Microtopography and soil-surface materials on semi-arid piedmont hillslopes, southern Arizona

Parsons, Anthony J.; Abrahams, Athol D.; Simanton, J. R.

doi:10.1016/s0140-1963(18)30585-8

Cited by 149 publications

(90 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Abiotic factors such as topography, precipitation, fluvial processes, and aeolian activities are known to create spatial heterogeneity in soil properties (Burke 1989;Coppinger et al 1991;Parsons et al 1992;Fisk et al 1998;Okin and Gillette 2001). In arid and semiarid grasslands, the role of water has been the focus of nutrient reduction and redistribution (Parsons et al 1992;Schlesinger et al 2000;Augustine and Frank 2001). However, in many desert areas, water-based transport of soil nutrients and particulate matter is limited due to the closed basins and flat terrain (Gillette and Pitchford 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of wind erosion on the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients in two desert grassland communities

et al. 2008

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Wind is known to affect the spatial heterogeneity of soil resources in arid and semiarid systems, but multi-year, quantified observations are largely absent. We studied the effects of wind erosion on the spatial distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) and other soil nutrients at the Jornada Experimental Range, in southern New Mexico. Enhanced wind erosion was encouraged by grass cover reduction in a Sporobolus-mesquite dominated site (SM) and a Bouteloua-mesquite dominated site (BM). The scale and magnitude of spatial dependence for the soil analytes were quantified using geostatistical analyses. Results of this study show that soil organic matter related analytes such as SOC, TN, N avail , and SO 4 2 are among the first to be eroded and redistributed; cations such as Ca 2+ and Mg 2+ may not be removed and redistributed significantly; and other ions such as K + , Na + and Cl -showed no discernible pattern of change. Geostatistics show that wind appeared to increase the scale of spatial autocorrelation, but decrease the scale of spatial dependence of most soil analytes over 2-3 windy seasons. In the wind enhanced plot of the SM site, up to 99% of the spatial dependence of SOC was autocorrelated at the distance of 1.45 m before the initiation of wind erosion, but the spatial dependence dropped significantly to only 60% at a larger autocorrelation distance of 2.76 m after three windy seasons. Similar but less significant changes were observed for SOC in the BM site. Despite the differential effects of wind on the soil analytes, we conclude that the overall results of wind on the grass cover reduction plots are the disappearance of small, strong fertile islands, which may be related to grasses; and the reinforcement of large fertile islands, which are likely related to mesquite shrubs. In addition, the change of the spatial patterns of SOC and other soil nutrients induced by enhanced wind erosion may persist and reinforce soil islands associated with shrubs, thus allowing a positive feedback for further desertification in this arid grassland.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of wind erosion on the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients in two desert grassland communities

et al. 2008

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“…Raindrop detachment is controlled by particle size and density. The dominant particle size detached by typical raindrops, the diameter of which is generally <5 mm, is fine sand (Ellison, 1944;Poesen and Savat, 1981;Parsons, Abrahams and Simanton, 1992). Finer particles require more energy, due largely to cohesion developed by electrostatic forces between particles; coarser particles require greater energies.…”

Section: Splashmentioning

confidence: 99%

Runoff Generation, Overland Flow and Erosion on Hillslopes

Wainwright

Bracken

2011

Arid Zone Geomorphology

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“…The impact of high intensity raindrops helps form patchy, discontinuous pavement on semi-arid hillslopes where the erosion of fines is concentrated in areas between plants. Soil detachment, depletion and lowering gradually increase the percentage of cover of coarse lag material (Parsons, Abrahams and Simanton, 1992).…”

Section: Concentration By Surface Wash and Rain Splashmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pavements and Stone Mantles

Laity

2011

Arid Zone Geomorphology

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Microtopography and soil-surface materials on semi-arid piedmont hillslopes, southern Arizona

Cited by 149 publications

References 14 publications

Effects of wind erosion on the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients in two desert grassland communities

Effects of wind erosion on the spatial heterogeneity of soil nutrients in two desert grassland communities

Runoff Generation, Overland Flow and Erosion on Hillslopes

Pavements and Stone Mantles

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