Review
Soil Science
Agata Novara, Artemi Cerda, Ettore Barone, Luciano Gristina
Summary: Cover crops play a positive role in the sustainability of orchard crops by reducing soil and water losses, improving soil quality, increasing biodiversity, and fertility. Despite their benefits, farmers do not widely apply cover crops and often expect subsidies.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Bai, Haifeng Cui
Summary: This study conducted a 3-year field experiment in China and proposed an improved soil loss prediction model IRUSLE, which takes into account the interaction between rainfall distribution and vegetation index. The IRUSLE model can achieve more effective simulation results than the conventional RULSE model, laying a theoretical foundation for soil loss prediction.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Artemi Cerd, Enric Terol, Ioannis N. Daliakopoulos
Summary: Alternative crop management practices, such as weed cover, have shown positive effects in reducing soil erosion and increasing soil organic matter content in olive orchards. Plantations with weed cover exhibited better soil quality and reduced water losses compared to those with traditional tillage.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Chongjun Tang, Yu Liu, Zhongwu Li, Liping Guo, Aizhen Xu, Jiading Zhao
Summary: This study investigates the regulation effect of vegetation cover pattern on runoff and soil erosion in a humid environment, finding that vegetation cover plays a crucial role in response to rainfall, particularly in mitigating soil loss. The relationship between vegetation coverage and runoff volume weakens as rainfall depth increases.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yu Fu, Dichen Wang, Wenping Sun, Mingming Guo
Summary: This study investigated the effects of planting density and its components (aboveground parts and roots) on slope runoff and soil erosion mechanisms. The results showed that grass significantly reduced the runoff rate, velocity, shear stress, stream power, and soil loss rate. The aboveground parts mainly contributed to the reduction in runoff rate and velocity, while the grass roots mainly contributed to the reduction in Reynolds number, shear stress, stream power, and soil loss rate. The findings of this study provide a scientific reference for vegetation restoration strategies.
LAND DEGRADATION & DEVELOPMENT
(2023)
Article
Soil Science
Luciano Gristina, Agata Novara, Mario Minacapilli
Summary: This study aimed to investigate the impact of tillage on soil translocation and erosion in vineyards, comparing different management practices for soil conservation. The results indicated a high risk of tillage erosion in the majority of vineyards, but adopting cover crops as a best management practice could significantly reduce erosion risk.
SOIL & TILLAGE RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Vladimir Simansky, Jerzy Jonczak, Dorota Pikula, Martin Lukac
Summary: To maintain long-term food production function, historical depletion of agricultural soils, including those in vineyards, must be remedied. This study investigated the impact of five soil management regimes on soil quality indicators such as organic carbon and nitrogen. The results showed that grass cover increased soil organic carbon and potentially mineralizable nitrogen, while plowed tillage resulted in no change. Carbon and management indices were found to be no better than tracking total and labile forms of both elements. Overall, no-till grass sward cover can help recover degraded vineyard soils within 14 years regardless of fertilization or manure addition.
SOIL SCIENCE AND PLANT NUTRITION
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Gwenael Imfeld, Benoit Guyot, Charline Wiegert, Sylvain Payraudeau
Summary: Copper (Cu)- and zinc (Zn)-based formulations are commonly used in vineyards worldwide for fungicide protection. The exports of Cu and Zn in runoff from vineyards are influenced by soil management and rainfall characteristics. This study demonstrates that mechanical soil management before intense or long rainfall-runoff events increased the seasonal mass export of Cu and Zn. Additionally, grass cover in alternative management plots reduced the runoff coefficients and resulted in lower Cu and Zn runoff compared to conventional management plots. Furthermore, ploughing on alternative plots followed by a single intense storm event led to extensive Cu and Zn exports.
WATER AIR AND SOIL POLLUTION
(2023)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Jia Chen, Zhongwu Li, Haibing Xiao, Ke Ning, Chongjun Tang
Summary: The study found that bare land has the greatest impact on soil erosion, while cropland and grassland have the smallest impact. When vegetation coverage exceeds 60%, soil erosion tends to stabilize. Land use with multiple vegetation layers or contact cover can reduce runoff and sediment values.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Bo Sun, Chunjuan Lyu, Rutian Bi, Lu Xia, Xu Zhang, Caicai Xu, Yu Wang, Yansong Guo
Summary: This study found that adding polyacrylamide of different molecular weights and mass concentrations can significantly improve water transport in iron tailings, increase water retention and saturated water content. However, different molecular weights and mass concentrations of PAM have different effects on the infiltration capacity of iron tailings, and appropriate treatment should be selected based on the actual conditions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tunde Takats, Janos Meszaros, Gaspar Albert
Summary: Intense soil erosion in the northern part of Gerecse Hills in Hungary is damaging vineyards in the area. This study quantified the amount of eroded soils in three vineyards in the Neszmely Wine Region using a one-year monitoring method. Aerial photographs of the vineyards were processed to estimate soil loss using the Universal Soil Loss Equation model. The results show that intense summer rainfall has a more significant effect on erosion compared to autumn or winter rainfall, and the inter-row grassing in the vineyards helps control erosion to some extent.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Mingguo Zheng, Yishan Liao, Chen Liang, Bin Huang, Zaijian Yuan
Summary: This study conducted experiments on the Chinese Loess Plateau and found that erosion-induced network of rills and gullies increased flow connectivity, resulting in uniform runoff from the upper hillslope to the headwater outlet. The results suggest that scale-independent runoff is typical of highly degraded slope systems.
Article
Soil Science
Kai Yang, Yunge Zhao, Liqian Gao, Hui Sun, Kangmin Gu
Summary: The study revealed a significant relationship between biocrust coverage and runoff rate, sediment yield, affecting the water flow pattern and velocity as well as providing direct and indirect protection to the soil surface. The variation in biocrust coverage was identified as one of the main driving factors influencing soil hydrological and erosive behaviors, highlighting the importance of considering biocrust effects in soil erosion models.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Se-In Park, Hye In Yang, Hyun-Jin Park, Bo-Seong Seo, Young-Jae Jeong, Sang-Sun Lim, Jin-Hyeob Kwak, Han-Yong Kim, Kwang-Sik Yoon, Sang-Mo Lee, Woo-Jung Choi
Summary: Surface cover with crop residue can reduce soil and total CNP losses, but may increase dissolved organic carbon export. It can also enhance maize growth and yield.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Lei Xu, Xiangyu Xing, Hongbiao Cui, Jing Zhou, Jun Zhou, Jianbiao Peng, Jingfeng Bai, Xuebo Zheng, Mingfei Ji
Summary: Adding lime significantly reduces the exchangeable fraction of copper and cadmium in soil, while plant species can decrease runoff generation. Different copper-tolerant plant species have varying effects on water-soluble copper concentrations, but combined remediation effectively reduces copper erosion to aquatic ecosystems.
FRONTIERS IN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Grangeon, Valeria Ceriani, Olivier Evrard, Aurelie Grison, Rosalie Vandromme, Arthur Gaillot, Olivier Cerdan, Sebastien Salvador-Blanes
Summary: This study quantified water and sediment transfers in a tile drained catchment of central France and found high seasonal variability and two transfer pathways in the soil column during 36 recorded flood events.
Article
Geography, Physical
Clement Chabert, Francesca Degan, Sebastien Salvador-Blanes, Olivier Evrard, Rosalie Vandromme, Olivier Cerdan
Summary: The research improved a soil erosion model in one of the largest river basins in France by adjusting seasonal variations in land cover, enhancing discrimination of soil textures, and describing rainfall erosivity variations. The updated model showed changes in soil erosion risk for 35% of pixels in the Loire River basin and 49% of management units when aggregated at the scale of water bodies. These revisions were discussed in terms of their implications for local decision makers, highlighting the importance of focusing management budgets on water bodies with the highest erosion risk.
ZEITSCHRIFT FUR GEOMORPHOLOGIE
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
L. Ledieu, A. Simonneau, T. Thiebault, L. Fougere, E. Destandau, O. Cerdan, F. Laggoun
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of pharmaceutical products (PPs) in different particulate compartments, with results indicating that the occurrences of PPs in particles were mainly controlled by their wastewater sources and charges. The spatial distributions of PPs in the particulate phases followed the stream sedimentary dynamics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Thomas Grangeon, Rosalie Vandromme, Olivier Cerdan, Maria De Girolamo Anna, Antonio Lo Porto
Summary: Forests provide ecological and hydrological services, but forest fires can have negative impacts, requiring appropriate mitigation strategies. A study used a model to analyze the effects of forest fires and firebreaks on sediment loads. More research is needed to understand the global impacts of forest growth, fires, and firebreaks on sediment transfers in similar environments.
JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Abou-Soufianou Sadda, Geo Coppens d'Eeckenbrugge, Abdoul-Aziz Saidou, Abdoulaye Diouf, Nouhou Salifou Jangorzo, Hassane Bil-Assanou Issoufou, Oumarou Malam-Issa
Summary: The increasing severity of Striga gesnerioides attacks on cowpea is mainly related to the arid regions in West Africa, such as the Sahelian and Sudano-Sahelian belts. Infections are restricted to the driest components of cultivated cowpea ecoclimatic niche, corresponding to the Sahelian and Sudano-Sahelian belts and the Dahomey gap.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Anthony Foucher, Olivier Evrard, Olivier Cerdan, Clement Chabert, Irene Lefevre, Rosalie Vandromme, Sebastien Salvador-Blanes
Summary: Intensification of agricultural practices during the second half of the 20th century has accelerated soil erosion globally. Analysis of sediment deposits in reservoirs can reconstruct these trends and identify driving factors, demonstrating the long-term impact of human activities and rainfall dynamics on soil erosion. Erosion rates in the lowland catchment increased seven-fold, with landscape modifications likely driving pluri-decadal trends while rainfall intensity played a major role in annual sediment dynamics.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alice P. B. Dambroz, Jean P. G. Minella, Tales Tiecher, Jean M. Moura-Bueno, Olivier Evrard, Fabricio A. Pedron, Ricardo S. D. Dalmolin, Felipe Bernardi, Fabio J. A. Schneider, Olivier Cerdan
Summary: The purpose erosion and its spatial distribution in three agricultural headwater catchments were assessed in the border of the volcanic plateau in Southern Brazil. The results showed that areas covered by crop fields, grasslands, and those adjacent to the drainage network are the most sensitive to erosion. Unpaved roads were identified as significant sediment sources.
JOURNAL OF SOILS AND SEDIMENTS
(2022)
Article
Agronomy
Abou-Soufianou Sadda, Oumarou Malam Issa, Nouhou Salifou Jangorzo, Abdoul-Aziz Saidou, Hassane Bil-Assanou Issoufou, Abdoulaye Diouf
Summary: The study found that soil properties such as available phosphorus, organic carbon, pH, nitrogen, and sand content affect the variation in Striga gesnerioides infestation at the plot scale, with different cowpea varieties showing varying levels of resistance. Soil moisture in Niger was identified as the key factor explaining 48.6% of S. gesnerioides distribution at the landscape scale, followed by silt content, sand content, and bulk density. This dichotomy in interactions between S. gesnerioides occurrence and soil properties at different scales provides valuable insights for developing integrated control strategies.
Review
Biology
Bettina Weber, Jayne Belnap, Burkhard Budel, Anita J. Antoninka, Nichole N. Barger, V. Bala Chaudhary, Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi, David J. Eldridge, Akasha M. Faist, Scott Ferrenberg, Caroline A. Havrilla, Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald, Oumarou Malam Issa, Fernando T. Maestre, Sasha C. Reed, Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero, Colin Tucker, Kristina E. Young, Yuanming Zhang, Yunge Zhao, Xiaobing Zhou, Matthew A. Bowker
Summary: Studies of biocrusts have grown in recent years with a broader literature, increased research scope, and incorporation into global perspectives and models. This review aims to establish a clear and comprehensive definition of biocrusts, highlighting their ecological relevance and ecosystem services. The four defining elements of biocrusts are physical structure, functional characteristics, habitat, and taxonomic composition. The review also covers outgroups and different community types falling under the biocrust definition. The suggested universal definition emphasizes the association between soil particles and photoautotrophic and heterotrophic organisms living within or on top of the uppermost millimeters of soil.
BIOLOGICAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Anna Maria De Girolamo, Olivier Cerdan, Thomas Grangeon, Giovanni Francesco Ricci, Rosalie Vandromme, Antonio Lo Porto
Summary: This paper models the impact of forest fires and post-fire mitigation measures on soil erosion. The study finds that the effects of fire on surface runoff are negligible, but it significantly increases specific sediment yield (SSY).
Article
Soil Science
Pascal Jouquet, Ajay Harit, Vincent Herve, Hemanth Moger, Tiago Carrijo, David A. Donoso, David Eldridge, Helida Ferreira da Cunha, Chutinan Choosai, Jean-Louis Janeau, Jean-Luc Maeght, Thuy Doan Thu, Alexia Briandon, Myriam Dahbi Skali, John van Thuyne, Ali Mainga, Olga Patricia Pinzon Florian, Oumarou Malam Issa, Pascal Podwojewski, Jean-Louis Rajot, Thierry Henri-des-Tureaux, Lotfi Smaili, Mohamed Labiadh, Hanane Aroui Boukbida, Rashmi Shanbhag, Ratha Muon, Vannak Ann, Sougueh Cheik, Saliou Fall, Saran Traore, Simon Dupont, Thomas Chouvenc, Aaron J. Mullins, Syaukani Syaukani, Rainer Zaiss, Tran Minh Tien, Jan Sobotnik, Apolline Auclerc, Rongliang Qiu, Ye-Tao Tang, Hermine Huot, David Sillam-Dusses, Nicolas Bottinelli
Summary: Termites play a key role in tropical ecosystems as soil bioturbators. This study aimed to determine the factors influencing the physical and chemical properties of termite-made soil sheeting. The results showed that sheeting properties were influenced by environmental factors, particularly the properties of the bulk soil. However, classic hypotheses related to termite feeding and building strategies were not supported. The distinction between fungus-growing and non-fungus growing species was useful in differentiating the impact on soil properties. The findings suggest the need to redefine termite functional groups based on their impacts on soil properties.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Thomas Grangeon, Rosalie Vandromme, Lai Ting Pak, Philippe Martin, Olivier Cerdan, Jean-Baptiste Richet, Olivier Evrard, Veronique Souchere, Anne-Veronique Auzet, Bruno Ludwig, Jean-Francois Ouvry
Summary: Developing distributed runoff and soil erosion models is crucial for managing cultivated areas. However, parameterization of such models in agricultural catchments is challenging due to the variability of soil properties. This study addresses this issue by proposing a software that combines land use management and soil surface state analysis. The software was evaluated using a 9-year dataset in an agricultural catchment and showed promising results. It can be used in other ungauged catchments for exploring the impact on agricultural catchment hydrological dynamics.
Article
Water Resources
Edouard Patault, Arnaud Soulignac, Valentin Landemaine, Jerome Ledun, Erwan Allard, Matthieu Fournier, Jean-Francois Ouvry, Olivier Cerdan, Benoit Laignel
Summary: This study examines the effectiveness and economic efficiency of measures to address surface runoff impacts in the Seine-Maritime and Eure areas. The simulations show that structural hydraulic structures are effective in reducing damage, while changes in agricultural practices can significantly influence potential flood damage.
LHB-HYDROSCIENCE JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Edouard Patault, Valentin Landemaine, Jerome Ledun, Arnaud Soulignac, Matthieu Fournier, Jean-Francois Ouvry, Olivier Cerdan, Benoit Laignel
Summary: This study evaluated sediment discharge variability at a karstic spring water treatment plant using a deep neural network model and a cascade modelling approach. The results showed that ploughing up grasslands would increase sediment discharge, while eco-engineering and best farming practices would significantly decrease it. The combination of these strategies proved to be the most effective, reducing sediment discharge by 40%-80%.
HYDROLOGY AND EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Olivier Evrard, Caroline Chartin, J. Patrick Laceby, Yuichi Onda, Yoshifumi Wakiyama, Atsushi Nakao, Olivier Cerdan, Hugo Lepage, Hugo Jaegler, Rosalie Vandromme, Irene Lefevre, Philippe Bonte
Summary: A study compiled data on gamma-emitting artificial radionuclide activities measured in 782 sediment samples collected during 16 fieldwork campaigns in Japan from November 2011 to November 2020. This dataset may help in evaluating and anticipating the post-accidental redistribution of radionuclides in the environment and validating models simulating the transfer of radiocesium across continental landscapes.
EARTH SYSTEM SCIENCE DATA
(2021)