Some physical and chemical properties of sediments exposed in a gully (donga) in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and their relationship to the erodibility of the colluvial layers

Rienks, Suzanne M; Botha, G.A.; Hughes, J. C.

doi:10.1016/s0341-8162(99)00082-x

Cited by 59 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Atterberg limits therefore, measure the quantity of water that must enter the soil before it loses coherence, which is an important distinction for hillslope soils that are wetted by infiltration of precipitation, especially when these soils have low infiltration rates associated with the presence of clays. A higher Atterberg limit contributes to soil stability under these conditions (Rienks et al, 2000). The mean plastic limit (PL) values for finer soil in non-eroding and eroding sites were 19.3% and 22.6%, respectively.…”

Section: Soil Texture Color and Atterberg Limitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The correlation of gully erosion severity with soil intrinsic physico-chemical factors is asserted in the literature (Nordström, 1988;Lal, 2001, Battaglia, et al, 2002Summa et al, 2007, Rienks et al, 2000Piccarreta, 2006;Singh & Prakash, 2000). Further, the state of soil dispersion and erodibility in erosion prone areas has been related to the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), the sodium percentage (PS) and the total amount of dissolved salts (TDS) of the surface soils (Faulkner, 2006;Piccarreta et al, 2006;Torri et al, 1994), although gullying occurs in soils that do not exceed the erosion threshold for these parameters (Rienks, 2000).…”

mentioning

confidence: 96%

“…erodibility include the soil erodibility factor (Zhang et al, 2003;, the universal soil loss equation (USLE) (Cauley, 1986), revised USLE (Fistikoglu & Harmancioglu, 2002), and modified USLE (Nearing et al, 2005), soil loss estimation models (Smith et al, 2000), and other measures to assess aggregate stability (Oades & Waters, 1991;Amézketa, 1999;Rienks et al, 2000). Erosion reduces soil stability and nutrient efficiency by altering the soil's physical, chemical, and biological properties (Lal, 2001;Lobo et al, 2005;Santis et al, 2010), which are important factors in badland gully erosion, especially in clay-rich soils (Bryan & Yair, 1982;Imeson et al, 1982;Ingles & Aitchson,1969;Okagbue et al, 1988;Santis et al, 2010).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, the state of soil dispersion and erodibility in erosion prone areas has been related to the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP), the sodium adsorption ratio (SAR), the sodium percentage (PS) and the total amount of dissolved salts (TDS) of the surface soils (Faulkner, 2006;Piccarreta et al, 2006;Torri et al, 1994), although gullying occurs in soils that do not exceed the erosion threshold for these parameters (Rienks, 2000).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Rienks (2000) examined soil physico-chemical properties and gully erosion in South Africa, concluding that erodibility was related to dispersion rather than lateral subsurface flow and piping. Igwe and Ejiofor (2005) related the structural stability of gully walls to soil physical properties, and found that low Atterberg limits were related to slumping of gully walls.…”

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confidence: 99%

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Erosion Related Changes to Physicochemical Properties of Ultisols Distributed on Calcareous

Nandi¹,

Luffman²

2012

JSD

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Water induced soil erosion, relating to improper land management, is a serious land degradation problem in Ultisols that results in rill and gully erosion. The extent of land degradation depends largely on the severity of erosion, which modifies the soil's physical and chemical properties. A detailed understanding of eroded soil properties is essential for assessment of future land management and soil-water conservation. The aim of this research is to evaluate the changes in physico-chemical and mineralogical properties of ultisols associated with gully erosion in East Tennessee. The study area is located in the southern Appalachian Valley and Ridge province, where a thick sequence of red colored clay rich soil (soil series is the Collegedale-Etowah complex) is found on dolomite and limestone bedrock. Four one-meter long soil cores and fifty-two bulk samples were collected from sites of active gully erosion (two cores) and from adjacent non-gullied soil (two cores). The physico-chemical properties assessed for each sample included clay mineralogy using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) methods, pH, cation exchange capacity (CEC), nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus, particle size distribution (PSD), Atterburg limits, bulk density, moisture content, porosity, saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks), soil erodibility factor, and swelling potential. According to the USDA, soil texture was classified as silty clay loam and silty clay. Significant differences (p<0.05) existed between eroding and non-eroding soils for the following factors: clay and silt content; porosity Ks, K; Atterberg limits, and swelling potential. Statistically significant correlations were established between clay content and Atterberg limits, bulk density, Ks, and swelling potential. Furthermore, results of X-ray diffraction indicated the presence of quartz, chlorite, illite, kaolinite, kaolinite -smectite expansive clay, hematite and ferrihydrite. Relic crystals of calcite were found in the saprolite horizon. Overall result indicated that selected physico-chemical properties can be used as an indicator of gully erosion in southern Appalachian Ultisols.

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Section: Soil Texture Color and Atterberg Limitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 96%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Erosion Related Changes to Physicochemical Properties of Ultisols Distributed on Calcareous

Nandi¹,

Luffman²

2012

JSD

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Piping Hazard on Collapsible and Dispersive Soils in Europe

Faulkner

2006

Soil Erosion in Europe

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Variations in soil dispersivity across a gully head displaying shallow sub‐surface pipes, and the role of shallow pipes in rill initiation

Faulkner

Alexánder

Teeuw

et al. 2004

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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A small bifurcating gully head displaying shallow pipe development was surveyed to explore how far three‐dimensional patterns of geochemistry and sediment size can be related to hydraulic gradients in the local marl bedrock (Almería, SE Spain). The crust, sub‐crust and parent materials were sampled every 20 cm across a 2 m by 3 m grid, and then analysed for dispersive and granulometric characteristics. Spatial patterns of sodium adsoption ratio (SAR) for each layer were plotted separately. In‐situ material at depths of 5–10 cm was only weakly dispersive, and the thin (0–2 cm depth) crust is also found to be mostly non‐dispersive, paralleling ﬁndings from other ﬁeld sites in Almería. However, the ‘signature’ relating SAR to electrical conductivity for each layer shows that in places the immediate sub‐crust layer (2–5 cm) is highly dispersive. The pattern is not random; rather the SAR of this sub‐crust layer follows inferred hydraulic gradients, the dispersive ‘hot spots’ being located in the most incised part of the small gully, exacerbating the erodibility of that position. Patterns of sediment particle size and sorting do not correlate with inferred hydraulic gradients but surface material is slightly siltier than the sub‐crust. Clay fraction increased with depth, and SAR is shown to have a weak inverse relationship to particle size. This association between SAR and the increased clay fractions in the lower layers supports the inference that massive pipe enlargement in the Messinian‐Rich Unit is suppressed by sub‐surface swelling. Since a reduction in inﬁltration capacity (fc) with depth can be inferred from these results, inﬁltrating water must be deﬂected into the already vulnerable sub‐crust layer during rainfall events, explaining the development of shallow pipe forms at preferential depths. It is concluded that calcium replaces sodium in the crust during leaching, leaving a calcic crust, and a sub‐crust that is sodic and prone to subsequent pipe enlargement. Rill morphology in these materials also suggests that rills develop from these pipes when pipe roofs collapse (i.e. rill discontinuity; bridges; steep headwalls; and rills with excessively high depth‐to‐width ratios). Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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Some physical and chemical properties of sediments exposed in a gully (donga) in northern KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and their relationship to the erodibility of the colluvial layers

Cited by 59 publications

References 23 publications

Erosion Related Changes to Physicochemical Properties of Ultisols Distributed on Calcareous

Erosion Related Changes to Physicochemical Properties of Ultisols Distributed on Calcareous

Piping Hazard on Collapsible and Dispersive Soils in Europe

Variations in soil dispersivity across a gully head displaying shallow sub‐surface pipes, and the role of shallow pipes in rill initiation

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