Site‐scale variability of streambank fluvial erodibility parameters as measured with a jet erosion test

The erosion rate of cohesive streambanks is typically modelled using the excess shear stress equation, dependent on two erodibility parameters: critical shear stress and erodibility coefficient. The jet erosion test (JET) has become the most common method for estimating these erodibility parameters in situ. Typically, results from a few JETs are averaged to acquire a single set of parameters for characterizing a streambank layer; however, this may be inadequate for accurately characterizing erodibility. The research objectives were to investigate the variability of JET results from assumed homogeneous streambank layers and to estimate the number of JETs required to accurately characterize erodibility for use in predictive models. On three unique streambanks in Oklahoma and across a range of erodibility, 20 to 30 JETs were conducted over a span of three days at each site. Unique to this research, each JET was analysed using the Blaisdell, scour depth and iterative solutions. The required sample size to accurately estimate the erodibility parameters depended on the JET solution technique, the parameter being estimated, and the degrees of precision and confidence. Conducting three to five JETs per soil layer on a streambank typically provided an order of magnitude estimate of the erodibility parameters. Because the parameters were log‐normally distributed, using empirical equations to predict erosion properties based on soil characteristics will likely contain high uncertainty and thus should be used with caution. This study exemplifies the need to conduct in situ measurements using the JET to accurately characterize streambank resistance to fluvial erosion. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil loss rates due to piping erosion

Compared with surface soil erosion by water, subsurface erosion (piping) is generally less studied and harder to quantify. However, wherever piping occurs, it is often a significant or even the main sediment source. In this study, the significance of soil loss due to piping is demonstrated through an estimation of soil volume lost from pipes and pipe collapses (n = 560) in 137 parcels under pasture on loess‐derived soils in a temperate humid climate (Belgium). Assuming a period of 5 to 10 years for pipe collapse to occur, mean soil loss rates of 2.3 and 4.6 t ha^?1 yr^?1 are obtained, which are at least one order of magnitude higher than surface erosion rates (0.01–0.29 t ha^?1 yr^?1) by sheet and rill erosion under a similar land use. The results obtained for the study area in the Flemish Ardennes correspond well to other measurements in temperate environments; they are, however, considerably smaller than soil loss rates due to subsurface erosion in semi‐arid environments. Although local slope gradient and drainage area largely control the location of collapsed pipes in the study area, these topographic parameters do not explain differences in eroded volumes by piping. Hence, incorporation of subsurface erosion in erosion models is not straightforward. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Soil pipe collapses in a loess pasture of Goodwin Creek watershed,Mississippi: role of soil properties and past land use

Little is known about the association of soil pipe collapse features with soil properties or land use history. Three loess covered catchments in northern Mississippi, USA were characterized to investigate these relationships. Soil pipe collapses were characterized for their size, type feature and spatial location along with soil properties across the three catchments. Although mapped as the same soil, one of the catchments did not contain pipe collapse features while the other two had 29.4 and 15.4 pipe collapses per hectare. These loess soils contained fragipan layers that are suspected of perching water, thereby initiating the piping processes. Pipe collapses associated with subsurface flow paths were not always consistent with surface topography. The surface layer tended to be non‐erodible while layers below, even the upper fragipan layers, were susceptible to erosion by pipeflow. Soil properties of the lowest fragipan layer were highly variable but tended to prevent further downward erosion of soil pipes and thus formed a lower boundary for gullies. Middle to lower landscape positions in one of the piped catchments contained anthropic soils that were highly erodible. These anthropic soils were previously gullies that were filled‐in in the 1950s when forested areas, assumed to have been established when land was previously converted from crop to forest land, were converted to pasture. Three decades after this land use change from forest to pasture, pipe collapses became evident. In contrast, the adjacent catchment that does not exhibit pipe collapse features experienced severe sheet and rill erosion prior to the 1930s while in cotton production. The surface horizons above the lower fragipan layer were completely removed during this period, thus the top‐soil layer that tends to form a bridge above soil pipes in the more erodible subsoil layers was removed. This study showed that knowledge of soil characteristics or topography alone do not explain the distribution of soil pipe collapses as past land use can play a definitive role. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The use of small flumes for the determination of soil erodibility

The objective of this study was to examine the possibility of determining soil erodibility of loamy soils with small flumes. This was done by comparing the classification of soil erodibility obtained in the field with that obtained in the laboratory. Therefore twenty soils with a texture varying from silty loam to sandy loam were selected from the Leuven region. The erosion in the field was determined by measuring the volumetric evolution of the rill pattern. In the laboratory the soils were tested with a rainfall simulator and small flumes. The conclusion was that for loamy soils the flume experiments are a quick, simple, and reliable method for the determination of the relative soil erodibility.     

Use of incipient motion data for backward erosion piping models

Backward erosion piping involves the gradual removal of granular material under the action of water flow from the foundation of a dam or levee, whereby shallow pipes are formed that grow in the direction opposite to the flow. This pipe-forming process can ultimately lead to failure of a water-retaining structure and is considered one of the most important failure mechanisms for dikes and levees in the Netherlands and the United States. Modeling of this mechanism requires the assessment of hydraulic conditions in the pipe, which are controlled by the particle equilibrium at the pipe wall. Since the pipe's dimensions are controlled by the inflow to the pipe from the porous medium, the flow through the pipe is thought to be laminar for fine- to medium-grained sands. The literature provides data for incipient motion in laminar flow, which is reviewed here and complemented with data from backward erosion experiments. The experiments illustrate the applicability of the laminar incipient motion data to determine the erosion pipe dimensions and corresponding pipe hydraulics for fine- to medium-grained sands, for the purpose of backward erosion piping modeling.     

Influence of seepage undercutting on the stability of root‐reinforced streambanks

Several mechanisms contribute to streambank failure including fluvial toe undercutting, reduced soil shear strength by increased soil pore‐water pressure, and seepage erosion. Recent research has suggested that seepage erosion of noncohesive soil layers undercutting the banks may play an equivalent role in streambank failure to increased soil pore‐water pressure. However, this past research has primarily been limited to laboratory studies of non‐vegetated banks. The objective of this research was to utilize the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM) in order to determine the importance of seepage undercutting relative to bank shear strength, bank angle, soil pore‐water pressure, and root reinforcement. The BSTEM simulated two streambanks: Little Topashaw Creek and Goodwin Creek in northern Mississippi. Simulations included three bank angles (70° to 90°), four pore‐water pressure distributions (unsaturated, two partially saturated cases, and fully saturated), six distances of undercutting (0 to 40 cm), and 13 different vegetation conditions (root cohesions from 0·0 to 15·0 kPa). A relative sensitivity analysis suggested that BSTEM was approximately three to four times more sensitive to water table position than root cohesion or depth of seepage undercutting. Seepage undercutting becomes a prominent bank failure mechanism on unsaturated to partially saturated streambanks with root reinforcement, even with undercutting distances as small as 20 cm. Consideration of seepage undercutting is less important under conditions of partially to fully saturated soil pore‐water conditions. The distance at which instability by undercutting became equivalent to instability by increased soil pore‐water pressure decreased as root reinforcement increased, with values typically ranging between 20 and 40 cm at Little Topashaw Creek and between 20 and 55 cm at Goodwin Creek. This research depicts the baseline conditions at which seepage undercutting of vegetated streambanks needs to be considered for bank stability analyses. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Understanding soil‐pipe flow and its role in ephemeral gully erosion

The role of soil pipeflow in ephemeral gully erosion is not well understood. Experiments were conducted on continuous soil pipes to better understand the role of internal erosion of soil pipes and its relation to ephemeral gully development. Soil beds of 140 cm length, 100 cm width and 20 cm depth had a single soil pipe of different initial sizes (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 mm diameter) extend from a water reservoir to the outlet. Experiments were run on Providence silt loam and Smithdale loam soils under a constant head of 15 cm established for 30 min. Either the tunnel collapsed or the head could not be maintained. Soil pipes that were initially 2 and 4 mm clogged instantaneously at their mouth and did not exhibit flow, whereas, pipes initially ≥ 6 mm enlarged by 268, 397, and 699% on average for the 6, 8, and 10 mm diameters, respectively. Critical shear stress values were found to be essentially zero, and erodibility values gave erosion indexes that were extremely high. The rapid internal erosion resulted in erratic flow and sediment concentrations with periods of no flow as pipes were temporarily clogged followed by surges of high flow and high sediment concentrations. Tensiometers within 6 cm of the soil pipes did not exhibit pressure increases typically associated with pipe clogging. Flow through 10 mm diameter soil pipes exhibited tunnel collapse for both soils tested. Tunnel collapse typically occurred within minutes of flow establishment suggesting that ephemeral gullies could be misinterpreted as being caused by convergent surface flow if observations were made after the runoff event instead of when flow is first established through soil pipes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rainfall‐induced consolidation and sealing effects on soil erodibility during concentrated runoff for loess‐derived topsoils

Flume experiments simulating concentrated runoff were carried out on remolded silt loam soil samples (0·36 × 0·09 × 0·09 m³) to measure the effect of rainfall‐induced soil consolidation and soil surface sealing on soil erosion by concentrated flow for loess‐derived soils and to establish a relationship between soil erodibility and soil bulk density. Soil consolidation and sealing were simulated by successive simulated rainfall events (0–600 mm of cumulative rainfall) alternated by periods of drying. Soil detachment measurements were repeated for four different soil moisture contents (0·04, 0·14, 0·20 and 0·31 g g^?1). Whereas no effect of soil consolidation and sealing is observed for critical flow shear stress (τ_cr), soil erodibility (Kc) decreases exponentially with increasing cumulative rainfall depth. The erosion‐reducing effect of soil consolidation and sealing decreases with a decreasing soil moisture content prior to erosion due to slaking effects occurring during rapid wetting of the dry topsoil. After about 100 mm of rainfall, Kc attains its minimum value for all moisture conditions, corresponding to a reduction of about 70% compared with the initial Kc value for the moist soil samples and only a 10% reduction for the driest soil samples. The relationship estimating relative Kc values from soil moisture content and cumulative rainfall depth predicts Kc values measured on a gradually consolidating cropland field in the Belgian Loess Belt reasonably well (MEF = 0·54). Kc is also shown to decrease linearly with increasing soil bulk density for all moisture treatments, suggesting that the compaction of thalwegs where concentrated flow erosion often occurs might be an alternative soil erosion control measure in addition to grassed waterways and double drilling. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Time-dependency of runoff velocity and erosion the effect of the initial soil moisture profile

The paper reports on experiments carried out to evaluate the effect of the initial soil moisture profile on temporal variations in runoff erosion rate. The moisture profile was varied by applying infrared heating to the soil sample surface over various time periods, while runoff erosivity was varied by varying the slope of the flume. The experiment confirms that dry loamy soils are very erodible: on a slope length of only 4.3 m long sediment concentrations are near transporting capacity in case of a dry soil sample. It appears that temporal variations in sediment concentrations can be well simulated using a simple relationship between runoff erosion resistance and initial soil moisture content, thereby implicitly assuming that the effect of initial moisture content is persistent over the whole duration of the experiment. The implications of these findings with respect to the modelling of sediment output from larger catchments and the design of experiments on rill erodibility are discussed. The experiments also show that, under the present circumstances, mean velocities in the rills appear to be independent of slope. This finding may be of importance with respect to overland flow routing and deterministic erosion modelling.     

Assessment of soil factors controlling ephemeral gully erosion on agricultural fields

The soil factor is crucial in controlling and properly modeling the initiation and development of ephemeral gullies (EGs). Usually, EG initiation has been related to various soil properties (i.e. sealing, critical shear stress, moisture, texture, etc.); meanwhile, the total growth of each EG (erosion rate) has been linked with proper soil erodibility. But, despite the studies to determine the influence of soil erodibility on (ephemeral) gully erosion, a universal approach is still lacking. This is due to the complex relationship and interactions between soil properties and the erosive process. A feasible soil characterization of EG erosion prediction on a large scale should be based on simple, quick and inexpensive tests to perform. The objective of this study was to identify and assess the soil properties – easily and quickly to determine – which best reflect soil erodibility on EG erosion. Forty‐nine different physical–chemical soil properties that may participate in establishing soil erodibility were determined on agricultural soils affected by the formation of EGs in Spain and Italy. Experiments were conducted in the laboratory and in the field (in the vicinity of the erosion paths). Because of its importance in controlling EG erosion, five variables related to antecedent moisture prior to the event that generated the gullies and two properties related to landscape topography were obtained for each situation. The most relevant variables were detected using multivariate analysis. The results defined 13 key variables: water content before the initiation of EGs, organic matter content, cation exchange capacity, relative sealing index, two granulometric and organic matter indices, seal permeability, aggregates stability (three index), crust penetration resistance, shear strength and an erodibility index obtained from the Jet Test erosion apparatus. The latter is proposed as a useful technique to evaluate and predict soil loss caused by EG erosion. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Erodibility of soil and organic matter: independence of organic matter resistance to interrill erosion

The enrichment of organic matter in interrill sediment is well documented; however, the respective roles of soil organic matter (SOM) and interrill erosion processes for the enrichment are unclear. In this study, organic matter content of sediment generated on two silts with almost identical textures, but different organic matter contents and aggregations, was tested. Artificial rainfall was applied to the soils in wet, dry and crusted initial conditions to determine the effects of soil moisture and rainfall and drying history on organic matter enrichment in interrill sediment. While erosional response of the soils varied significantly, organic matter enrichment of sediment was not sensitive to initial soil conditions. However, enrichment was higher on the silt with a lower organic matter content and lower interrill erodibility. The results show that enrichment of organic matter in interrill sediment is not directly related to either SOM content or soil interrill erodibility, but is dominated by interrill erosion processes. As a consequence of the complex interaction between soil, organic matter and interrill erosion processes, erodibility of organic matter should be treated as a separate variable in erosion models. Further research on aggregate breakdown, in particular the content and fate of the organic matter in the soil fragments, is required. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Rapid decrease of soil erosion rates with soil formation and vegetation development in periglacial areas

High mountainous areas are geomorphologically active environments which are strongly shaped by redistribution of sediments and soils. With the projected climate warming in the twenty-first century and the continued retreat of glaciers, the area of newly exposed, highly erodible sediments and soils will increase. This presents a need to better understand and quantify erosion processes in young mountainous soils, as an increase in erodibility could threaten human infrastructure (i.e. hydroelectric power, tourist installations and settlements). While soil development is increasingly well understood and quantified, a coupling to soil erosion rates is still missing. The aim of this study was, therefore, to assess how soil erosion rates change with surface age. We investigated two moraine chronosequences in the Swiss Alps: one in the siliceous periglacial area of Steingletscher (Sustenpass), with soils ranging from 30 a to 10 ka, and the other in the calcareous periglacial area of Griessgletscher (Klausenpass) with surfaces ranging from age of 110 a to 13.5 ka. We quantified the erosion rates using the ^239+240Pu fallout radionuclides and compared them to physical and chemical soil properties and the vegetation coverage. We found no significant differences between the two parent materials. At both chronosequences, the erosion rates were highest in the young soils (on average 5−10 t ha^-1 a^-1 soil loss). Erosion rates decreased markedly after 3−5 ka of soil development (on average 1−2.5 t ha^-1 a^-1 soil loss) to reach a more or less stable situation after 10−14 ka (on average 0.3–2 t ha^-1 a^-1). Climate change not only causes glacier retreat, but also increased sediment dynamics. Depending on the relief and vegetational development, it takes up to at least 10 ka to reach soil stability. The establishment of a closed vegetation cover with dense root networks seems to be the controlling factor in the reduction of soil erodibility. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The effects of soil piping on contributing areas and erosion patterns

Natural piping doubles the dynamic contributing area on the upper Maesnant stream in mid-Wales, mainly through linking points well beyond the riparian zones of seepage to the stream. Both discharge and sediment transport rates in the major pipes are closely related to the size of shallow surface microtopographic hollows in which they lie, and which themselves are largely created by piping erosion. However, pipe dischrges are frequently generated by contributing areas larger than these surface depressions and some pipes run counter to the surface topography. The redistribution and acceleration of hillslope drainage processes by piping has implications for theories of hillslope development, especially through plan-form modifications, and also for channel discharge and erosion.     

Effect of soil properties on erosion by wash and splash

This paper describes laboratory testing of 148 samples collected from Southern Alberta for erosion by wash and splash. Rainfall intensity was held constant during these tests. Soil aggregation was the most significant variable explaining soil loss. The significance of other soil properties, such as organic carbon and clay content is variable, depending on the interrelationships among aggregate stability, organic content, and clay content of particular soils. Variations in erodibility of the major soils examined are explained by the resistance of aggregates to compaction and dispersion. Splash detachment and wash transport are the dominant erosion mechanisms in inter-rill areas.     

The influence of soil properties on the erodibility of Belgian loamy soils: A study based on rainfall simulation experiments

Twenty soils from the Leuven region were tested in the laboratory with a rainfall simulator. Their texture varied from loam to loamy sand. On the basis of the results obtained, they were classified as a function of the runoff and splash erodibility. For every soil, several properties were determined and tentatively used to explain the classifications based on the runoff and splash erodibility. Significant negative correlations were found between silt content, aggregate stability, C_5–10 index, water content at saturation, and cohesion on the one side and erodibility on the other; a positive correlation was found between sand content and erodibility.     

Understanding mass fluvial erosion along a bank profile: using PEEP technology for quantifying retreat lengths and identifying event timing

This study provides fundamental examination of mass fluvial erosion along a stream bank by identifying event timing, quantifying retreat lengths, and providing ranges of incipient shear stress for hydraulically driven erosion. Mass fluvial erosion is defined here as the detachment of thin soil layers or conglomerates from the bank face under higher hydraulic shear stresses relative to surface fluvial erosion, or the entrainment of individual grains or aggregates under lower hydraulic shear stresses. We explore the relationship between the two regimes in a representative, US Midwestern stream with semi‐cohesive bank soils, namely Clear Creek, IA. Photo‐Electronic Erosion Pins (PEEPs) provide, for the first time, in situ measurements of mass fluvial erosion retreat lengths during a season. The PEEPs were installed at identical locations where surface fluvial erosion measurements exist for identifying the transition point between the two regimes. This transition is postulated to occur when the applied shear stress surpasses a second threshold, namely the critical shear stress for mass fluvial erosion. We hypothesize that the regimes are intricately related and surface fluvial erosion can facilitate mass fluvial erosion. Selective entrainment of unbound/exposed, mostly silt‐sized particles at low shear stresses over sand‐sized sediment can armor the bank surface, limiting the removal of the underlying soil. The armoring here is enhanced by cementation from the presence of optimal levels of sand and clay. Select studies show that fluvial erosion strength can increase several‐fold when appropriate amounts of sand and clay are mixed and cement together. Hence, soil layers or conglomerates are entrained with higher flows. The critical shear stress for mass fluvial erosion was found to be an order of magnitude higher than that of surface fluvial erosion, and proceeded with higher (approximately 2–4 times) erodibility. The results were well represented by a mechanistic detachment model that captures the two regimes. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling streambank erosion and failure along protected and unprotected composite streambanks

Streambank retreat can be a significant contributor to total sediment and nutrient loading to streams. Process-based bank stability models, such as the Bank Stability and Toe Erosion Model (BSTEM), have been used to determine critical factors affecting streambank erosion and failure such as riparian vegetation and to estimate retreat rates over time. BSTEM has been successfully applied on a number of cohesive streambanks, but less so on composite banks consisting of both cohesive and noncohesive soils in highly sinuous streams. Composite streambanks can exhibit rapid and episodic bank retreat. The objectives of this research were twofold: (i) develop and apply simplified procedures for estimating root cohesion based on above- and below-ground biomass estimates and (ii) systematically apply BSTEM to a series of 10 composite streambanks distributed along the Barren Fork Creek in eastern Oklahoma to assess model sensitivity to root cohesion and model performance in predicting retreat. This research aimed to document the influence of riparian conservation practices on bank retreat rates and evaluated simplistic methods for incorporating such practices into such process-based models. Sites modeled included historically unprotected sites with no riparian vegetation and historically protected sites with riparian vegetation present during all or part of the 2003 to 2010 study period. The lateral retreat ranged from 4.1 to 74.8 m across the 10 sites and was largest at the historically unprotected sites in which retreat averaged 49.2 m. Protected sites had less bank retreat but with more variability in retreat rates per year. With calibration focused on the erodibility parameters, the model was able to match both the observed total amount of retreat as well as the timing of retreat at both the protected and unprotected sites as derived from aerial imagery. During calibration BSTEM was not sensitive to the specific value of the soil cohesion or the additional soil cohesion added due to roots for the cohesive topsoil layer, suggesting that the proposed simplified techniques could be used to estimate root cohesion values. The BSTEM modeling also provided an advantageous assessment tool for evaluating retreat rates compared to in situ bank retreat measurements due to the magnitude and episodic nature of streambank erosion and failures. Process-based models, such as BSTEM, may be necessary to incrementally model bank retreat in order to quantify actual streambank retreat rates and understand mechanisms of failure for the design of stabilization projects.     

Erodibility of fine soil from the composite river bank of Brahmaputra in India

The erosion of a composite river bank critically depends on the erodibility of its fine soils, as the fine soil has higher resistance against erosion. Therefore, for the estimation of the bank erosion in the case of a composite river bank, it is important to determine the critical shear stress and erodibility coefficients of the bank soil and their spatial distribution. In the present study, erodibility parameters of the river bank of Brahmaputra in India have been estimated through 58 in situ submerged jet tests. The significance of spatial and layer‐wise distribution of the erodibility parameters was tested through analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results indicate that the spatial variation of erodibility parameters is highly significant, but layer‐wise variations of the erodibility parameters are not significant. Therefore, the erodibility of the riverbank depends on the particular location, whereas layer‐wise average erodibility parameters can be lumped for the estimation of the bank erosion for the specific site. Using the measured erodibility parameters, yearly river bank erosions at the study locations were computed and found to fall within the reported range of the bank erosion in the Brahmaputra River. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The ‘humped’ soil production function: eroding Arnhem Land,Australia

We report erosion rates and processes, determined from in situ‐produced beryllium‐10 (¹⁰Be) and aluminum‐26 (²⁶Al), across a soil‐mantled landscape of Arnhem Land, northern Australia. Soil production rates peak under a soil thickness of about 35 cm and we observe no soil thicknesses between exposed bedrock and this thickness. These results thus quantify a well‐defined ‘humped’ soil‐production function, in contrast to functions reported for other landscapes. We compare this function to a previously reported exponential decline of soil production rates with increasing soil thickness across the passive margin exposed in the Bega Valley, south‐eastern Australia, and found remarkable similarities in rates. The critical difference in this work was that the Arnhem Land landscapes were either bedrock or mantled with soils greater than about 35 cm deep, with peak soil production rates of about 20 m/Ma under 35–40 cm of soil, thus supporting previous theory and modeling results for a humped soil production function. We also show how coupling point‐specific with catchment‐averaged erosion rate measurements lead to a better understanding of landscape denudation. Specifically, we report a nested sampling scheme where we quantify average erosion rates from the first‐order, upland catchments to the main, sixth‐order channel of Tin Camp Creek. The low (～5 m/Ma) rates from the main channel sediments reflect contributions from the slowly eroding stony highlands, while the channels draining our study area reflect local soil production rates (～10 m/Ma off the rocky ridge; ～20 m/Ma from the soil mantled regions). Quantifying such rates and processes help determine spatial variations of soil thickness as well as helping to predict the sustainability of the Earth's soil resource under different erosional regimes. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effects of microbiotic crusts under cropland in temperate environments on soil erodibility during concentrated flow

Several studies illustrate the wind and water erosion‐reducing potential of semi‐permanent microbiotic soil crusts in arid and semi‐arid desert environments. In contrast, little is hitherto known on these biological crusts on cropland soils in temperate environments where they are annually destroyed by tillage and quickly regenerate thereafter. This study attempts to fill the research gap through (a) a field survey assessing the occurrence of biological soil crusts on loess‐derived soils in central Belgium in space and time and (b) laboratory flume (2 m long) experiments simulating concentrated runoff on undisturbed topsoil samples (0.4 × 0.1 m²) quantifying the microbiotic crust effect on soil erosion rates. Three stages of microbiotic crust development on cropland soils are distinguished: (1) development of a non‐biological surface seal by raindrop impact, (2) colonization of the soil by algae and gradual development of a continuous algal mat and (3) establishment of a well‐developed microbiotic crust with moss plants as the dominant life‐form. As the silt loam soils in the study area seal quickly after tillage, microbiotic soil crusts are more or less present during a large part of the year under maize, sugar beet and wheat, representing the main cropland area. On average, the early‐successional algae‐dominated crusts of stage 2 reduce soil detachment rates by 37%, whereas the well‐developed moss mat of stage 3 causes an average reduction of 79%. Relative soil detachment rates of soil surfaces with microbiotic crusts compared with bare sealed soil surfaces are shown to decrease exponentially with increasing microbiotic cover (b = 0·024 for moss‐dominated and b = 0·006 for algae‐dominated crusts). In addition to ground surface cover by vegetation and crop residues, microbiotic crust occurrence can therefore not be neglected when modelling small‐scale spatial and temporal variations in soil loss by concentrated flow erosion on cropland soils in temperate environments. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.