Effect of accelerated erosion on silting in Morena Reservoir, San Diego County, Calif. /

Mode of access: Internet.

Floods and accelerated erosion in northern Utah.

Contribution from Forest Service.

Grazing impacts on the susceptibility of rangelands to wind erosion: The effects of stocking rate, stocking strategy and land condition

An estimated 110 Mt of dust is eroded by wind from the Australian land surface each year, most of which originates from the arid and semi-arid rangelands. Livestock production is thought to increase the susceptibility of the rangelands to wind erosion by reducing vegetation cover and modifying surface soil stability. However, research is yet to quantify the impacts of grazing land management on the erodibility of the Australian rangelands, or determine how these impacts vary among land types and over time. We present a simulation analysis that links a pasture growth and animal production model (GRASP) to the Australian Land Erodibility Model (AUSLEM) to evaluate the impacts of stocking rate, stocking strategy and land condition on the erodibility of four land types in western Queensland, Australia. Our results show that declining land condition, over stocking, and using inflexible stocking strategies have potential to increase land erodibility and amplify accelerated soil erosion. However, land erodibility responses to grazing are complex and influenced by land type sensitivities to different grazing strategies and local climate characteristics. Our simulations show that land types which are more resilient to livestock grazing tend to be least susceptible to accelerated wind erosion. Increases in land erodibility are found to occur most often during climatic transitions when vegetation cover is most sensitive to grazing pressure. However, grazing effects are limited during extreme wet and dry periods when the influence of climate on vegetation cover is strongest. Our research provides the opportunity to estimate the effects of different land management practices across a range of land types, and provides a better understanding of the mechanisms of accelerated erosion resulting from pastoral activities. The approach could help further assessment of land erodibility at a broader scale notably if combined with wind erosion models.

The late Miocene to Holocene erosion pattern of the Alpine foreland basin reflects Eurasian slab unloading beneath the western Alps rather than global climate change

We synthesized published data on the erosion of the Alpine foreland basin and apatite fission-track ages from the Alps to infer the erosional sediment budget history for the past 5 m.y. The data reveal that erosion of the Alpine foreland basin is highest in front of the western Alps (between 2 and 0.6 km) and decreases eastward over a distance of 700 km to the Austrian foreland basin (similar to 200 m). For the western Alps, erosion rates are >0.6 km/m.y., while erosion rates for the eastern foreland basin and the adjacent eastern Alps are <0.1 km/m.y., except for a small-scale signal in the Tauern Window. The results yield a large ellipsoidal, orogen-crossing pattern of erosion, centered along the western Alps. We suggest that accelerated erosion of the western Alps and their foreland basin occurred in response to regional-scale surface uplift, related to lithospheric unloading of the Eurasian slab along the Eurasian-Adriatic plate boundary. While we cannot rule out recent views that global climate change led to substantial erosion of the European Alps since 5 Ma, we postulate that regional-scale tectonic processes have driven erosion during this time, modulated by an increased erosional flux in response to Quaternary glaciations.

Reforming state-level coastal management and development policies: strategic retreat as an innovative, proactive and equitable coastal environmental management strategy

Atlantic and Gulf Coast shorelines include some of the most unique and biologically rich ecosystems in the United States that provide immeasurable aesthetic, habitat and economic benefits. Natural coastal ecosystems, however, are under increasing threat from rampant and irresponsible growth and development. Once a boon to local economies, complex natural forces – enhanced by global climate change and sea level rise - are now considered hazards and eroding the very foundation upon which coastal development is based. For nearly a century, beach restoration and erosion control structures have been used to artificially stabilize shorelines in an effort to protect structures and infrastructure. Beach restoration, the import and emplacement of sand on an eroding beach, is expensive, unpredictable, inefficient and may result in long-term environmental impacts. The detrimental environmental impacts of erosion control structures such as sea walls, groins, bulkheads and revetments include sediment deficits, accelerated erosion and beach loss. These and other traditional responses to coastal erosion and storm impacts- along with archaic federal and state policies, subsidies and development incentives - are costly, encourage risky development, artificially increase property values of high-risk or environmentally sensitive properties, reduce the post-storm resilience of shorelines, damage coastal ecosystems and are becoming increasingly unsustainable. Although communities, coastal managers and property owners face increasingly complex and difficult challenges, there is an emerging public, social and political awareness that, without meaningful policy reforms, coastal ecosystems and economies are in jeopardy. Strategic retreat is a sustainable, interdisciplinary management strategy that supports the proactive, planned removal of vulnerable coastal development; reduces risk; increases shoreline resiliency and ensures long term protection of coastal systems. Public policies and management strategies that can overcome common economic misperceptions and promote the removal of vulnerable development will provide state and local policy makers and coastal managers with an effective management tool that concomitantly addresses the economic, environmental, legal and political issues along developed shorelines. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Reforming state-level coastal management and development policies: strategic retreat as an innovative, proactive and equitable coastal environmental management strategy

Atlantic and Gulf Coast shorelines include some of the most unique and biologically rich ecosystems in the United States that provide immeasurable aesthetic, habitat and economic benefits. Natural coastal ecosystems, however, are under increasing threat from rampant and irresponsible growth and development. Once a boon to local economies, complex natural forces – enhanced by global climate change and sea level rise - are now considered hazards and eroding the very foundation upon which coastal development is based. For nearly a century, beach restoration and erosion control structures have been used to artificially stabilize shorelines in an effort to protect structures and infrastructure. Beach restoration, the import and emplacement of sand on an eroding beach, is expensive, unpredictable, inefficient and may result in long-term environmental impacts. The detrimental environmental impacts of erosion control structures such as sea walls, groins, bulkheads and revetments include sediment deficits, accelerated erosion and beach loss. These and other traditional responses to coastal erosion and storm impacts- along with archaic federal and state policies, subsidies and development incentives - are costly, encourage risky development, artificially increase property values of high-risk or environmentally sensitive properties, reduce the post-storm resilience of shorelines, damage coastal ecosystems and are becoming increasingly unsustainable. Although communities, coastal managers and property owners face increasingly complex and difficult challenges, there is an emerging public, social and political awareness that, without meaningful policy reforms, coastal ecosystems and economies are in jeopardy. Strategic retreat is a sustainable, interdisciplinary management strategy that supports the proactive, planned removal of vulnerable coastal development; reduces risk; increases shoreline resiliency and ensures long term protection of coastal systems. Public policies and management strategies that can overcome common economic misperceptions and promote the removal of vulnerable development will provide state and local policy makers and coastal managers with an effective management tool that concomitantly addresses the economic, environmental, legal and political issues along developed shorelines. (PDF contains 4 pages)

Using climate extension to assist coastal decision-makers with climate adaptation

Coastal managers need accessible, trusted, tailored resources to help them interpret climate information, identify vulnerabilities, and apply climate information to decisions about adaptation on regional and local levels. For decades, climate scientists have studied the impacts that short term natural climate variability and long term climate change will have on coastal systems. For example, recent estimates based on Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) warming scenarios suggest that global sea levels may rise 0.5 to 1.4 meters above 1990 levels by 2100 (Rahmstorf 2007; Grinsted, Moore, and Jevrejeva 2009). Many low-lying coastal ecosystems and communities will experience more frequent salt water intrusion events, more frequent coastal flooding, and accelerated erosion rates before they experience significant inundation. These changes will affect the ways coastal managers make decisions, such as timing surface and groundwater withdrawals, replacing infrastructure, and planning for changing land use on local and regional levels. Despite the advantages, managers’ use of scientific information about climate variability and change remains limited in environmental decision-making (Dow and Carbone 2007). Traditional methods scientists use to disseminate climate information, like peer-reviewed journal articles and presentations at conferences, are inappropriate to fill decision-makers’ needs for applying accessible, relevant climate information to decision-making. General guides that help managers scope out vulnerabilities and risks are becoming more common; for example, Snover et al. (2007) outlines a basic process for local and state governments to assess climate change vulnerability and preparedness. However, there are few tools available to support more specific decision-making needs. A recent survey of coastal managers in California suggests that boundary institutions can help to fill the gaps between climate science and coastal decision-making community (Tribbia and Moser 2008). The National Sea Grant College Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) university-based program for supporting research and outreach on coastal resource use and conservation, is one such institution working to bridge these gaps through outreach. Over 80% of Sea Grant’s 32 programs are addressing climate issues, and over 60% of programs increased their climate outreach programming between 2006 and 2008 (National Sea Grant Office 2008). One way that Sea Grant is working to assist coastal decision-makers with using climate information is by developing effective methods for coastal climate extension. The purpose of this paper is to discuss climate extension methodologies on regional scales, using the Carolinas Coastal Climate Outreach Initiative (CCCOI) as an example of Sea Grant’s growing capacities for climate outreach and extension. (PDF contains 3 pages)

天山北麓中段土壤侵蚀影响因素及特征分析

通过对天山北麓中段土地类型、河流径流和植被覆盖等土壤侵蚀影响因素的空间分布特征分析认为 :1天山北麓中段主要侵蚀类型为风蚀、水蚀、冻融侵蚀及人为加速侵蚀 ;2侵蚀产沙类型以及产沙强度在空间上具有明显的垂直变化规律 :沙漠以风力侵蚀、高山和亚高山以冻融侵蚀为强烈侵蚀类型 ,普遍存在微度水力侵蚀 ,局部表现为中度甚至强度 ;3水蚀类型有冰川融雪径流侵蚀和降雨径流侵蚀两种方式。天山北麓中段河流产沙时间上主要在每年的 5月初至 8月末 ,且冰川雪水径流产沙要比雨水径流产沙量大 ,空间上则主要位于海拔 80 0～ 1 50 0 m的由第三纪、第四纪地层和黄土堆积所组成的中、低山丘陵地

开发西部切入点的研究──以黄土高原生态环境建设切入点为例

本本文以黄土高原为例，讨论了生态环境建设作为开发西部切入点的科学和实际意 义。从黄土高原毁林毁草耕垦和人为加速侵蚀的发展，剖析了退耕还林还草作为生态环境建 设切入点的科学依据。在此基础上，又进一步剖析了退耕还林还草的切入点及其实施对策。

黄土丘陵林区开垦地人为加速侵蚀与土壤物理力学性质的时间变化

以子午岭土壤侵蚀与生态环境演变观测站长年观测的径流泥沙资料为基础 ,分析了林地及其开垦地不同侵蚀年限土壤的颗粒组成、>0 .2 5 mm水稳性团粒含量、抗剪强度和容重等土壤物理力学性质与土壤侵蚀强度的关系。研究结果表明 ,>0 .2 5 mm水稳性团粒含量对土壤侵蚀强度影响最大 ,其偏相关系数为 0 .972 8,其次为土壤的粗粉粒含量和抗剪强度。最后对 >0 .2 5 mm水稳性团粒含量和抗剪强度与土壤侵蚀强度的关系进行了分析 ,表明林地开垦后侵蚀第 1年和第 7年为土壤侵蚀强度加剧的转折点 ,说明了森林植被在防治黄土高原土壤侵蚀方面的作用。

子午岭地区林地破坏加速侵蚀对土壤养分流失和微生物的影响研究

以浅沟集水区为研究对象,分析了子午岭地区林地被开垦破坏15年后裸露地在不同侵蚀强度和侵蚀方式下的土壤养分流失和土壤微生物数量的变化。结果表明,林地开垦破坏后,土壤侵蚀加剧发展,侵蚀强度达159.7t/(hm2.a),是林地土壤侵蚀量的上千倍。开垦破坏15年后,裸露地浅沟集水区不同地形部位表层土壤全氮、有机碳、速效磷和土壤微生物总数显著减少,同林地相比,依次分别减少37.9%~82.6%、42.7%~86.4%、24.2%~80.3%和31.8%9~2.0%。在裸露地浅沟集水区梁坡随坡长的增加,表层土壤有机碳、全氮和速效磷含量及微生物总数呈显著的下降趋势,且沟槽的土壤各养分含量及微生物总数明显低于沟间。裸露地浅沟集水区土壤养分流失强度及微生物数量减少幅度在浅沟集水区的空间分布与土壤侵蚀方式和侵蚀强度相对应。林地开垦破坏15年后,土壤养分以有机碳流失最严重,其次分别为速效磷、全氮;微生物中的真菌减少幅度最大,细菌次之,放线菌减少幅度最小。

Avaliação por fotointerpretação das áreas de abrangência dos diferentes estados da erosão acelerada do solo em canaviais e pomares de citros

Este estudo foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar os estados de erosão acelerada do solo presente em áreas com canaviais e pomares de citros localizados na região administrativa de Ribeirão Preto - SP. Foram empregadas fotografias aéreas verticais, na escala aproximada de 1:40.000, do vôo da cobertura aerofotográfica da região citrícola do Estado de 1988. O estudo foi realizado identificando-se e delimitando-se todas as áreas de abrangência de cinco estados da erosão acelerada do solo presentes nos canaviais e pomares de citros. A presença da erosão acelerada severa a extremamente severa foi constatada tanto nos canaviais como nos pomares de citros, nas quatro unidades de solos de ocorrências principais na área de estudo. Os valores da extensão total das áreas de abrangência dos estados da erosão 2 a 5 (processos erosivos intensos a extremamente intensos) revelaram forte impacto sobre o desenvolvimento das culturas, degradando o solo agrícola e afetando a qualidade da água. As principais diferenças, quanto à extensão total das áreas de abrangência dos diferentes estados da erosão presente, foram identificadas principalmente entre os Argissolos e os Latossolos, e entre os dois estágios de desenvolvimento das culturas. As condições de solo exposto foram verificadas nas áreas recentemente plantadas com cana-de-açúcar ou citros, explicitando-se a grande necessidade de empregar, nessas condições, práticas conservacionistas.

Relação do meio físico com o manejo sustentável de plantio de eucalipto em áreas de terrenos acidentados - A Fazenda Santa Edwirges, Vale do Paraíba, Sudeste do Brasil

This study intends to evaluate the effects of landscape physical elements (rocks and relief) associated with silviculture activities. The study was carried out on a small farm (Fazenda Santa Edwirges) covered by Eucalyptus forested situated in the Paraiba do Sul Basin, Southeast Brazil. The methodology consisted of detailed geological and geomorphological studies at 1:10,000 scale, and laboratory analysis of soil physical properties. The results showed three geologic-geomorphologic associations (ridge escarpment with granitic rocks, steep and gentle hills cut by shear zones and gentle hill with alluvial sediments) present high vulnerability for the development of the physical processes such as accelerated erosion landslides and flooding. In contrast, mountains associated with gneissic rocks present smaller vulnerability and high resilience for the development of the physical processes. The results have showed the importance of considering the interactions among landscape physical for the eucalyptus forest management contributing to a better selection area for eucalyptus cultivation and minimize adverse environment impact in road design.

Planejamento da recomposição florestal pela análise multicriterial na sub-bacia do córrego do descalvado visando a conservação de recursos hídricos

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)