (100% of the rain infiltrated). ...
145 citations
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39 citations
"Infiltration and soil erosion as in..." refers methods in this paper
...For example, on the Davis County Experimental Watershed, Marston (1952) found that amounts of summer storm overland flow and soil erosion, during 15 years of observation, were slight on sites where vegetation and litter covered 65% or more of the soil surface....
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28 citations
"Infiltration and soil erosion as in..." refers background in this paper
...The quantitative effects of certain soil properties on infiltration and soil erosion have been presented by Packer (1963) for the Gallatin elk winter range in southwestern Montana, by Dortignac and Love (1961) for ponderosa pine ranges of Colorado, and by Meeuwig (1965) for a subalpine range in…...
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TL;DR: In this paper, the editor of Western Livestock Journal stated that "no matter how high the purpose or how noble the goal, you can't pursue it if you don't show a profit".
Abstract: is paramount with all publications that rely on believability and readability to gain paid subscribers and paid subscribers to gain paid advertising is the necessity to operate at a profit. For no matter how high the purpose or how noble the goal, you can’t pursue it if you don’t show a profit. As editor of Western Livestock Journal it has been my privilege to visit and talk with livestock producers in several parts of the world. I have been impressed first by their eagerness to know more about our livestock production methods and also by their admiration and envy of our industrial and agricultural effiLIVESTOCK PUBLICATIONS
21 citations
"Infiltration and soil erosion as in..." refers background in this paper
...…effects of certain soil properties on infiltration and soil erosion have been presented by Packer (1963) for the Gallatin elk winter range in southwestern Montana, by Dortignac and Love (1961) for ponderosa pine ranges of Colorado, and by Meeuwig (1965) for a subalpine range in central Utah....
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