The fluvial flux of particulate organic matter from the UK: the emission factor of soil erosion

Soil erosion has been identified as a potential global carbon sink since eroded organic matter is replaced at source and eroded material is readily buried. However, this argument has relied on poor estimates of the total fate of in‐transit particulates and could erroneously imply soil erosion could be encouraged to generate carbon stores. These previous estimates have not considered that organic matter can also be released to the atmosphere as a range of greenhouse gases, not only carbon dioxide (CO₂), but also the more powerful greenhouse gases methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O). As soil carbon lost by erosion is only replaced by uptake of CO₂, this could represent a considerable imbalance in greenhouse gas warming potential, even if it is not significant in terms of overall carbon flux. This work therefore considers the flux of particulate organic matter through UK rivers with respect to both carbon fluxes and greenhouse gas emissions. The results show that, although emissions to the atmosphere are dominated by CO₂, there are also considerable fluxes of CH₄ and N₂O. The results suggest that soil erosion is a net source of greenhouse gases with median emission factors of 5.5, 4.4 and 0.3 tonnes CO_2eq/yr for one tonne of fluvial carbon, gross carbon erosion and gross soil erosion, respectively. This study concludes that gross soil erosion would therefore only be a net sink of both carbon and greenhouse gases if all the following criteria are met: the gross soil erosion rate were very low (<91 tonnes/km²/yr); the eroded carbon were completely replaced by new soil organic matter; and if less than half of the gross erosion made it into the stream network. By establishing the emission factor for soil erosion, it becomes possible to properly account for the benefits of good soil management in minimizing losses of greenhouse gases to the atmosphere as a by‐product of soil erosion. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Assessing the performance of structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry and terrestrial LiDAR for reconstructing soil surface microtopography of naturally vegetated plots

Soil microtopography is a property of critical importance in many earth surface processes but is often difficult to quantify. Advances in computer vision technologies have made image‐based three‐dimensional (3D) reconstruction or Structure‐from‐Motion (SfM) available to many scientists as a low cost alternative to laser‐based systems such as terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). While the performance of SfM at acquiring soil surface microtopography has been extensively compared to that of TLS on bare surfaces, little is known about the impact of vegetation on reconstruction performance. This article evaluates the performance of SfM and TLS technologies at reconstructing soil microtopography on 6 m × 2 m erosion plots with vegetation cover ranging from 0% to 77%. Results show that soil surface occlusion by vegetation was more pronounced with TLS compared to SfM, a consequence of the single viewpoint laser scanning strategy adopted in this study. On the bare soil surface, elevation values estimated with SfM were within 5 mm of those from TLS although long distance deformations were observed with the former technology. As vegetation cover increased, agreement between SfM and TLS slightly degraded but was significantly affected beyond 53% of ground cover. Detailed semivariogram analysis on meter‐square‐scale surface patches showed that TLS and SfM surfaces were very similar even on highly vegetated plots but with fine scale details and the dynamic elevation range smoothed out with SfM. Errors in the TLS data were mainly caused by the distance measurement function of the instrument especially at the fringe of occlusion regions where the laser beam intersected foreground and background features simultaneously. From this study, we conclude that a realistic approach to digitizing soil surface microtopography in field conditions can be implemented by combining strengths of the image‐based method (simplicity and effectiveness at reconstructing soil surface under sparse vegetation) with the high accuracy of TLS‐like technologies. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bistable plant–soil dynamics and biogenic controls on the soil production function

Soil formation results from opposite processes of bedrock weathering and erosion, whose balance may be altered by natural events and human activities, resulting in reduced soil depth and function. The impacts of vegetation on soil production and erosion and the feedbacks between soil formation and vegetation growth are only beginning to be explored quantitatively. Since plants require suitable soil environments, disturbed soil states may support less vegetation, leading to a downward spiral of increased erosion and decline in ecosystem function. We explore these feedbacks with a minimal model of the soil–plant system described by two coupled nonlinear differential equations, which include key feedbacks, such as plant‐driven soil production and erosion inhibition. We show that sufficiently strong positive plant–soil feedback can lead to a ‘humped’ soil production function, a necessary condition for soil depth bistability when erosion is assumed to vary monotonically with vegetation biomass. In bistable plant–soil systems, the sustainable soil condition engineered by plants is only accessible above a threshold vegetation biomass and occurs in environments where the high potential rate of erosion exerts a strong control on soil production and erosion. Vegetation removal for agriculture reduces the stabilizing effect of vegetation and lowers the system resilience, thereby increasing the likelihood of transition to a degraded soil state. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of anthropogenic land‐use change on hillslope erosion in the Waipaoa River Basin,New Zealand

European settlement of the Poverty Bay Region resulted in deforestation and conversion of > 90% of the landscape to pastureland. The resulting loss of vegetation triggered a rapid increase in hillslope erosion as widespread landslide complexes and gully systems developed on weak lithologic units in the Waipaoa Basin. To quantify the rate and volume of historic hillslope degradation, we used a 1956–2010 sequence of aerial photographs for a ~16 km² catchment to map temporal changes in the spatial extent of active landslides. Then we created a ‘turf index’ based on the extent and style of pastoral ground disruption, which correlates with downslope velocity. Based on the movement of trees and other features, we assigned average velocities to the turf classes as follows: (1) minimal disrupted ground: 0.6 m/yr, (2) a mix of disrupted ground and intact blocks: 3.4 m/yr, and (3) no intact blocks or vegetation: > 6 m/yr. We then calculated the average annual sediment flux using these turf‐derived velocities, the width of the landslide‐channel intersection, and an average toe depth of 4.4 ± 1.3 m (mean ± standard deviation [SD]) from 37 field measurements. The resulting catchment averaged erosion rates are (mean ± SD): 29.9 ± 12.9 mm/yr (1956), 28.8 ± 13.7 mm/yr (1969), 13.4 ± 4.9 mm/yr (1979), 17.0 ± 6.2 mm/yr (1988), and 9.9 ± 3.6 mm/yr (2010). Compared with long‐term (post‐18 ka) erosion rates (1.6 mm/yr) and the long‐term uplift rate (~1 mm/yr) for this site, the 50‐year anthropogenically‐driven rate is an order of magnitude larger (~20 mm/yr). Previously, we measured an increase in erosion over the past 3.4 kyr (2.2 mm/yr), and here, we demonstrate this increase could be primarily due to human land‐use change – showing that a century of rapid erosion superimposed on the background geologic rate can profoundly skew the interpretation of erosion rates. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Root properties of vegetation communities and their impact on the erosion resistance of river dikes

Predicted climate change and the associated sea level rise poses an increased threat of flooding due to wave overtopping events at sea and river dikes. To safeguard the land from flooding it is important to keep the soil erosion resistance at the dikes high. As plant roots can be very effective in reducing soil erosion rates by concentrated flow, the main goal of this study is to explore the variability in root system characteristics of five dike vegetation communities along the Scheldt River (Belgium) and to assess their effectiveness in controlling soil erosion rates during concentrated flow. This study is the first one to investigate systematically the erosion‐reducing potential of the root properties of representative dike vegetation communities in a temperate humid climate. Results show that the presence of Urtica dioica resulted in large differences in root length density (RLD) among dike vegetation communities. Observed RLD values in the topsoil ranged from 129 to 235 km m^‐3 for dike vegetation communities without U. dioica, while smaller values ranging from 22 to 58 km m^?3 were found for vegetation communities with U. dioica. The erosion‐reducing effect of the dike vegetation communities was estimated based on a global Hill curve model, linking the RLD to the soil detachment ratio (SDR; i.e. the ratio of the soil detachment rate for root‐permeated topsoils to the soil detachment rate for root‐free topsoils). Concentrated flow erosion rates are likely to be reduced to 13–16% of the erosion rates for root‐free topsoils if U. dioica is absent compared to 22–30% for vegetation communities with U. dioica. Hence, to maintain a high resistance of the soil against concentrated flow erosion it is important to avoid the overgrowth of grassland by U. dioica through an effective vegetation management. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Predicting reach‐specific properties of fluvial terraces to guide future fieldwork. A case study for the Late Quaternary River Allier (France) with the FLUVER2 model

Numerical models have not yet systematically been used to predict properties of fluvial terrace records in order to guide fieldwork and sampling. This paper explores the potential of the longitudinal profile model FLUVER2 to predict testable field properties of the relatively well‐studied, Late Quaternary Allier system in France. For the Allier terraces an overlapping ¹⁴C and U‐series chronology as well as a record of ¹⁰Be erosion rates exist. The FLUVER2 modelling exercise is focused on the last 50 ka of the upper Allier reach because for this location and period the constraints of the available dating techniques are tightest. A systematic calibration based on terrace occurrence and thicknesses was done using three internal parameters related to (1) the sediment erodibility; (2) the sediment transport distance; and (3) the sediment supply derived from the surrounding landscape. As external model inputs, the best available, reconstructed, tectonic, climatic and base‐level data were used. Calibrated model outputs demonstrate a plausible match with the existing fluvial record. Validation of model output was done by comparing the modelled and measured timing of aggradation and incision phases for the three locations. The modelled range of landscape erosion rates showed a reasonably good match with existing erosion rate estimates derived from ¹⁰Be measurements of fluvial sands. The quasi‐validated model simulation was subsequently used to make new testable predictions about the timing and location of aggradation and erosion phases for three locations along the Allier river. The validated simulations predict that along the Allier, reach‐specific dynamics of incision and aggradation, related to the variations in sediment supply by major tributaries, cause relevant differences in the local fluvial terrace stratigraphy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

2015年夏季南疆地区高温冰雪洪水特征

2015年7月中旬开始至8月初,新疆地区受东移的伊朗高压控制,新疆南疆塔里木河流域及其周边区域遭遇历史同期罕见高温天气.南疆地区和天山山区7月平均气温分别为27.9℃、17.8℃,较常年分别偏高2.3℃、2.6℃,偏高幅度均居历史同期第一位;南疆及天山山区共计42站7月平均气温突破同期历史极值,使该地区从高空到地面不同高度气温都同时升高.0℃层高度都高于雪线高度,导致南疆多条河流发生冰雪消融性洪水,造成不同程度的洪水灾害.此次由高温天气产生的多条河流冰雪消融性洪水,由于具有充足的水热因子,致使南疆多条河流超过警戒流量和保证流量.尼雅河出现有实测资料以来第2位的洪水,阿克苏库玛拉克河发生有实测资料以来第3位的洪水;发生洪水的河流范围之广、持续时间之长历史罕见,叶尔羌河、玉龙喀什河、喀拉喀什河超警戒流量持续时间在半个月以上,叶尔羌河达到25 d.通过对历年冰雪消融性洪水资料分析,洪峰流量和日流量（洪量）与高空温度有较好的相关性,由此建立冰雪消融性洪水预报模型,应用在2015年夏季洪水预报中取得明显的效果,对于今后预报此类洪水提供了有益的借鉴.     

新疆阿尔泰山喀纳斯湖冰层温度变化规律试验研究

2014年12月-2015年4月期间,新疆布尔津县喀纳斯湖举行了冰上旅游项目。为监测冰层生长、发育和融化状况,分别对喀纳斯湖（湖边、湖中）A、B、C三点进行温度监测,利用监测得到的冰层温度数据绘制湖冰从上到下温度分布状况图。根据湖边与湖中的冰层结构特点,从冰层的天然结构角度分析湖冰结构对温度分布的影响。结果表明：天然冰层中温度传递系数并不是一致不变的,既受冰上气温、冰下湖水温度的影响,也受到冰层自身结构状况的影响,并进一步阐述了湖面冰层的温度分布规律与变化成因,为分析温度对冰层强度的影响奠定了基础。     

两种pH水环境干、湿循环作用对泥质砂岩的侵蚀研究

选取三峡库区某边坡的泥质砂岩为研究对象,分别对pH=3和pH=7溶液下干、湿循环作用的泥质砂岩进行电镜扫描试验（SEM）、4种围压下的三轴压缩试验,通过MATLAB软件处理得到不同pH值和干、湿循环次数下SEM图像的骨架面积比和分形维数。研究表明：在相同的干、湿循环次数下,pH=3酸性环境下的分形维数比pH=7的要大;分形维数与吸水率成正比例相关;与骨架面积、凝聚力成反比例相关;泥质砂岩在干、湿循环作用下的临界骨架面积比为0.55左右;提出了泥质砂岩在干、湿循环作用下的侵蚀度概念,计算并拟合了泥质砂岩的侵蚀度随干、湿循环次数变化的关系曲线;推导出凝聚力的损伤变量公式,为研究不同pH水环境对岩石的侵蚀作用提供参考依据。     

低温环境下含表面裂隙硬岩温度场及冻胀演化过程分析

寒区含表面裂隙硬岩与大气连通,易受外界低温环境引起裂隙内部水分凝结,造成裂隙带附近形成温度场突变,进而随水冰相变产生冻胀力,二者随着冻结活动处于动态演化之中,涉及到温度场、渗流场及应力场等多场问题。目前的研究大多依据数值模拟结果,描述裂隙岩体温度场、应力场分布特征及规律,考虑从基础理论解析计算角度,探究低温环境下裂隙岩体温度场、冻胀力演化规律鲜有报道。针对含表面裂隙硬岩在低温环境下发生的冻结现象,从传热学理论、相变理论、弹塑性力学及断裂力学理论等多角度出发,探讨随着冻结深入含表面裂隙硬岩内部温度场及冻胀荷载演化过程,提出对应解析表达式,引入多场耦合数值程序Comsol-Multiphysics进行数值模拟验证,结果表明,文中提出的温度场及冻胀荷载演化解析表达式与数值模拟结果具有较好吻合度,可满足对含表面裂隙半无限板模型温度场、应力场演化过程分析,对于裂隙岩体在低温环境下温度场、应力场演化及热-力耦合分析具有较好借鉴价值。