Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Nejc Bezak, Pasquale Borrelli, Matjaz Mikos, Mateja Jemec Auflic, Panos Panagos
Summary: Soil erosion is expected to increase due to climate change. This study evaluates the applicability of the Erosion Potential Model (EPM) and its modified version (mEPM) for estimating erosion rates globally. The results show that mEPM overcomes the limitations of EPM in cold regions. The gross erosion rates by EPM are higher compared to USLE-type models, indicating the importance of considering other erosion processes.
Article
Computer Science, Interdisciplinary Applications
Yanto, Muhammad Dimyati
Summary: The Sediment Transport and Erosion Prediction (STEP) model is thoroughly described in this paper. It was implemented in the Kalisapi sub-watershed, Central Java, Indonesia, at a 3.47 km x 3.47 km grid resolution. The model was successfully calibrated and validated during the periods of 2003-2008 and 2010-2014, respectively. The results demonstrate that the STEP model performs well in predicting monthly and annual sediment transport rates, with R2 values of 0.71 and 0.9 during the calibration and validation periods, respectively. Additionally, the STEP model displays more equitable spatial variability compared to the widely known USLE model. Hence, it can be concluded that the STEP model is capable of simulating the spatial and temporal variability of sediment transport from a watershed at monthly and annual time scales.
ENVIRONMENTAL MODELLING & SOFTWARE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Simoni Alexiou, Nikolaos Efthimiou, Mina Karamesouti, Ioannis Papanikolaou, Emmanouil Psomiadis, Nikos Charizopoulos
Summary: The number of model-based soil erosion studies has been increasing due to the availability of geodata and recent technological advances. However, the accuracy of these studies remains questionable due to the lack of field records for validation. This study presents a method for measuring sediment deposition through high spatial resolution field measurements acquired by a UAV survey. The results show that the widely applied PESERA and RUSLE models underestimate the net soil loss rate.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Francis Kilundu Musyoka, Peter Strauss, Guangju Zhao, Raghavan Srinivasan, Andreas Klik
Summary: This study presents a comprehensive modeling approach for a small agricultural watershed using the SWAT model, with a focus on stepwise calibration to improve accuracy. The results demonstrate that the stepwise calibration approach outperforms the traditional simultaneous calibration approach in streamflow prediction accuracy.
Article
Environmental Studies
Wakjira Takala Dibaba, Tamene Adugna Demissie, Konrad Miegel
Summary: Excessive soil loss and sediment yield in the highlands of Ethiopia are major contributors to land degradation, affecting water resources and existing water infrastructure. The study in the Finchaa catchment revealed areas with high erosion risks and identified priority areas for soil conservation practices. Implementing effective management practices, such as contour farming and soil bund, can significantly reduce sediment yields and mitigate soil erosion in the region.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Mira Haddad, Stefan Martin Strohmeier, Kossi Nouwakpo, Omar Rimawi, Mark Weltz, Geert Sterk
Summary: Restoring degraded rangelands in Jordan using mechanized water harvesting and native species planting is crucial for enhancing and maintaining the productivity and resilience of fragile ecosystems. Research findings indicate that restoration can reduce surface runoff and soil erosion, bringing rangeland water and sediment dynamics closer to historical baseline conditions.
INTERNATIONAL SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
V. Pampalone, C. Di Stefano, A. Nicosia, V. Palmeri, V. Ferro
Summary: The study analyzed the morphology of step-pool features in streams and rills, comparing the relationships between step height and length, gradient, flow resistance, and formation processes. Results showed similar relationships between streams and rills, but inconsistencies in pool formation and profiles. Step-pool units in rills significantly increased flow resistance compared to flat bed segments. The Froude number over step-pool units in rills was slightly below the range corresponding to maximum flow resistance.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2021)
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Melese Baye Hailu, Surendra Kumar Mishra, Sanjay K. Jain
Summary: Soil conservation is crucial for maintaining reservoir service life and increasing yield, as soil erosion is a global concern that negatively impacts both storage capacity and land fertility. This study assesses spatio-temporal variation of soil erosion using the SWAT model and identifies the most effective soil conservation practice for Tekeze watershed in Northern Ethiopia. Four soil conservation management scenarios were examined, and the implementation of proposed measures resulted in significant reduction of erosion in selected sub-watersheds compared to the baseline scenario. Additionally, priority areas for cost savings and improved work efficiency in large watersheds were identified.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Subhankar Das, Manoj Kumar Jain, Vivek Gupta
Summary: This study prepared the first-ever rainfall erosivity map for India using high-resolution satellite precipitation data, finding that the most erosive season is the summer monsoon, and identifying erosion hotspot areas in India.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Xuyan Yang, Qinke Yang, Haonan Zhu, Lei Wang, Chunmei Wang, Guowei Pang, Chaozheng Du, Muhammad Mubeen, Mirza Waleed, Sajjad Hussain
Summary: In this study, GIS and machine learning approaches were used to predict soil water and wind erosion rates in Pakistan. The results showed that water erosion is the main threat in the Potohar Plateau and its surrounding regions, while wind erosion is predominant in the Kharan Desert and the Thar Desert. The study provides valuable insights for soil and water conservation practices.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yanfei Li, Zhengang Wang, Jianlin Zhao, Yongming Lin, Guoping Tang, Zhen Tao, Quanzhou Gao, Aimin Chen
Summary: Soil erosion is a significant issue in China, with cultivated soils experiencing higher rates of soil loss compared to uncultivated soils. Factors such as slope gradient and slope length are positively correlated with soil loss rates. Discrepancies exist between soil loss rates derived from Cs-137 inventories and erosion plots due to their focus on different erosion processes and spatio-temporal scales.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Andres Penuela, Antonio Hayas, Juan Infante-Amate, Pablo Ruiz-Montes, Arnaud Temme, Tony Reimann, Adolfo Pena-Acevedo, Tom Vanwalleghem
Summary: The cultivation of cereal and olives has had a significant impact on soil erosion in southern Spain since human settlement. The study of two catchments revealed a strong connection between agricultural land management practices and soil erosion over the past seven millennia.
Review
Environmental Sciences
Lea Epple, Andreas Kaiser, Marcus Schindewolf, Anne Bienert, Jonas Lenz, Anette Eltner
Summary: Soil erosion modelling tools and assessment techniques play a crucial role in investigating soil erosion processes and predicting their impacts. However, current models still have limitations and require further development and improvement.
Article
Green & Sustainable Science & Technology
Degen Lin, Peijun Shi, Michael Meadows, Huiming Yang, Jing'ai Wang, Gangfeng Zhang, Zhenhua Hu
Summary: Soil degradation due to erosion is prevalent in semiarid regions worldwide, especially in the agro-pastoral ecotone of northern China. This study utilized various equations to map the distribution of three types of soil erosion, highlighting the importance of compound soil erosion in these areas.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Joao M. Villela, Jamil A. A. Anache, Alex M. Watanabe, Dennis C. Flanagan, Edson C. Wendland, Silvio Crestana
Summary: This study evaluated the performance of a water erosion tracer based on rare earth elements, and found that it could accurately estimate erosion/deposition rates, providing valuable insights for soil management and erosion model validation.
INTERNATIONAL SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Felicity Monger, Dominick Spracklen, Mike Kirkby, Lee Schofield
Summary: The study shows that semi-natural broadleaf woodlands can reduce peak discharge and runoff coefficients, prolong flood response time, and the more permeable woodland soils contribute to the differences in flood response.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2022)
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
Environmental Sciences
Jianlin Zhao, Zhengang Wang, Yifan Dong, Zhiqiang Yang, Gerard Govers
Summary: The study found that land use in China significantly affects soil loss and runoff, with lower rates on land covered by grass and trees compared to cropland. Slope gradient and slope length impact soil loss and runoff rates on cropland, while having no significant effect on plots with permanent vegetation cover. Runoff rates consistently increase with mean annual precipitation.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(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
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
Geography, Physical
Nils Broothaerts, Vao Fenotiana Razanamahandry, Liesa Brosens, Benjamin Campforts, Liesbet Jacobs, Tantely Razafimbelo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, Gert Verstraeten, Steven Bouillon, Gerard Govers
Summary: Madagascar has high erosion rates in its central highlands, and the role of human disturbance versus natural processes is still debatable. However, there is a lack of quantitative data to understand the vegetation dynamics and sediment fluxes in Madagascar over time. This study focuses on the Lake Alaotra region to investigate vegetation changes and sediment transfers over the past millennia, specifically looking at the impact of human disturbances and natural processes. The findings suggest that human activities have indirectly influenced vegetation shifts, while there is strong evidence of direct human disturbance on sediment accumulation through increased use of grasslands.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Zhengang Wang, Yizhe Zhang, Gerard Govers, Guoping Tang, Timothy A. Quine, Jianxiu Qiu, Ana Navas, Haiyan Fang, Qian Tan, Kristof Van Oost
Summary: Erosion and soil organic carbon (SOC) are influenced by climate, and the extent to which temperature controls the interaction between them is unclear. Using Cs-137 and SOC inventories from catchments with different climates, the study finds that increasing decomposition rates with temperature lead to efficient replacement of SOC lost by erosion in eroding areas, but lower preservation of deposited SOC in depositional areas. At the landscape level, the erosion-induced C sink strength per unit lateral SOC flux increases with temperature. The study estimates that the global C sink induced by water erosion on croplands increases by 7% due to climate change.
NATURE CLIMATE CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Limnology
Jean-Philippe Belliard, Olivier Gourgue, Gerard Govers, Matthew L. Kirwan, Stijn Temmerman
Summary: The adaptability of coastal wetlands to relative sea level rise is influenced by the tidal pattern, with less frequent diurnal tides leading to higher vulnerability. This overlooked driver highlights the need for further research on the impact of tidal patterns on wetland ecosystems.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Liesa Brosens, Ronadh Cox, Benjamin Campforts, Liesbet Jacobs, Veerle Vanacker, Paul Bierman, Vao Fenotiana Razanamahandry, Amos Fety Michel Rakotondrazafy, Tantely Razafimbelo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, Gerard Govers
Summary: Cosmogenic nuclide analysis of river sediment in Madagascar reveals low and spatially variable Be-10-inferred erosion rates, with elevation as the main controlling factor. River concavity, seismic events, and gully densities also contribute to regional differences in erosion rates. These findings highlight the limitations of simple topography-based models and emphasize the importance of considering different regions and environmental controls in interpreting erosion rates inferred from Be-10 concentrations.
EARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS
(2023)
Article
Water Resources
Lorna Kingsbury-Smith, Thomas Willis, Mark Smith, Helene Boisgontier, Daniel Turner, Jack Hirst, Michael Kirkby, Megan Klaar
Summary: Natural flood management (NFM) is a catchment-based approach for reducing flood risk. This study uses fieldwork, laboratory analysis, and modeling to quantify the impact of land use management changes on catchment flood hazard. The findings support the implementation of NFM interventions as a means of reducing flood hazard within a rural upland catchment.
HYDROLOGICAL PROCESSES
(2023)
Article
Food Science & Technology
Koen De Vos, Charlotte Janssens, Liesbet Jacobs, Benjamin Campforts, Esther Boere, Marta Kozicka, Petr Havlik, Christian Folberth, Juraj Balkovic, Miet Maertens, Gerard Govers
Summary: African rice production is affected by high variability in yields and uncertain supply chains. This study proposes a framework to assess the future impacts of socio-economic development and climate change on rice availability and stability in Africa. The study highlights the importance of both local and trade-related climatic variabilities in identifying future challenges.
Article
Remote Sensing
Koen De Vos, Benjamin Campforts, Laurent Tits, Kristof Van Tricht, Kasper Bonte, Gerard Govers, Liesbet Jacobs
Summary: Assessing rice production potential in Madagascar is important due to population growth and rice consumption. Remote sensing and crowdsourced data can be used to improve mapping, but their usefulness depends on representativeness and the application context. Establishing a multi-faceted evaluation framework is necessary for credible maps using crowdsourcing.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF APPLIED EARTH OBSERVATION AND GEOINFORMATION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Vao Fenotiana Razanamahandry, Marjolein Dewaele, Gerard Govers, Liesa Brosens, Benjamin Campforts, Liesbet Jacobs, Tantely Razafimbelo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, Steven Bouillon
Summary: This study examines the debate surrounding the extent of forest coverage in the central highlands of Madagascar and analyzes the carbon and sediment dynamics of grassland and forest soils. The study finds that grassland soils have lower organic carbon content compared to forest soils, and that the grasslands have developed on soils previously dominated by C-3 plants. Additionally, the grasslands in valley positions contain more recent grass-derived organic carbon, likely due to higher productivity and erosion.
Article
Ecology
Rey Harvey Suello, Simon Lucas Hernandez, Steven Bouillon, Jean-Philippe Belliard, Luis Dominguez-Granda, Marijn Van de Broek, Andrea Mishell Rosado Moncayo, John Ramos Veliz, Karem Pollette Ramirez, Gerard Govers, Stijn Temmerman
Summary: This study investigates the sources and preservation differences of sediment organic carbon (SOC) between different mangrove sites in the Guayas delta of Ecuador. The results reveal that young and river-dominated mangrove sites have lower SOC stocks and higher contributions of allochthonous SOC compared to old and marine-dominated sites.
Article
Geography, Physical
Liesa Brosens, Benjamin Campforts, Gerard Govers, Emilien Aldana-Jague, Vao Fenotiana Razanamahandry, Tantely Razafimbelo, Tovonarivo Rafolisy, Liesbet Jacobs
Summary: Developments in remote sensing and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology have provided abundant topographic information. This study evaluates the performance of the TanDEM-X DEM in estimating gully volume and erosion rates. It is found that TanDEM-X data can accurately estimate the volume of large geomorphic features but underestimate the volume of smaller features. By introducing a breakpoint analysis, an area-volume relationship is established and regional erosion rates in Madagascar are assessed.
EARTH SURFACE DYNAMICS
(2022)