Tillage pedogenesis of purple soils in southwestern China

Land cultivation and tillage process, and their consequent impacts on soil erosion, have been criticized as the main cause of degradation of land or soil quality. However, purple soils, classified as Regosols in FAO Taxonomy or Entisols in USDA Taxonomy, are formed from purple rocks of the Trias- Cretaceous system, have been developed or at least accelerated the development due to continual tillage operation, especially digging and ridging. The present study took micromorphological investigation on the sedimentary rocks and the soils under different operations of tillage. Results show that the purple rock of Feixiangguan Formation of the Trias system （Tlf） is the easiest to physical weathering and the most fertile soil material enriched in nutrients, and it has been, therefore, mostly cultivated and intensively tilled around the year. It has the fastest soil formation rate. Soil formation rate in the cropland with conventional tillage is higher than that in the forestiand and the grassland. It implies that the artificial brokenness and tillage disturbance play a great role in physical weathering and initiating soil formation processes.     

Effects of slope gradient on runoff from bare-fallow purple soil in China under natural rainfall conditions

Purple soil is highly susceptible for overland flow and surface erosion, therefore understanding surface runoff and soil erosion processes in the purple soil region are important to mitigate flooding and erosion hazards. Slope angle is an important parameter that affects the magnitude of runoff and thus surface erosion in hilly landscapes or bare land area. However, the effect of slope on runoff generation remains unclear in many different soils including Chinese purple soil. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between different slope gradients and surface runoff for bare-fallow purple soil, using 5 m × 1.5 m experimental plots under natural rainfall conditions. Four experimental plots(10°, 16°, 20° and 26°) were established in theYanting Agro-ecological Experimental Station of Chinese Academy of Science in central Sichuan Basin. The plot was equipped with water storage tank to monitor water level change. Field monitoring from July 1 to October 31, 2012 observed 42 rainfall events which produced surface runoff from the experimental plots. These water level changes were converted to runoff. The representative eight rainfall events were selected for further analysis, the relationship between slope and runoff coefficient were determined using ANOVA, F-test, and z-score analysis. The results indicated a strong correlation between rainfall and runoff in cumulative amount basis. The mean value of the measured runoff coefficient for four experimental plots was around 0.1. However, no statistically significant relationship was found between slope and runoff coefficient. We reviewed the relationship between slope and runoff in many previous studiesand calculated z-score to compare with our experimental results. The results of z-score analysis indicated that both positive and negative effects of slope on runoff coefficient were obtained, however a moderate gradient(16°-20° in this study) could be a threshold of runoff generation for many different soils including the Chinese purple soil.     

川中紫色丘陵区径流泥沙SWAT模型的模拟应用分析

针对川中丘陵区紫色土坡耕地严重水土流失,选取典型代表李子溪流域为研究区,构建了其SWAT的模型数据库,包括地形、土壤、气象和土地利用数据库。并利用赵家祠水文站1970-1979年的实测径流和泥沙资料,对该流域的SWAT模型参数进行率定再采用1980-1986年的实测资料,对模型的适用性进行验证,同时用相对误差Re和Nash确定性系数Ens评价模拟效果。结果显示,径流和泥沙模拟相对误差均在±15%范围以内,Nash确定性系数均大于等于0.70,说明SWAT模型对李子溪流域年、月径流和年泥沙量的模拟精度较高。同时模拟值与实测值和降雨量的变化趋于一致。可见,用SWAT模型模拟和预测雨量较为丰沛、土壤侵蚀较严重的紫色丘陵地区的产流产沙是实用、可行的。     

Comparative study on rain splash erosion of representative soils in China

As the first event of soil erosion, rain splash erosion supplies materials for subsequent transportation and entrainment. The Loess Plateau, the southern hilly region and the Northeast China are subject to serious soil and water loss; however, the characteristics of rain splash erosion in those regions are still unclear. The objectives of the study are to analyze the characteristics of splash erosion on loess soil, red soil, purple soil and black soil, and to discuss the relationship between splash erosion and soil properties. Soil samples spatially distributed in the abovementioned regions were collected and underwent simulated rainfalls at a high intensity of 1.2mm/min, lasting for 5, 10, 15, and 20min, respectively. Rain splash and soil crust development were analyzed. It shows that black soil sample from Heilongjiang Province corresponds to the minimum splash erosion amount because it has high aggregate content, aggregate stability and organic matter content. Loess soil sample from Inner Mongolia corresponds to the maximum splash erosion amount because it has high content of sand particles. Loess soil sample from Shanxi Province has relatively lower splash erosion amount because it has high silt particle content and low aggregate stability easily to be disrupted under rainfalls with high intensity. Although aggregate contents of red soil and purple soil samples from Hubei and Guangdong provinces are high, the stability is weak and prone to be disrupted, so the splash erosion amount is medium. Splash rate which fluctuates over time is observed because soil crust development follows a cycling processes of formation and disruption. In addition, there are two locations of soil crust development, one appears at the surface, and the other occurs at the subsurface.     

基于模型试验的动水驱动型顺层岩质滑坡启滑机制初探

动水驱动型顺层岩质滑坡数量多、灾害频发、危害大, 是滑坡地质灾害领域的研究重点, 但目前对于滑坡启滑机制的认识仍不充分, 滑坡的准确预报还面临巨大挑战。鉴于此, 以含软弱夹层的中倾角顺层岩质滑坡为研究对象, 通过构建理想的单层滑带滑坡物理模型, 开展了一系列动水作用下的滑坡模型试验研究。结果表明, 动水作用下顺层岩质滑坡从开始变形至失稳滑动需经历初始变形、缓慢变形、加速变形和失稳破坏4个阶段, 而各个阶段的演化特征与滑面粗糙度和倾角密切相关。滑面倾角越大或粗糙度越小, 滑坡体从开始变形至失稳滑动所需的时间则越短; 相应地, 坡体加速变形阶段越不明显, 滑坡破坏的突发性越强。滑带内的渗流冲蚀作用会使滑带土中的骨料流失, 导致其抗剪强度降低, 进而引发坡体滑动。与此同时, 上覆坡体的压剪作用以及变形演化过程亦将反过来影响冲蚀强度。基于滑带土黏聚力随水力梯度和冲蚀时间的变化关系, 提出了渗流驱动下滑带土黏聚力演化模型, 可较好地描述滑带土黏聚力的退化过程。滑面粗糙度的存在不仅显著影响了滑带的冲蚀劣化规律, 还改变了滑带不同区域的破坏模式。此外, 通过考虑滑面粗糙度对滑带不同区域破坏模式的影响, 开展了动水多效应关联分析, 建立了滑坡地质体力学分析模型, 实现了动水作用下顺层岩质滑坡动态稳定性的有效评估。本研究成果可为实际动水驱动型顺层岩质滑坡的预测和防治提供理论参考。      

Rainfall and Tillage Impacts on Soil Erosion of Sloping Cropland with Subtropical Monsoon Climate- A Case Study in Hilly Purple Soil area,China

Under global warming, storm events tend to intensify, particularly in monsoon-affected regions.As an important agricultural area in China, the purple soil region in the Sichuan Basin, where it has a prevailing monsoon climate, is threatened by serious soil erosion. Tillage operations alter runoff and soil erosion processes on croplands by changing the physical properties of the soil surface. To clarify the relationship between tillage and soil erosion in the purple soil region, three different tillage practices in this region were investigated at the plot scale over 4 years: bare land with minimum tillage(BL),conventional tillage(CT) and seasonal no-tillage ridges(SNTR) which was initially designed to prevent soil erosion by contoured ridges and no-tillage techniques. The results showed that although there were no significant differences in the surface runoff and soil erosion among the three practices, BL causedrelatively high surface runoff and soil erosion,followed by CT and SNTR. Classification and comparison of the rainfall events based on cluster analysis(CA) verified that the surface runoff was not significantly different between most intensive event and long intensive events but was significantly different between most intensive and short and medium-duration events. Only the rainfall events with the highest rainfall intensity could trigger serious soil erosion, up to 1000 kg ha-1 in the region. Further detailed investigations on the effects of tillage operations on the soil erosion in a subtropical region with a monsoon climate are needed to provide a basis for modeling catchments and designing better management practices.     

Using LIDAR and ground truth for landslide recognition and characterization of geotechnical and morphological parameters in sedimentary rocks,a case study in Northern Bavaria (Germany)

The use of LIDAR-derived shaded relief maps led to the identification of all potential landslide areas in a hilly region in Northern Bavaria (1590 km²), Germany. Every possible structure was investigated by field investigation which resulted in a detailed database of 1002 landslides within the study area. The analysis of geological, lithological, topographical and morphological properties (spatial ratio, lithological and geological setting, length/width distribution, material properties and slope angle) revealed characteristic appearances of the landslides and possible relationships between different aspects. Strong relations between the lithological setting, spatial ratio of the mapped landslides and distribution of slope angle could be observed. This study shows the value of high-resolution shaded relief maps for detecting and mapping landslides in a large area with comparatively little work and time in comparison to the traditional approach to mapping. It reveals that many landslides were not known before. Landslides are much more common in Northern Bavaria and have a higher influence on the denudation rate of the Franconian Alb than expected before.     

A quantification of the effects of erosion on the productivity of purple soils

Research on the effects of soil erosion on soil productivity has attracted increasing attention.Purple soil is one of the main soil types in China and plays an important role in the national economy.However,the relationship between erosion and the productivity of purple soils has not been well studied.The purpose of this research was to determine if soil depth,which is dependent on the rate of erosion,has an influence on crop yield and growth.Plot and pot experiments at different soil depths were performed.Results indicate that soils from different parental materials had different growth features and crop yields due to the differential fertility of the derived soils.The yield reduction rate increases exponentially with the depth of eroded soil(level of erosion).The yield reduction rate per unit eroded soil horizon(10 cm) is approximately 10.5% for maize and wheat.     

Tectonic control on slow-moving Andean landslides in the Colca Valley,Peru

The Colca Valley in the Central Andes is a region characterized by the occurrence of large slow-moving landslides and a high level of seismic activity.In this study,we aimed to determine passive and active tectonic control on the formation of selected five large landslides in the Colca Valley and to assess geohazard associated with these features.For that purpose,we performed a post-landslide field survey,applied remote sensing techniques,and obtained eyewitness accounts.Recently,the need to understand mass movement processes in this region is even higher due to the establishment of the Colca y Volcanes de Andagua Geopark(Colca and Andagua Volcanoes Geopark).Our results suggest that the studied landslides usually represent a complex failure mechanism,dominated by translational sliding or rotational displacements,commonly associated with the formation of horst-and-graben like structures.We found a spatial correlation between the distribution of landslides and inherited fault network.The head scarps appear to be limited by the WNW-to NW-striking faults,whereas the lateral extent of some of the reported features seems to be connected with the NNE-striking normal faults,common in both,the Mesozoic strata and the Pleistocene-Holocene deposits.     

兴国县土壤侵蚀变化的遥感监测与分析

兴国县是南方红壤丘陵区水土流失最严重的地区之一,近20年的综合治理成效显著。为分析该时期县域内水土流失的变化趋势,并掌握其目前的水土流失状况,本文选用1987、1994和2000年的TM影像,采用基于NDVI 的动态监测和影像分类相结合的方法.对江西兴国县近20年水土流失的情况进行分析,定性与定量地反映兴国县水土流失的时空变化趋势,并结合地形因素进行交叉分析,获取水土流失的空间分布规律。兴国县水土流失变化分析结果表明:在水土流失面积方面,这3年中均呈减少趋势;在空间分布上,中南部和东部部分地区流失强度下降幅度较大,强度明显加剧的区域较少,除西南部的部分地区外,仅在县境边缘有零星分布。目前,水土流失主要分布在海拔500m以下和坡度20°以下的地区。     

Mechanisms of root-soil reinforcement in bioembankments of sloping farmland in the purple hilly area,China

Bio-embankment is an important soil and water conservation measure in the purple hilly area in China,which can effectively improve the ability of cultivated soil layers to resist rainfall erosion and runoff scour.In contrast,the ecological effect of bioembankment depends on the stability of the earth bank.Taking the natural grass bank as a control(CK),the root distribution,root tensile properties and shear resistance of root-soil composites for 3 typical soil and water conservation bio-embankments,namely,Morus alba Linn(Morns),Zanthoxylum bungeanum Maxim(Zanthoxylum)and Medicago sativa(Medicago)were analysed.The results included the following:(1)The root system of the bio-embankments generally decreased in extent with the soil depth;fine roots in the o-io cm depth were most prevalent and significantly higher than those at the other depths,and coarse roots were mainly distributed in the o-30cm layer.(2)The stress-strain curves of the roots of each bio-embankment were single-peak curves without clear strain softening phenomena.The smaller the root diameters were,the smoother the stress-strain curves,and the lower the capability of the earth bank to resist collapse.The larger the root diameters were,the lower the tensile strength.The average root tensile force was highest for Zanthoxylum(73.91 N),followed by Medicago(68.07N)and Morus(61.88 N),and the average root tensile strength showed the same trend,16.52 MPa for Zanthoxylum,16.08 MPa for Medicago and 13.02MPa for Morus.(3)The bio-embankment measures significantly improved the soil shear resistance,especially under vertical loads of 1oo kPa and 200kPa.The soil internal friction angle showed a significant log-positive correlation with root morphological parameters of root length density(RLD),root surface area density(RSAD) and rootweight density(RWD),while the soil cohesion force showed a positive linear correlation with these parameters.The results provide effective parameters supporting for the design of bio-embankments and promoting the use of soil reinforcement with suitable species selection in protective earth banks for stability in the purple hilly area.     

The regional difference in engineering-control and tillage factors of Chinese Soil Loss Equation

Accurate assessment of soil erosion is an important prerequisite for controlling soil erosion.The engineering-control(E)and tillage(T)factors are the keys for Chinese Soil Loss Equation(CSLE)to accurately evaluate water erosion in China.Besides,the E and T factors can reflect the water and soil conservation effects of engineering-control and tillage practices.But in the current full coverage of soil erosion surveys in China(such as soil erosion dynamic monitoring),for the same practice,the E or T factors are assigned the same value across the country.We selected 469 E and T factors data based on runoff plots from 73 publications,and they came from six soil and water conservation regions.Correlation analysis,regression analysis,and nonparametric tests were used to determine the comparability of the data,and it was proved that the runoff plots dimensions are consistent with the local topography.The results of one-way ANOVA and nonparametric tests for E and T factors in different regions showed that the engineering-control practices have good soil and water conservation effects and weaken the regional differences of other environmental factors,so there were no significant differences in E factors between different regions.However,there were significant differences in T factors between different regions,and the geodetector was applied to explore the intrinsic driving force of the spatial distribution of T factors.The results of the geodetector showed that the dominant driving forces of the spatial distribution of different types of tillage practices were not completely the same.When using CSLE to calculate water erosion,the E factor of the same practice can be used uniformly throughout the country,and the T factor needs to be considered and selected according to regional differences.At the same time,when choosing tillage practices in each water and soil conservation region,practices with better sediment reduction benefits should also be selected according to the regional environmental conditions.     

ECO-ENVIRONMENT CHANGE AND SOIL EROSION PROCESS IN THE RECLAIMED FORESTLAND OF THE LOESS PLATEAU

1INTRODUCTIONSerioussoilerosionhasmadetheeco-environmentfragileintheLoessPlateau.InthemodernsoilerosionoftheLoessPlateau,theman-madeerosionwasthedominanterosionpattern (TANGetal.,1993a,1993b).Manyhumanactivitiesacceleratesoilerosion,butthemostinfluentialactivitiesaretodestroyforestandgrass,eventodestroyallvegetation.Reclamationbydestroyingforestlandandgrasslandartificiallycouldrapidlyincreasesoilerosionintensityinshorttimeandenlargeerosionspacegradually,evenchangeerosiondirectionandwor…     

Large-area Analysis of Soil Erosion and Landslides Induced by Rainfall: A Case of Unsaturated Shallow Deposits

Unsaturated shallow soil deposits may be affected by either superficial soil erosion or shallow landslides in adjacent or overlapping source areas and in different seasons when a different soil suction exists.The triggering analysis of both these processes is a relevant issue for the hazard analysis while the literature mostly provides specific approaches for erosion or for landslides.The paper proposes a largearea analysis for a case study of Southern Italy,consisting of unsaturated shallow deposits of loose pyroclastic(air-fall) volcanic soils that have been repeatedly affected by erosion and landslides in special seasons.For a past catastrophic event, the simulated source areas of shallow landslides are smaller than those observed in the field while the simulated eroded areas with thickness greater than 5cm are comparable with the in-situ evidences, if the analysis takes into account high rainfall intensity and a spatially variable soil cover use.More in general, the results of the paper are consistent with the previous literature and also provide a methodological contribution about the application of distinct tools over large area.The added value is that the paper shows how the combination of distinct large-area analyses may help with understanding the dominant slope instability mechanisms.Only once this goal is fully achieved, can specific physically-based analyses be confidently performed at detailed scales and for smaller specific areas.     

Principal Denudation Processes and Their Contribution to Fluvial Suspended Sediment Yields in the Upper Yangtze River Basin and Volga River Basin

This paper synthesized the principal land denudation processes and their role in determining riverine suspended sediment yields(SSY) in two typical geographical environments of the Upper Yangtze River Basin in China and the Volga River Basin in Eastern Europe. In the Upper Yangtze River Basin, natural factors including topography, climate,lithology and tectonic activity are responsible for the spatial variation in the magnitude of denudation rates.Human disturbances have contributed to the temporal changes of soil erosion and fluvial SSY during the past decades. On one hand, land use change caused by deforestation and land reclamation has played an important role in the acceleration of sediment production from the central hilly area and lower Jinsha catchment; On the other hand, diverse soil conservation practices(e.g., reforestation,terracing) have contributed to a reduction of soil erosion and sediment production since the late 1980 s.It was difficult to explicitly decouple the effect of mitigation measures in the Lower Jinsha River Basindue to the complexity associated with sediment redistribution within river channels(active channel migration and significant sedimentation). The whole basin can be subdivided into seven sub-regions according to the different proportional inputs of principal denudation processes to riverine SSY. In the Volga River Basin, anthropogenic sheet, rill and gully erosion are the predominant denudation processes in the southern region, while channel bank and bed erosion constitutes the main source of riverine suspended sediment flux in the northern part of the basin. Distribution of cultivated lands significantly determined the intensity of denudation processes.Local relief characteristics also considerably influence soil erosion rates and SSY in the southern Volga River Basin. Lithology, soil cover and climate conditions determined the spatial distribution of sheet, rill and gully erosion intensity, but they play a secondary role in SSY spatial variation.     

基于物理模型试验的多层滑带滑坡变形演化特征

滑坡变形演化特征一直是滑坡灾害预测与防治领域急需解决的关键问题, 但对于多层滑带滑坡的变形演化特征却少有研究。以物理模型试验为手段建立了三层滑带滑坡物理试验模型, 完成了多层滑带滑坡变形演化全过程的模拟。基于PIV技术获取坡表位移数据, 通过柔性测斜仪监测滑坡深部位移, 同时布设土压力盒获取滑坡内部土压力的变化情况, 实现了多层滑带滑坡演化过程多参量数据分析。试验结果表明, 多层滑带滑坡破坏过程可分为初始、等速、加速和破坏4个阶段。不同破坏阶段滑坡的主要变形区域不同, 下层滑体受到上层滑体牵引作用, 在重力和推力作用下滑坡变形逐渐向浅层发展。变形过程中滑坡应力逐渐向滑带集中, 滑坡推力沿埋深方向呈多级梯形分布。加速变形阶段滑带处应力迅速增大, 滑坡体内产生多层应力集中带, 滑带位置推力变化与滑坡位移显著相关。      

Assessment of the performance of WEPP in purple soil area with simulated rainfall experiments

The water erosion prediction project(WEPP) model is a popular water erosion prediction tool developed on the basis of the physical processes of water erosion.Although WEPP has been widely used around the world,its application in China is still insufficient.In this study,the performance of WEPP used to estimate the runoff and soil loss on purple soil(Calcaric Regosols in FAO taxonomy) sloping cropland was assessed with the data from runoff plots under simulated rainfall conditions.Based on measured soil properties,runoff and erosion parameters,namely effective hydraulic conductivity,inter-rill erodibility,rill erodibility,and critical shear stress were determined to be 2.68 mm h-1,5.54 × 106 kg s-1 m 4,0.027 s m 1 and 3.5 Pa,respectively,by using the recommended equations in the WEPP user manual.The simulated results were not good due to the low Nash efficiency of 0.41 for runoff and negative Nash efficiency for soil loss.After the four parameters were calibrated,WEPP performed better for soil loss prediction with a Nash efficiency of 0.76.The different results indicated that the equations recommended by WEPP to calculate parameters such as erodiblity and critical shear stress are not suitable for the purple soil areas,Sichuan Province,China.Although the predicted results can be accepted by optimizing the runoff and erosion parameters,more research related to the determination of erodibility and critical sheer stress must be conducted to improve the application of WEPP in the purple soil areas.     

THE EVALUATION OF ECO－ENVIRONMENTAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TO HUMAN ACTIVITY IN YULIN REGION

ＴＨＥＥＶＡＬＵＡＴＩＯＮＯＦＥＣＯ－ＥＮＶＩＲＯＮＭＥＮＴＡＬＳＵＳＣＥＰＴＩＢＩＬＩＴＹＴＯＨＵＭＡＮＡＣＴＩＶＩＴＹＩＮＹＵＬＩＮＲＥＧＩＯＮ陈利顶，傅伯杰ＴＨＥＥＶＡＬＵＡＴＩＯＮＯＦＥＣＯ－ＥＮＶＩＲＯＮＭＥＮＴＡＬＳＵＳＣＥＰＴＩＢＩＬＩ...     

Spatial association between landslides and environmental factors over Guizhou Karst Plateau,China

Guizhou Karst Plateau is located at the center of the karst region in Asia, where landslides are a typical disaster. Affected by the local karst environment, the landslides in this region have their own characteristics. In this study, 3975 landslide records from inventories of the Guizhou karst plateau are studied. The geographical detector method is used to detect the dominant casual factor and predominant multi-factor combinations for the local landslides. The results show that landslides are prone to areas on slopes between 10° and 35°, of clay rock, in close proximity to gullies, and especially in areas of moderate vegetation, dryland, and mild rocky desertification. Continuous precipitation over 10 days has a great effect on landslide occurrence. Compared with the individual factors, the impact of two-factor interaction has greater explanatory power for landslide volume. The volume of earthquake-induced landslides is predominantly controlled by the interactions of faults and slopes, while that of humaninduced landslides is affected by the interactions of land cover and hydrological conditions. For rainfallinduced landslides, the dominant interactions vary in different regions. In the central karst basin, the interactions between faults and precipitation can explain over 90% of the variations in landslide volumes. In the southern hilly karst region, the interactions between lithology and slope can explain over 71% of the variations in landslide volume and those between fault and land-use can explain 50% of the variations of the landslide volumes in the northeastern mountainous karst region.     

The Effects of Land Use and Landscape Position on Labile Organic Carbon and Carbon Management Index in Red Soil Hilly Region,Southern China

Labile organic carbon(LOC) and carbon management index(CMI), which are sensitive factors to the changes of environment, can improve evaluating the effect of land management practices changes on soil quality. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of land use types and landscape positions on soil quality as a function of LOC and CMI. A field study in a small watershed in the red soil hilly region of southern China was conducted, and soil samples were collected from four typical lands(pine forest(PF) on slope land, barren hill(BH) on slope land, citrus orchard(CO) on terrace land and Cinnarnornum Camphora(CC) on terrace land) at a sampling depth of 20 cm. Soil nutrients, soil organic carbon(SOC), LOC and CMI were measured. Results showed that the LOC and CMI correlated to not only soil carbon but also soil nutrients, and the values of LOC and CMI in different land use types followed the order CC PF CO BH at the upperslope, while CO CC BH PF at mid-slope and down-slope. With respect to slope positions, the values of LOC and CMI in all the lands were followed the order: upper-slope down-slope midslope. As whole, the mean values of LOC and CMI in different lands followed the order CC CO PF BH. High CMI and LOC content were found in the terrace lands with broadleaf vegetations. These results indicated that the terracing and appropriate vegetations can increase the carbon input and lability and decrease soil erosion. However, the carbon pools and CMI in these lands were significantly lower than that in reference site. This suggested that it may require a long time for the soil to return to a highquality. Consequently, it is an efficient way to adopt the measures of terracing and appropriate vegetations planting in improving the content of LOC and CMI and controlling water and soil loss in fragile ecosystems.