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Soil Erosion Measurement Techniques and Field Experiments, 2nd Edition

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A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Water".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 May 2025 | Viewed by 7160

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Prof. Dr. Vito Ferro

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Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: hydrology; hydraulics; soil erosion; sedimentology; soil; rivers; soil and water conservation; environmental science
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Dr. Alessio Nicosia

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Guest Editor

Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
Interests: hydrology; hydraulics; soil erosion; sedimentology; soil; rivers; soil and water conservation; environmental science
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Dear Colleagues,

Soil erosion is a process during which soil particles are first detached from the soil surface and then transported by erosive agents such as rainfall, overland flow and channelized flows in rills, ephemeral gullies and gullies. Accelerated soil erosion affects both natural and anthropogenic environments, and it is responsible for land productivity decrease due to the removal of soil organic matter and plant nutrients. The negative effects of soil erosion include in-site effects such as the degradation of soil structure, loss of organic matter and nutrient content, and reduction in cultivable soil layer. Erosion also determines off-site damage due to soil particles entering the water system such as sedimentation into channels, loss of reservoir storage, eutrophication of waterways and contamination due to fertilizer and chemical pesticides.

The accurate and repeatable measurements of erosion processes are required both for understanding and realizing correct modeling. Experiments provide an opportunity to investigate the extent to which the concepts used in models are a truly valid description of the erosion processes occurring.

The Special Issue will collect papers dealing with experimental sites for measuring soil erosion at different spatial (plot, hillslope, basin) scales and field experiments which aim to study the soil erosion processes (interrill, rill and gully erosion).

Papers describing the new methods and procedures for measuring soil erosion processes (e.g., three-dimensional photo reconstruction techniques, measurement of erosion features using aerial and terrestrial acquisition platforms, tracers) are welcomed.

Prof. Dr. Vito Ferro
Dr. Alessio Nicosia
Guest Editors

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Keywords

soil erosion
sediment yield
erosion plot
basin
interrill erosion
rill erosion
gully erosion

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Soil Erosion Measurement Techniques and Field Experiments in Water (12 articles)

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Research

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25 pages, 4326 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Spatial Distribution, Temporal Behaviour, and Trends of Rainfall Erosivity in Central Italy Using Coarse Data

by Francesca Todisco, Alessio Massimi Alunno and Lorenzo Vergni

Water 2025, 17(6), 801; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17060801 - 11 Mar 2025

Viewed by 384

Abstract

This study examines the spatio-temporal dynamics of rainfall erosivity, R, in the Umbria region (central Italy), based on a 20-year dataset of 30 min precipitation records from 54 stations. Using the RUSLE2 framework, models of varying complexity were evaluated to estimate the R-factor: the original model (Model A), and models based solely on event rainfall depth h_e or daily rainfall depth h_d. All the models show consistency in the spatial and temporal patterns of the R-factor: higher erosivity is observed in the southern and northwestern areas, while summer contributes the most to annual erosivity due to the high average intensity of rainfall events. Trend analyses indicate stationarity across most stations. Compared to Model A (mean R-factor: 1840 MJ mm ha⁻¹ h⁻¹ y⁻¹), the models based on h_e underestimate the R-factor by about 15%, whereas the R-factor derived from the h_d-dependent model is almost equivalent. The estimate from Model A is also approximately 20% higher than that of a previous study conducted on a more limited dataset. The most likely reason for this difference appears to be the formula used for estimating the R-factor. The study highlights the practicality of simplified models, which offer a viable alternative in contexts where high-resolution precipitation data are unavailable. It also demonstrates the benefits of denser station networks and longer observation periods, particularly in regions characterised by complex terrains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Erosion Measurement Techniques and Field Experiments, 2nd Edition)

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26 pages, 4151 KiB

Open AccessArticle

¹³⁷Cs-Based Assessment of Soil Erosion Rates in a Morphologically Diverse Catchment with Varying Soil Types and Vegetation Cover: Relationship with Soil Properties and RUSLE Model Predictions

by Aleksandar Čupić, Ivana Smičiklas, Miloš Manić, Mrđan Đokić, Ranko Dragović, Milan Đorđević, Milena Gocić, Mihajlo Jović, Dušan Topalović, Boško Gajić and Snežana Dragović

Water 2025, 17(4), 526; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17040526 - 12 Feb 2025

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 785

Abstract

This study assessed soil erosion intensity and soil properties across the Crveni Potok catchment in Serbia, a region of diverse morphology, geology, pedology, and vegetation. Soil samples were collected using a regular grid approach to identify the underlying factors contributing to erosion and the most vulnerable areas. Based on ¹³⁷Cs activities and the profile distribution (PD) model, severe erosion (>10 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) was predicted at nearly 60% of the studied locations. The highest mean erosion rates were detected for the lowest altitude range (300–450 m), Rendzic Leptosol soil, and grass-covered areas. A significant negative correlation was found between the erosion rates, soil organic matter, and indicators of soil structural stability (OC/clay ratio and S_t), indicating that the PD model successfully identifies vulnerable sites. The PD and RUSLE (revised universal soil loss equation) models provide relatively similar mean erosion rates (14.7 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ vs. 12.7 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹) but significantly different median values (13.1 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ vs. 5.5 t ha⁻¹ y⁻¹). The model comparison revealed a positive trend. The observed inconsistencies were interpreted by the models’ spatiotemporal frameworks and RUSLE’s sensitivity to input data quality. Land use stands out as a significant factor modifying the variance of erosion rate, highlighting the importance of land management practices in mitigating erosion. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Erosion Measurement Techniques and Field Experiments, 2nd Edition)

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16 pages, 4269 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Temporal Changes in the Average Contribution of Land Uses in Sediment Yield Using the ¹³⁷Cs Method and Geochemical Tracers

by Negin Ghaderi Dehkordi, Abdulvahed Khaledi Darvishan, Mohamad Reza Zare and Paolo Porto

Water 2025, 17(1), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17010073 - 31 Dec 2024

Viewed by 664

Abstract

The study highlights the increasing significance of understanding sediment sources and their contributions within a watershed, particularly in relation to different land use types. As the demand for effective source apportionment grows, this research aims to quantify how various land uses—specifically rangeland, rainfed agriculture, irrigated agriculture, and orchards—contribute to sediment yield over time. To achieve this, the researchers employed geochemical tracers and ¹³⁷Cs to assess sediment contributions in a small sub-basin located in western Iran. The methodology involved creating a working unit map by overlaying land use maps from 1967 and 2021 with a slope map of the region. A total of 75 and 31 soil samples were systematically collected across different land uses to ensure a representative analysis of ¹³⁷Cs and geochemical methods, respectively. The study utilized specific models to calculate the average contributions of each land use type. For non-agricultural lands, a diffusion and migration model was applied, while agricultural lands were analyzed using a mass balance type II model. The FingerPro program in R software 4.2.2 facilitated the selection of suitable tracers and allowed for the determination of sediment source contributions through a multivariate mixed model algorithm. The findings revealed significant changes in sediment yield contributions over the past 60 years. In 2021, rainfed agriculture accounted for 72.26% of sediment yield, down from 85.49% six decades earlier. Conversely, irrigated agriculture showed an increase from 1.80% to 15.06%. Rangeland and orchard contributions remained relatively stable but low, at approximately 8% and 4%, respectively. The total erosion rate for the sub-basin was estimated at 526.87 t y⁻¹, with rainfed agriculture being responsible for the majority at 450.43 t y⁻¹. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Erosion Measurement Techniques and Field Experiments, 2nd Edition)

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11 pages, 2108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Sediment Deposition Characteristics and the Vegetation Restoration of Ecological Riverbanks in the Deep Waterway Regulation Scheme of Yangtze River

by Jinpeng Li, Xuexia Wang and Lei Wu

Water 2024, 16(16), 2350; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16162350 - 21 Aug 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1108

Abstract

In order to explore the sediment deposition characteristic of ecological riverbanks associated with vegetation restoration in the deep waterway regulation scheme of Yangtze River, two kinds of typical ecological riverbanks and a traditional riprap riverbank (TRR) in engineering areas were investigated. The vegetation community characteristics, sediment aggregate compositions, nutrient contents, total organic carbon (TOC), sediment microbial biomass carbon (MBC), sediment microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and sediment microbial biomass phosphorus (MBP) were determined. The results indicated that the ecological restoration effect of the lattice gabion ballasted vegetation mat riverbank (LGBVR) was best, followed by the mesh grid riverbank (MGR), and that of the TRR was relatively poor. In different ecological riverbanks, the sediment aggregated compositions were not significantly varied. The sediment contents of NH₄⁺-N, available phosphorus (AP), and TOC in ecological riverbank areas were relatively higher than those of the TRR. In the LGBVR, the sediment contents of MBC were relatively higher than those of the others. The sediment deposition characteristics and ecological restoration effects in the study area should be monitored for a long time. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Erosion Measurement Techniques and Field Experiments, 2nd Edition)

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16 pages, 2656 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Contradictory Issue of the Impact of Antecedent Soil Moisture to Interrill Erosion in Clay Soil: A Two-Year Field Study

by Yu-Da Chen and Chia-Chun Wu

Water 2024, 16(15), 2076; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16152076 - 23 Jul 2024

Viewed by 954

Abstract

The impact of antecedent soil moisture content on soil erosion has been a contradictory issue in erosion research, as well as process-based soil loss estimation models. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of antecedent soil moisture content on the loss of clay soil through two-year runoff plot experiments under natural rainfall. Volumetric soil moisture sensors were used to monitor soil moisture changes, and readings were used along with rainfall records to quantify the antecedent soil moisture conditions. The results of this study show that the impact of antecedent soil moisture on interrill erosion is conditional, and the impact only exists in erosion events with a low Rainfall–Runoff Erosivity Index. The coefficient of determination between antecedent soil moisture content and soil loss per the Rainfall–Runoff Erosivity Index (Soil Loss/EI₃₀) varies from 0.222 to 0.758, depending on the rainfall duration and Rainfall–Runoff Erosivity. The results of this study also suggest that accumulative rainfall within 48 h (Pp₄₈) prior to an effective erosion event is strongly correlated with Soil Loss/EI₃₀, particularly when the duration of an effective erosion event is either 3~7 h or 10~30 h. Hence, Pp₄₈ can be considered as a replacement for antecedent soil moisture in process-based soil loss simulation models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Erosion Measurement Techniques and Field Experiments, 2nd Edition)

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Review

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37 pages, 9617 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Importance of Measuring Soil Erosion by Water at the Field Scale: A Review

by Alessio Nicosia, Francesco Giuseppe Carollo, Costanza Di Stefano, Vincenzo Palmeri, Vincenzo Pampalone, Maria Angela Serio, Vincenzo Bagarello and Vito Ferro

Water 2024, 16(23), 3427; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16233427 - 28 Nov 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2323

Abstract

Water erosion is a significant global threat due to the high soil loss rate and all its consequent implications. Technologies to predict erosion are strongly related to measurements and vice versa. Measurements can simply provide empirical evidence of the erosion process and are hard to extrapolate in time and space. Measurements were used to develop some erosion models, such as the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), and also for their calibration and validation. Several measurement techniques are used to collect soil erosion data at different spatial and temporal scales, but they cannot be considered fully accurate in any experimental condition. Each technique exhibits advantages and disadvantages, so extensive knowledge of their feasibility, accuracy, and limitations is required to correctly plan experiments and use the performed measurements. In this paper, recent scientific developments on the measurement of rainfall erosivity, soil loss at the plot scale, and rill and gully erosion using close-range photogrammetry are presented. Further considerations are made on the quality of soil erosion measurements and the usefulness and importance of measuring plot soil loss. Our critical analysis highlighted that the techniques reported in the literature are a solid basis, which, however, should be developed to improve their range of applicability and data quality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Soil Erosion Measurement Techniques and Field Experiments, 2nd Edition)

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