Environmental degradation is a serious problem in Lesotho, Africa. The majority of studies dealing with soil loss and gully erosion have mainly focused on the mechanics of the erosion. However, mountain watersheds are sensitive and vulnerable to degradation and in so being, have large inherent environmental implications. Gully erosion diversifies the micro-topographical and hydrological environment. The severe changes and eventual system degradation incurred as a result of gullying has rarely been quantified. This paper specifically highlights mire phytogeographic responses to valley head degradation at selected sites in eastern Lesotho by comparing patterns observed in gullied mires to those seen in other non-gullied mires. Soil and vegetation belt transects are set up across five mires (2 gullied) in the highlands of eastern Lesotho. The response of many of the plant species to the overall environmental gradient was asymmetrical and unimodal in pattern. The spatial distribution of the soil’s physical properties, topography and vegetation community patterns were found to reflect the spatial mosaic of the soil moisture gradient. The negative impact that gullying has on the ecohydrological regime of the valley heads is evident and is allowing for shrub encroachment. Both the wetland and dryland vegetation communities correlate strongly with the changes in the surface soil moisture gradient. Gully erosion is clearly a threshold phenomenon. Continued grassland degradation, accelerated soil erosion and subsequent gullying of the wetlands will lead to plant and animal diversity loss, decreased livestock productivity, sediment-laden water and shortened dam life-span.

Devido a dificuldade em se modelar a contribuição de aporte de sedimentos provenientes de erosões lineares em uma bacia hidrográfica, muitas vezes estes são desconsiderados nos estudos hidrossedimentológicos, contudo, podem corresponder a parcela significativa do assoreamento. O presente projeto analisou como a contribuição de uma voçoroca no município de Santo Antônio do Aracanguá (SP), para o assoreamento do Ribeirão das Cruzes, tributário do reservatório da UHE Três Irmãos (Rio Tietê). O estudo foi conduzido por meio de pesquisa teórica (levantamento bibliográfico), coletas de dados na área de estudo e por meio de simulação computacional. Com auxílio de ferramentas de geoprocessamento foram quantificados o volume assoreado no tributário determinado por levantamento batimétrico (12,31 hm³) e o volume de solo erodido na voçoroca por meio de levantamento topográfico (0,22 hm³). Comparando estes resultados obtivemos a contribuição de 1,80% da erosão linear para o assoreamento do tributário nos 21,12 anos anteriores a pesquisa. No entanto, devido a estimativa do surgimento e desenvolvimento da voçoroca estar associado aos últimos 7,11 anos, a contribuição no assoreamento para este período foi de 5,17%. O estudo ainda apontou o depósito destes sedimentos nos primeiros 2 km à jusante da interface erosão-represa. Erosões lineares podem contribuir significativamente no processo de assoreamento como demonstrado no estudo de caso, sendo necessário se considerar este tipo de contribuição nos estudos de aporte de sedimento em corpos d\'água. / Due the difficulty of modeling the contribution of sediment delivery from linear erosions in a watershed, these are often overlooked in hydrosedimentological studies, however, may represent a significant portion of siltation. This project analyzes the contribution of a gully erosion in Santo Antonio do Aracanguá (SP) for the sedimentation of Ribeirão das Cruzes, a tributary of the UHE Three Brothers reservoir (Tietê River). The study was conducted from theoretical research (bibliographic research), data collection in the study area and through computer simulation. With the aid of GIS tools were quantified the silted volume in the tributary, determined by bathymetric survey (12.31 hm³) and the volume of eroded soil in the gully erosion by topography surveying (0.22 hm³). Comparing these results, we have obtained the contribution of 1.80% from linear erosion to the sedimentation in the tributary during the 21.12 years preceding the survey. However, due to estimative of the beginning and development of the gully erosion being associated with the last 7.11 years, the contribution to sedimentation in this period was 5.17%. The study also accused the deposit of sediment in the first 2 km downstream interface \"erosion-dam\". Linear erosions can contribute significantly in the process of sedimentation as shown in the study case, being necessary to consider this type of contribution in studies of sediment input into water bodies.

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Devido a dificuldade em se modelar a contribuição de aporte de sedimentos provenientes de erosões lineares em uma bacia hidrográfica, muitas vezes estes são desconsiderados nos estudos hidrossedimentológicos, contudo, podem corresponder a parcela significativa do assoreamento. O presente projeto analisou como a contribuição de uma voçoroca no município de Santo Antônio do Aracanguá (SP), para o assoreamento do Ribeirão das Cruzes, tributário do reservatório da UHE Três Irmãos (Rio Tietê). O estudo foi conduzido por meio de pesquisa teórica (levantamento bibliográfico), coletas de dados na área de estudo e por meio de simulação computacional. Com auxílio de ferramentas de geoprocessamento foram quantificados o volume assoreado no tributário determinado por levantamento batimétrico (12,31 hm³) e o volume de solo erodido na voçoroca por meio de levantamento topográfico (0,22 hm³). Comparando estes resultados obtivemos a contribuição de 1,80% da erosão linear para o assoreamento do tributário nos 21,12 anos anteriores a pesquisa. No entanto, devido a estimativa do surgimento e desenvolvimento da voçoroca estar associado aos últimos 7,11 anos, a contribuição no assoreamento para este período foi de 5,17%. O estudo ainda apontou o depósito destes sedimentos nos primeiros 2 km à jusante da interface erosão-represa. Erosões lineares podem contribuir significativamente no processo de assoreamento como demonstrado no estudo de caso, sendo necessário se considerar este tipo de contribuição nos estudos de aporte de sedimento em corpos d\'água. / Due the difficulty of modeling the contribution of sediment delivery from linear erosions in a watershed, these are often overlooked in hydrosedimentological studies, however, may represent a significant portion of siltation. This project analyzes the contribution of a gully erosion in Santo Antonio do Aracanguá (SP) for the sedimentation of Ribeirão das Cruzes, a tributary of the UHE Three Brothers reservoir (Tietê River). The study was conducted from theoretical research (bibliographic research), data collection in the study area and through computer simulation. With the aid of GIS tools were quantified the silted volume in the tributary, determined by bathymetric survey (12.31 hm³) and the volume of eroded soil in the gully erosion by topography surveying (0.22 hm³). Comparing these results, we have obtained the contribution of 1.80% from linear erosion to the sedimentation in the tributary during the 21.12 years preceding the survey. However, due to estimative of the beginning and development of the gully erosion being associated with the last 7.11 years, the contribution to sedimentation in this period was 5.17%. The study also accused the deposit of sediment in the first 2 km downstream interface \"erosion-dam\". Linear erosions can contribute significantly in the process of sedimentation as shown in the study case, being necessary to consider this type of contribution in studies of sediment input into water bodies.

Aspects of the biology of the sepiolid squid Rossia pacifica Berry were studied from specimens obtained by otter trawling at Cape Lazo Gully and Saanich Inlet, British Columbia. Temperature, salinity, and sediment size at Cape Lazo Gully varied from 7.18°C to 11.00°C, 28.01 °/oo to 30.21 °/oo, and from less than l00μd to over 250μd respectively. Living specimens in the laboratory exhibited color changes from dark red-brown to opalescent grey-green. They did not mimic the color of the substrate. Comparisons of the morphometric indices of R. pacifica with other species of this genus showed differences in some indices but not in others. The arm formula is inconsistent, the most common being 3>2>4>1 and 3>2=4>1. The lower beak differs from that of R. maarosoma by having a "tooth" on its shoulder. In an aquarium Rossia spent most of its time resting on the bottom either in a horizontal position or with the anterior end elevated. The squid usually formed a depression in the sandy bottom to rest in. In some instances they threw sand onto their backs. Fish were caught with the tentacles and held with the arms while being eaten. Stomach analysis revealed that crustacea were present in 86.6% of the stomachs that contained food, while fish were present in 16.6%. Shrimp formed the largest portion of the crustacea in the diet. Bivalve molluscs, squid, and ostracods were occasionally found. Proportions of crustacea to fish in the diet were higher in smaller squid and decreased in larger animals. Seasonal variations in the diet were correlated with the biomass of shrimp in the area where the squid were collected; when a low biomass of shrimp was present the squid had a higher proportion of fish in their diet. The female R. pacifica are slightly larger than the males of the same age and grow to a larger size than do the males. The male and female reproductive systems are described. Gonad indices show that the ovaries and nidamental glands begin to mature when the females have a dorsal mantle length of approximately 24.0 mm. Spermatophores were not found in males smaller than 22 mm mantle length. The proportion of males containing spermatophores was 9% at 22 mm and increased through 17% at 24 mm, 50% at 26 mm to 90% at 28 mm. During mating the male attaches to the female from below by means of his second, third, and fourth pairs of arms. Spermatophores are transferred into the dorsal region of the female's pallial cavity by his dorsal, hectocotylized arms. The sex ratio of males to females found at Cape Lazo Gully was 1.2:1.0. Spawning occurs in the fall with the most active period occurring from August through October. This may be correlated with an increase in the water temperature, during this time. The squid have a life span of one year, at the end of which they mate, spawn, and die. / Graduate

El texto completo de este trabajo no está disponible en el Repositorio Académico UPC por restricciones de la casa editorial donde ha sido publicado. / This research presents the numerical simulation to reproduce the transport and deposition processes of the sludge flow on March 15, 2017, strongly impacting the town of Pampapacta in Punta Hermosa-Peru.The debris flow initiation process in the basin was represented by hydrographs obtained from the estimated volumes of stormwater runoff and solid materials. The sludge flow was modeled in Flo2D to calculate hazard maps with the discharge event and others with different return periods.The numerical simulation results show acceptable results in relation to what happened. The model used to assess the hazard due to debris flow can predict and delineate, with acceptable precision, potentially hazardous areas for a landslide. The application of the proposed methodology to assess the hazard of disasters due to debris flows in basins and streams is useful to understand the extent of the impact of the mud flow during extreme weather events, as well as to develop emergency plans and formulate disaster policies.

This study examines the relationship between gully erosion in channels, sidewalls, and interfluves, and precipitation parameters (duration, total accumulation, average intensity, and maximum intensity) annually and seasonally to determine seasonal drivers for precipitation-related erosion. Ordinary Least Square regression models of erosion using precipitation and antecedent precipitation at weekly lags of up to twelve weeks were developed for three erosion variables for each of three geomorphic areas: channels, interfluves, and sidewalls (nine models in total). Erosion was most pronounced in winter months, followed by spring, indicating the influence of high-intensity precipitation from frontal systems and repeated freeze-thaw cycles in winter; erosion in summer was driven by high-intensity precipitation from convectional storms. Annually, duration was the most important driver for erosion, however, during winter and summer months, precipitation intensity was dominant. Seasonal models retained average and maximum precipitation as drivers for erosion in winter months (dominated by frontal systems), and retained maximum precipitation intensity as a driver for erosion in summer months (dominated by convectional storms). In channels, precipitation duration was the dominant driver for erosion due to runoff-related erosion, while in sidewalls and interfluves intensity parameters were equally important as duration, likely related to rain splash erosion. These results show that the character of precipitation, which varies seasonally, is an important driver for gully erosion and that studies of precipitation-driven erosion should consider partitioning data by season to identify these drivers.

This study examines gully erosion in northeast Tennessee hillslopes in the Southern Appalachian Valley and Ridge physiographic province, where a thick sequence of red clay Ultisols (Acrisol, according to the World Reference Base for Soil) overlies dolomite and limestone bedrock. The role of freeze-thaw processes in gully erosion was examined weekly from 6/3/2012 to 9/17/2014 using a network of n = 78 erosion pins in three geomorphic areas: channels, interfluves, and sidewalls. Freeze-thaw days were identified using meteorological data collected on site. When freeze-thaw days occurred, erosion and deposition increased and gully conditions were more dynamic. When daily temperature did not plunge below freezing, more stable gully conditions persisted. Ordinary Least Square regression models of erosion pin length using freeze-thaw events explained significant portions of variability in channels (R² = 0.113, p < 0.01), interfluves (R² = 0.141, p < 0.01), and sidewalls (R² = 0.263, p < 0.01). Repeat analysis on only the winter-spring months minimally improved the sidewall model (R² = 0.272, p < 0.01). Erosion in interfluves exhibited a lagged effect, and was best correlated to freeze-thaw events during the prior period while erosion in channels and sidewalls was related to freeze-thaw events in the current week. Of the three geomorphic areas studied, sidewall erosion was best modeled by freeze-thaw events which contribute to widening of gullies through mobilization of sediment and mass wasting. This research demonstrates that freeze-thaw processes are a significant contributor to erosion in gully channels, interfluves, and especially sidewalls, and therefore temperature variability should be considered in erosion studies in similar climates.

This study investigates gully erosion on an east Tennessee hillslope in a humid subtropical climate. The study area is deeply gullied in Ultisols (Acrisol, according to the World Reference Base for Soil), with thirty years of undisturbed erosional history with no efforts to correct or halt the erosion. The objectives are (1) to examine how different gully morphologies (channel, sidewall, and interfluve) behave in response to precipitation-driven erosion, and (2) to identify an appropriate temporal scale at which precipitation-driven erosion can be measured to improve soil loss prediction. Precipitation parameters (total accumulation, duration, average intensity, maximum intensity) extracted from data collected at an on-site weather station were statistically correlated with erosion data. Erosion data were collected from erosion pins installed in four gully systems at 78 locations spanning three different morphological settings: interfluves, channels, and sidewalls. Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric tests and Mann-Whitney U-tests indicated that different morphological settings within the gully system responded differently to precipitation (p<0.00). For channels and sidewalls, regression models relating erosion and precipitation parameters retained antecedent precipitation and precipitation accumulation or duration (R2=0.50, p<0.00 for channels, R2=0.28, p<0.00 for sidewalls) but precipitation intensity variables were not retained in the models. For interfluves, less than 20% of variability in erosion data could be explained by precipitation parameters. Precipitation duration and accumulation (including antecedent precipitation accumulation) were more important than precipitation intensity in initiating and propagating erosion in this geomorphic and climatic setting, but other factors including mass wasting and eolian erosion are likely contributors to erosion. High correlation coefficients between aggregate precipitation parameters and erosion indicate that a suitable temporal scale to relate precipitation to soil erosion is the synoptic time-scale. This scale captures natural precipitation cycles and corresponding measurable soil erosion.

Gully erosion has been damaging archaeological sites in Grand Canyon during the last several decades, and there is a need to protect these features through mitigation, monitoring, and better geomorphic understanding. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of erosion-control structures , determine the accuracy and utility of aerial photogrammetry for monitoring gullies , and understand the geomorphology of the erosion . We performed total-station surveys and other data collection during February and October , 2002, at nine study sites in eastern and western Grand Canyon. Erosion-control structures are more prone to be damaged by flow when they are placed in reaches of very high local gradient. Treatments are generally successful in slowing erosion or causing deposition of sediment, but damaged erosion-control structures were shown to be less effective than intact structures, and actually increase local erosion in cases. Aerial photogrammetry was performed on four eroding archaeological sites in western Grand Canyon in March and October 2002 in order to assess the accuracy and change-detection utility of this tool. Accuracy was assessed on several different levels by comparing photogrammetry data to ground-survey data, and mean absolute vertical error ranged from 6-10 cm. Error of manual photogrammetry digital terrain models (DTMs) increased with topographic ruggedness and decreased with greater photogrammetric point density. Mean error reached a minimum of 5 cm for March and 6.5 cm for October when the ratio of point density to topographic ruggedness was ~40. Ground surveys and repeat photography indicated that two study gullies eroded or aggraded during the study period by 10-20 cm, but these changes were mostly undetected in the photogrammetry DTMs. Repeat ground surveys showed that gullies erode most at knickpoints and in steep reaches , and that new knickpoints tend to form in relatively steep reaches of a given channel. An area-slope erosion threshold was identified for the study sites and applied in a GIS-based model at four sites to show areas that exceed the threshold and are sensitive to gully erosion . Overall results show an upcatchment control of gully erosion and suggest that baselevel changes due to Glen Canyon Dam operation are subordinate controls.