Effects of rainfall characteristics and contour tillage on ephemeral gully development in a field in Northeastern China

Jie, Tang; Xie, Yonghong; Liu, Chuan; Dong, Hanlin; Liu, Gang

doi:10.1016/j.still.2021.105312

Cited by 14 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…The slopes in the entire study area were almost terraced, which were constructed since the Ming and Qing dynasties (more than 300 years) and are still ongoing as part of the rural revitalization strategy (Li et al, 2022). We observed many rills perpendicular to the terraced ridges, also known as ephemeral gullies (Tang et al, 2022). We used daily rainfall data from the National Centers for Environmental Information (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/) for the nearest station in Qingyang City, 37 km south of the study area (Figure 2e).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 73%

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Assessment of loess terraced slope erosion using unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry: Topographic and hydrological effects

Kou,

Xu,

Jin

et al. 2024

Land Degrad Dev

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Terraced slopes are widely used in the Loess Plateau to control gully erosion, yet their potential to induce new erosion patterns remains overlooked. Here we used unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photogrammetry to obtain centimeter‐resolution digital surface models (DSMs) and derived hydrological networks, slopes, aspects, and curvatures of the terraced slopes. Our analysis reveals terraces disrupted natural water pathways, spurring new rill formations during each rainy season—a process neglected by models. Intriguingly, despite gentler gradients, terraced slopes exhibited higher erosion rates than steeper gullies, with widespread rills on terrace ridges. Vegetation‐induced deposition surpassed erosion by 1.52 times, but moisture evaporation on sunny slopes limited plant growth and enhanced erosion. We propose targeted strategies tailored to these erosion mechanisms, including terrace redesign, runoff diversion, slope strengthening, and suitable vegetation, advancing sustainable land management. However, this study faces limitations due to the reliance on drone photogrammetry, which may be influenced by environmental factors like varying solar angles and vegetation growth, and the lack of extensive field validation to support the UAV‐derived data. Our study spotlights drone photogrammetry's potential for elucidating complex erosion dynamics on terraced slopes.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 73%

Section: Study Areamentioning

confidence: 84%

Assessment of loess terraced slope erosion using unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry: Topographic and hydrological effects

Kou,

Xu,

Jin

et al. 2024

Land Degrad Dev

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“…All of these indicators were significant at the 5% confidence level, and the row direction (RowD) was significant at the 10% confidence level for gully morphology. Tang et al (2022) noted that the row direction has different influence on the development of gullies under different rainfall intensities.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The cross‐sections of gully are approximately trapezoidal (Deng et al, 2015), the method for calculating cross‐sectional area and estimating gully volume by top width, bottom width and average depth is simple and accurate, and is widely used in gully erosion research around the world (Belayneh et al, 2020; Bouchnak et al, 2009; Frankl et al, 2013; Tang et al, 2022; Zegeye et al, 2017). All of the gullies in the cropland within each SU were measured using the cross‐sectional method.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of topographic variations and tillage methods on gully erosion in the black soil region: A case‐study from Northeast China

et al. 2022

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Gully erosion is considered to be a severe land degradation process around the world. The combined effects of tillage methods and topographic variation on gully erosion are poorly understood. This study investigated permanent gullies in three farmland, geomorphic areas in the black soil region of Northeastern China: low mountains and hills, tableland, and rolling hill areas. Cross-sectional measurements were used to obtain estimates of volumetric soil loss from the gullies. Digital contour maps and remote sensing images were used to obtain the topography and row direction data. The results showed that tableland area had the greatest volumetric soil loss and was the most prone to develop gully erosion, followed by the low mountains and hills, and finally the rolling hill areas. Topography was the dominant control on gully erosion and volumetric soil loss and length density increased first and then decreased as a function of increase of slope gradient. Farmland with slope gradient between 15 and 20 had the most serious gully erosion. Hillslope gullies were classified into three types by morphological indicators. Compared to other geomorphic areas, low mountains and hills had the most gully types and the greatest variability of morphology. Surface areas and volumes were related to gully type. Different tillage methods have affected the frequency of gully occurrence. Cross-slope tillage areas were more prone to develop gully erosion than contoured tillage and up and down slope tillage areas, especially for farmlands with slope of 5 to 10 . The results suggest that gully erosion could be reduced if up and down slope tillage was used for slope gradients less than 15 and contoured tillage was used for slope gradient greater than 15 . This study demonstrates the combined effect of topographic variations and tillage methods on gully erosion, and highlights the importance of considering different tillage methods under different geographical conditions to control gully erosion.

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“…Therefore, in the initial stages of the implementation of conservation tillage management, it is necessary to implement appropriate drainage measures to mitigate the intensification of soil erosion, especially the development of gully erosion. In the same region, the result of Tang et al (2020Tang et al ( , 2022 indicated that tillage management significantly affects the development of ephemeral gully and CT is prone to the development of gully erosion on long, gentle hillslopes.…”

Section: Implications For Tillage Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short‐term conservation tillage degrades soil infiltration properties in the black soil region of Northeast China

Zhu,

Chen,

Wang

et al. 2024

European J Soil Science

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Soil infiltration properties (SIPs) are crucial soil hydraulic parameters for hydrological and erosion models as they regulate the movement of water and nutrients within the soil. Tillage practice can significantly impact the hydrological and erosional processes of sloping farmland by changing SIPs through altering soil structure. Nevertheless, knowledge regarding the effects of short‐term conservation tillage on SIPs is unclear, which greatly limits the management of soil and water resources of sloping farmland. This study aimed to clarify the potential impact and underlying mechanisms of short‐term implementation of conservation tillage on SIPs under three typical tillage management types: conventional downslope tillage (DT), conservation contour tillage (CT), and no‐tillage (NT) in the black soil region of Northeast China. SIPs of initial infiltration rate (IIR), steady infiltration (SIR), and hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were determined by a field disc infiltration experiment under pressure heads (h) of −3, −1.5, and 0 cm. The results revealed that short‐term implementation of conservation tillage management degraded SIPs, with a significant difference observed between DT and NT. In comparison to DT, the mean SIPs of IIR, SIR, and Ks of CT decreased by 27.5%, 31.2%, and 28.6%, and the corresponding reduced values of NT were 54.1%, 65.0%, and 65.5%, respectively. SIPs were significantly correlated with soil texture, bulk density (BD), capillary porosity (CP), total porosity (TP), field capacity (FC), saturated water content (SSWC), and organic matter content (SOM). Among these influencing factors, the variations in SIPs among different tillage management and soil layers were primarily influenced by differences in clay and gravel contents, FC, and SSWC and SSWC played the most critical role. These results highlight the substantial impacts and clarify the mechanisms of short‐term conservation tillage on SIPs, which is helpful for understanding the potential effect of short‐term conservation tillage management on hydrology and erosional processes, thereby improving the sustainable utilization of arable land.

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Effects of rainfall characteristics and contour tillage on ephemeral gully development in a field in Northeastern China

Cited by 14 publications

References 36 publications

Assessment of loess terraced slope erosion using unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry: Topographic and hydrological effects

Assessment of loess terraced slope erosion using unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry: Topographic and hydrological effects

Effect of topographic variations and tillage methods on gully erosion in the black soil region: A case‐study from Northeast China

Short‐term conservation tillage degrades soil infiltration properties in the black soil region of Northeast China

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