Accelerated soil erosion and the subsequent decline in soil depth has negative environmental, and consequently financial, impacts that have implications across all land cover classifications and scales of land management. Ironically, although attempts to quantify soil erosion nationally have illustrated that soil erosion can occur in the UK, understanding whether or not the UK has a soil erosion problem still remains a question to be answered. Accurately quantifying rates of soil erosion requires capturing both the volumetric nature of the visible, fluvial pathways and the subtle nature of the less-visible, diffuse pathways, across varying spatial and temporal scales. Accordingly, as we move towards a national-scale understanding of soil erosion in the UK, this thesis aims to explore some of the multiple techniques available for developing an understanding of soil erosion in the UK. The thesis first explored the information content of existing UK-based soil erosion studies, ascertaining the extent to which these existing data and methodological approaches can be used to develop an empirically derived understanding of soil erosion in the UK. The second research chapter then assessed which of two proximal sensing technologies, Terrestrial Laser Scanning and Structure-from-Motion Multi-view Stereo (SfM-MVS), is best suited to a cost-effective, replicable and robust assessment of soil erosion within a laboratory environment. The final research chapter built on these findings, using both Rare Earth Oxide tracers and SfM-MVS to elucidate retrospective information about sediment sources under changing soil erosion conditions, also within a laboratory environment Given the biased nature of the soil erosion story presented within the existing soil erosion research in the UK, it is impossible to ascertain if the frequency and magnitude of soil erosion events in the UK are problematic. However, this study has also identified that without ‘true’ observations of soil loss i.e. collection of sediment leaving known plot areas, proxies, such as the novel techniques presented in the experimental work herein and the methods used in the existing landscape scale assessments of soil erosion as included in the database chapter, are not capable of providing a complete assessment of soil erosion rates. However, this work has indicated that despite this limitation, each technique can present valuable information on the complex and spatially variable nature of soil erosion and associated processes, across different observational environments and scales.

L’évolution historique des types et techniques de production agricole a causé celle de l’organisation paysagère, via les parcellaires notamment. Les bordures de parcelles créent des discontinuités dans les processus d’érosion-dépôt de sol. L’objectif est ici de comprendre l’effet du parcellaire et de son évolution sur la distribution actuelle des sols et la morphologie des versants. Un versant cultivé (16 ha) dans le SW du Bassin Parisien a été étudié. La distribution spatiale de figures morphologiques linéaires et de l’épaisseur des sols a été analysée. Les deux types de figures identifiés correspondent à des épaississements de sols (dépôts) induits par des bordures de parcelles, pérennes depuis plusieurs siècles pour les premières, et disparues en 1967 (remembrement) pour les secondes. Ces épaississements ont été cartographiés grâce à une analyse statistique (CART) de la morphologie du versant. L’étude de traceurs granulométriques et minéralogiques (SEDI) a permis d’identifier les processus d’érosion-dépôt impliqués. La solifluxion périglaciaire puis le ruissellement auraient affecté l’ensemble du versant avant la pérennisation d’un parcellaire. Puis, des processus hydriques et aratoires ont agi dans des unités (parcelles) fixées par des bordures : les plus pérennes (1000 ans) montrent les dépôts les plus marqués (banquettes). La distribution spatiale du 137Cs et sa conversion en taux d’érosion (modélisation numérique) ont permis d’évaluer l’implication relative des processus hydriques (15%) et aratoires (85%) depuis 1954. Le remembrement parcellaire de 1967 s’avère avoir favorisé l’érosion des sols, convertissant des zones de rétention en zones sources (ondulations). / The historical evolution of agricultural practices is associated with a concomitent evolution of landscape spatial organisation, especially through field-border networks. Field borders create discontinuities of soil erosion-deposition processes. The aim of this PhD is to understand the effects of field-border networks and their evolution on the present spatial distribution of soils and hillslope morphology. A cultivated hillslope (16 ha) of the SW Parisian Basin was studied. The spatial distribution of linear landforms and soil thickness was analyzed. The two types of identified landforms correspond to soil thickenings (deposition) induced by field borders, that have existed for several centuries in the case of the first ones, and disappeared during a land consolidation (1967) in the case of the second ones. These soil thickenings were mapped through a statistical analysis (CART) of the hillslope morphology. The study of granulometric and mineralogical tracers (SEDI) led to identify the involved soil redistribution processes. Periglacial solifluxion, followed by runoff, probably occured over the whole hillslope before the establishment of perennial field borders. Then, water and tillage processes occured within areas delimited by field borders. The more developed soil depositions (lynchets) are linked with the most perennial borders (i.e., 1000 yrs). The spatial distribution of 137Cs and its conversion into erosion rates (numerical modeling) allowed to assess the relative implication of water (15%) and tillage processes (85%) since 1954. The land consolidation that occured in 1967 rised soil erosion when converting soil retention areas to sources (undulations).

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009-12-11Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:40:45Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 andrade_nsf_dr_jabo.pdf: 474430 bytes, checksum: 6e71312deb02091fbcdb01549805e82d (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / O objetivo geral deste trabalho foi demonstrar o valor econômico das perdas de nutrientes por erosão do solo, no cultivo da cana-de-açúcar. Especificamente, avaliar as perdas de nutrientes por erosão (P, K, Ca e Mg), o custo de reposição de nutrientes e de produção da cana, e os indicadores de análise de investimentos: valor presente líquido, taxa interna de retorno e a relação benefício / custo em dois sistemas de colheita (cana crua e queimada) em Catanduva - SP, em área de 100 ha para cada sistema, formadas e colhidas no mesmo período de (2002 a 2007), com similaridade quanto ao tipo de solo, variedade, topografia e número de cortes. A metodologia baseou-se na equação universal da perda de solos, teoria dos custos de produção e de reposição de nutrientes, e teoria dos indicadores das análises de investimentos. Estimou-se que a área com cana queimada perdeu mais nutrientes em todos os cortes, por isso o maior custo médio de reposição de nutrientes R$ 33,93 ha-1 ano-1, sendo de R$ 21,12 ha-1 ano-1 para a cana crua. O menor custo de produção foi da cana crua em todos os cortes, média de R$ 29,60 t-1, sendo de R$ 32,71 t-1 para a queimada. A cana crua apresentou um lucro médio de R$ 5,70 t-1 (R$ 562,87 ha-1 ano-1) e a queimada de R$ 2,59 t-1 (R$ 217,46 ha-1 ano-1). O retorno econômico da cana crua é superior ao da cana queimada, evidenciado ainda mais por meio dos resultados obtidos pelos dois sistemas de colheita, considerando-se índices de análises de investimentos (VPL, TIR, B/C). Conclui-se que a cana crua apresentou o melhor retorno técnico e econômico em virtude de proporcionar melhor conservação do solo e da água, a qual foi valorada pelo custo de reposição de nutrientes perdidos por erosão / The general objective of this work was to demonstrate the economic value of nutrients loss by soil erosion in sugarcane cultivation. Specifically, It was to evaluate the nutrient loss through erosion (P, K, Ca and Mg), the cost of replacing the nutrients and the production of sugar cane, and also the indicators of investment analysis: liquid present value, the internal return tax, and the benefit cost relation in two harvesting systems (raw cane and burnt) in Catanduva, São Paulo state, Brazil. An area of 100 ha was studied for each system, formed and harvested in the same period (2002 and 2007), with similarities in the type of soil, variety, topography, and the number of cuts. The methodology was based on the universal equation of soil loss and the theory of production costs and the replacement of nutrients. It was estimated that an area of burnt sugar cane lost more nutrients in all of the cuts, thus it has the highest average cost of replacing the nutrients, BRR$33.93 ha-1 year-1, compared with BRR$21.12 ha-1 year-1 for raw cane. The lowest production cost was with raw cane in all of the cuts, with an average of BRR$29.60 t-1, compared to BRR$32.71 t-1 for burnt cane. Raw cane presents an average profit of BRR$5.70 t-1 (BRR$562.87 ha-1 year-1) and burnt BRR$2.59 t-1 (BRR$217.46 ha-1 year-1). The economic return on raw cane is higher than that of burnt cane, which is proven from the results obtained from the two systems of harvesting through the analysis of the investment indexes (LPV, IRT, B/C). We can conclude that raw cane presents the best technical and economic return in its ability to better conserve soil and water, which is valued in the cost of nutrient replacement and losses through erosion

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:31:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2010-04-27Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T21:02:00Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 morais_tps_dr_jabo.pdf: 2309839 bytes, checksum: 569e9c63fdd407d8d6572edfd8cbcf0f (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) / A retirada da cobertura vegetal original e a implantação de áreas de pastagem e canade- açúcar, com práticas de manejo inadequadas, acarretam modificações nas propriedades químicas, físicas e biológicas dos solos, com limitações na utilização agrícola e susceptibilidade à erosão. Assim, estudos dos processos físicos e químicos são importantes para avaliar as mudanças de origem natural ou antrópica sobre os meios. O estudo teve como objetivos avaliar os atributos químicos e físicos de um Argissolo Vermelho-Amarelo em três microbacias hidrográficas, em áreas de vegetação nativa, pastagem e cana-de-açúcar bem como analisar a ocorrência das áreas de maior escoamento superficial e, consequentemente, maior predisposição ao processo erosivo nas microbacias. A área de estudo compreendeu a microbacia hidrográfica do Córrego da Fazenda Glória, Município de Taquaritinga, Estado de São Paulo. Para a amostragem do solo foi realizada a caracterização do volume superficial, e essas amostras foram coletadas na superfície das vertentes das microbacias e em cada uso/ocupação selecionado. Os resultados obtidos foram avaliados por meio da comparação de médias para o teste de Tukey a 5%. A partir das curvas de nível da carta topográfica e dos pontos levantados com receptor geodésico de navegação com metodologia diferencial foi gerado uma malha de pontos georreferenciados em cada microbacia, para gerar o modelo numérico do terreno a partir da incorporação dos divisores de água e da rede de drenagem. As avaliações dos atributos físicos e químicos dos solos nas microbacias hidrográficas e em diferentes tipos de uso e ocupação demonstraram uma diferença significativa entre as áreas. O manejo do solo alterou os atributos químicos e físicos com impacto nas camadas superficiais do solo. A matéria orgânica foi um dos atributos mais sensíveis... / The removal of original vegetation cover and the deployment of pastures and sugarcane, with inadequate management practices, cause changes in the chemical, physical and biological properties of soils, with limitations on agricultural use and susceptibility to erosion. Thus, studies of physical and chemical processes are important to assess changes of natural development or anthropic on the means. The study was conducted to evaluate the physical and chemical attributes of a Ultisol in three watersheds, in areas of native vegetation, pasture and sugarcane, as well as, analyze the occurrence of the areas of greatest runoff and, consequently, greater predisposition to erosive processes in watersheds. The study area was the Córrego da Fazenda Glória watershed, Municipality of Taquaritinga, State of São Paulo. Soil sampling was performed to characterize the superficial volume, and these samples were collected on the surface of the watersheds and in three different land use selected. The results obtained were evaluated by the comparison of averages for the Tukey test at 5%. From the curves in a topographical map and from points collected with geodetic navigation receiver in a differential methodology was generated a digital elevation method in each watersheds. The assessments of physical and chemical attributes of soils in hydrographic watersheds and different land uses demonstrated a significant difference between the areas. Soil management altered the chemical and physical attributes impact in the soil superficial layers. The organic matter was one of the attributes more sensitive to changes due to agricultural practices. The digital terrain model showed a great potential, considering the scale of study of watersheds; and can help in spatial planning, urban and regional planning and zoning

Submitted by Leticia Schettini (leticia@ufrrj.br) on 2016-10-10T13:01:19Z No. of bitstreams: 1 2011 - Valdemir Lucio Durigon.pdf: 4431691 bytes, checksum: bc255769946a67387959db9cc02dbb28 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-10T13:01:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2011 - Valdemir Lucio Durigon.pdf: 4431691 bytes, checksum: bc255769946a67387959db9cc02dbb28 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-25 / Coordena??o de Aperfei?oamento de Pessoal de N?vel Superior-CAPES / Soil erosion is a growing problem in today's world, virtually in every continent, mainly due to the rising demand for food, fibers and biofuels. On the other hand, the correct planning of land use, avoiding farming lands with high erosion risk, could minimize the erosion process without compromising food security. The aim of this study was to evaluate erosion risk and soil losses in a watershed using remote sensing and GIS, coupled with temporal evolution of vegetation cover and occupation of land, in areas of the municipalities of Paty do Alferes and Miguel Pereira, Rio de Janeiro State. For this, the RUSLE (Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation) was used as model to predict soil loss, combined with remote sensing data and the derived NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), to determine the soil coverage in a GIS (Geographic Information System). Satellite images used in this research included: TM sensor of Landsat-5, ETM+ of Landsat-7, CCD of CBERS-2, and CCD and HRC from CBERS 2B, obtained for the study period. The processed remotely sensed data and the geographic information system, integrated with models for predicting soil loss, showed good performance for environmental analysis. The use of NDVI was a suitable tool for determining the vegetation coverage, to be applied in soil loss prediction models. The soil losses and erosion risks were strongly associated with characteristics of relief, and they can be used for planning land usage and occupation, in urban and rural areas. More studies should be conducted linking GIS, erosion prediction models, and remote sensing data in order to better predict the occurrence of environmental disasters, also to create databases about soil?s response in relation to different causative erosional agents. / A eros?o do solo ? um problema crescente no mundo atual, em praticamente todos os continentes, que se deve ao crescimento da demanda por alimentos, ao mau uso dos solos e a necessidade de produ??o de fibras e combust?veis. Por outro lado, o planejamento correto do uso e cobertura dos solos evitando utilizar ?reas para a agricultura que tenham alto risco de eros?o e alto potencial natural de eros?o pode minimizar o processo, sem comprometer a seguran?a alimentar. O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o risco de eros?o e a perda de solo em uma bacia hidrogr?fica utilizando t?cnicas de sensoriamento remoto e SIG, associados ? evolu??o temporal dos ?ndices de cobertura e ocupa??o do solo, em ?reas nos munic?pios de Paty do Alferes e Miguel Pereira, Estado do Rio de Janeiro. Para isso, utilizou-se o modelo de predi??o de perdas de solos, no caso a RUSLE (?Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation?), associado a t?cnica de sensoriamento remoto integrada ao ?ndice de vegeta??o NDVI (?Normalized Difference Vegetation Index?) para determinar a cobertura dos solos em um SIG (Sistema de Informa??o Geogr?fica). Para tal, foram utilizadas imagens de sat?lite dos sensores TM Landsat-5, ETM+ Landsat-7 CCD CBERS-2 e CCD e HRC do CBERS 2B coletadas no per?odo considerado. Os dados de sensoriamento remoto e do sistema de informa??es geogr?ficas integrados a modelos de predi??o de perdas de solos caracterizaramse como importantes instrumentos na an?lise do meio ambiente. A utiliza??o de NDVI constitui-se em ferramenta adequada para a determina??o da cobertura, para aplica??o em modelos de predi??o de perda de solo. As perdas de solo, o potencial natural de eros?o e o risco mostraram forte rela??o com as caracter?sticas do relevo, podendo ser utilizados no planejamento do uso e ocupa??o do solo em ?reas urbana e rural. Mais estudos devem ser realizados associando SIG, modelos de predi??o de eros?o e t?cnicas de sensoriamento remoto no sentido de melhor prever a ocorr?ncia de desastres ambientais, tamb?m para criar bancos de informa??es sobre o comportamento dos solos em rela??o aos diversos agentes causadores do processo erosivo.

The machair is a coastal grassland system found only in parts of northern and western Scotland and Ireland. Despite its limited geographic distribution, machair landscapes have high ecological, geomorphological, and cultural significance, as recognised by numerous conservation designations and legislation. In January 2005 a severe storm caused extensive damage in the Outer Hebrides, drawing attention to the sensitivity of the machair coast to erosion. The aim of this research was to investigate variations and trends in the sensitivity of three field sites within the South Uist machair to soil and coastal erosion, and to interpret measured change alongside analysis of historic climate data. Two of the sites selected, Cille Pheadair and Staoinebrig, experienced some of the most dramatic geomorphological changes associated with the 2005 storm, while the third site, Milton, appeared to be more resistant to change. A combination of fieldwork, laboratory tests, and archive work was used to obtain and analyse information about sediment budgets, shoreline indicator change, and sediment erodibility, along with contextual climatic information. A key result of this work is the provision of a detailed framework of short-medium term cyclical changes and fluctuations in the coastal change, which provides a context for interpreting and responding to longer term trends in erosion and/or accretion. Results indicated high spatial and temporal variability in the erodibility of machair soils and landforms, with no clear relationship between climatic factors and rates of erosion. Considerable short-term variations in beach volume and the position of dynamic shoreline indicators caution against the relaibility of using ‘snap-shot’ historic datasets to infer long-term rates of change. It is proposed that the machair landscape currently functions in a state of highly dynamic equilibrium, which has been maintained over the last ~130 years. While storm events such as the January 2005 storm have locally dramatic consequences, they do not appear to have disrupted the overally physical and ecological functions of the system. This contribution is particularly timely given current concerns for the future of the machair landscape under predicted sea-level and climate change scenarios, and the potential for inappropriate hard-engineering responses to the perceived risk.

Watershed restoration comes in a variety of forms depending on which set of problems are sought to be remedied. Severe soil erosion, in the form of gullying and/or headcutting, can be mitigated through constructing check dams in well-selected locations. This practice has been used throughout the upland subwatersheds within the Upper Laja River watershed in Guanajuato, México. The present study employed Wolman pebble counts to systematically assess the effectiveness of 21 check dams located near the city of San Miguel de Allende. Particle size distributions taken directly downstream and upstream of each check dam were differentiated, aggregated and compared--with the difference between median particle size of downstream and upstream distributions defined as DsD50-UsD50. Several subwatershed attributes were calculated in a GIS for comparison to DsD50-UsD50 values. Results indicate that, on aggregate, the check dams studied were moderately successful at retaining sediment that becomes entrained in concentrated flow (DsD50-UsD50 = 15.4 mm; p < 0.001). Individually, 18 of the 21 check dams surveyed had statistically significant differences between DsD50 and UsD50 (p < 0.05). The subwatershed variables of local channel slope (r = 0.55), mean subwatershed slope (r = 0.46), subwatershed area (r = 0.59), distance from channel head (r = 0.54), percent canopy cover (r = 0.46), Qmed (r = 0.46), total stream power (r = 0.58), and change in total stream power (r = -0.45) were found to be statistically significant when correlated with DsD50-UsD50 values (p < 0.05). Change in total stream power was used to classify stream reaches as either erosion or deposition-dominated. When compared, the DsD50-UsD50 values from check dams located in erosion and deposition-dominated reaches are statistically different (p < 0.05); higher performing check dams were predominantly found in deposition-dominated reaches. The results of this study suggest that spatially distributed stream power can be used as a variable for making decisions about future check dam locations. In particular, check dams are more likely to be effective if they are located within deposition-dominated areas (negative change in total stream power) and in areas of decreasing change in total stream power. In general, this study's findings also support locating check dams in second order streams.

No description available.

The primary objective of this research was to develop a landscape-oriented, process-based approach that can enhance understanding and prediction of SOC fluxes in IMLs by incorporating the key mechanisms impacting soil carbon dynamics when moving from the soilscape to the landscape. The mechanisms that are considered to be the focus of this study are redistribution of SOC due to erosion and deposition without neglecting the importance of litter incorporation into the soil column, decomposition due to microbial activity, and physical and chemical stabilization of carbon. To accomplish this objective, field experiments were performed to examine how selective entrainment of different soil size fractions, quantified through the enrichment ratio (ER), varies with management and hillslope position. Differential modes in soil mobilization between rill and interrill areas were either elevated or dampened depending on the prevalent management practice, the gradient of the site and landscape position. Sites where sediment and runoff fluxes were highest were found to have lower ER values (around unity) due to the mobilization of all size classes making static and dynamic samples almost identical. The size fractions analyzed in these experiments were found to have varying levels of carbon associated with them, especially the larger aggregates, which encapsulate organic material. Neglecting them in transport estimates could lead to large errors in predicted fluxes of SOC. For this reason, a careful attention was placed on identifying how aggregate stability varies with respect to management and hillslope position, through controlled experiments looking size distributions to reflect tillage disturbance and aggregate stability to assess resistance to rainsplash. Lastly, a landscape-oriented modeling framework was developed that captures not only the SOC spatial heterogeneity in IMLs but also determines the impacts that redistribution has on this heterogeneity and ultimately on SOC dynamics. The integrative modeling framework considers the collective effects of both rainsplash/rainfall- and tillage-induced erosion on SOC redistribution in IMLs through an ER-module developed and woven within this framework to connect an upland erosion model with a soil biogeochemical model. It provides not only size fraction updates to the active layer and ER values, but also explicitly considers the effects of splash-driven interrill erosion on those ER estimates. The model was applied to twentieth-century changes in SOC across a representative agricultural hillslope in the study watershed and compared to recent SOC data. The chronosequence in SOC storage within the erosional zone revealed that soils were continually depleted of the rich organic matter long after the 1930’s “Dust bowl” due to enhanced erosion that accompanied agricultural practices. However, conservation tillage and enhanced crop production that began in the late 1980’s reversed the downward trend in SOC losses, causing nearly 26% of the lost SOC to be regained. Results from this study can be used to aid policy and decision makers in developing a food-system that accounts for the co-evolution of human and natural activity, to develop sustainable agro-ecosystems through the use of data supported recommended best management practices.

This thesis is primarily concerned with the characteristics and effectiveness of extension and adult learning within a community of Maltese vegetable growers in western Sydney. Extension was practised according to principles of experiential learning theory, action research and andragogy. The recommendation is made that extension agents should concentrate upon experiences that are within the target group's spheres of activity and interest. Kolb's experiential learning theory was found to be applicable to extension in this context. This theory, and similar principles, involve interpretivism, reflection and interaction, all of which were found to be beneficial. It was found to be sufficient for the author to inspire growers with broad concepts, which were then applied by growers to their situations. It is suggested that extension agents concern themselves less with attempts to change clients' attitudes and instead encourage them to trial innovations and draw their own conclusions. Future research should consider characteristics of the internalisation of knowledge and the role of clients' emotional well-being. Guidelines for extension with Maltese vegetable growers of the Sydney region are listed, and many of these are generalisable to other circumstances of extension. / Master of Science (Hons) (Systems Agriculture)