León J, Seeger M, Badía D, Peters P, Echevarría T: Thermal shock and splash effects on burned gypseous soils from the Ebro Basin (NE Spain). Solid Earth, 5, 131-140. DOI: 10.5194/se-5-131-2014. Abstract Fire is a natural factor of landscape evolution in Mediterranean ecosystems. The middle Ebro Valley has extreme aridity, which results in a low plant cover and high soil erodibility, especially on ...[Read More]
Connecting European connectivity research (COST Action ES1306)
Saskia Keesstra E-mail: saskia.keesstra@wur.nl Deputy President of the Soil System Sciences Division of the European Geosciences Union Why connecting connectivity research? Successful prediction of pathways of storm runoff generation and associated soil erosion is of considerable societal importance, including off-site impacts such as water quality and the provision of related ecosystem services. ...[Read More]
Soils at Imaggeo: gully erosion in Swaziland
John Quinton, UK This post was also published simultaneously in G-Soil.
Monday paper: Statistical analysis and modelling of surface runoff from arable fields in central Europe
Fiener, P., Auerswald, K., Winter, F., Disse, M. 2013. Statistical analysis and modelling of surface runoff from arable fields in central Europe. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences 17, 4121-4132. DOI: 10.5194/hess-17-4121-2013 Abstract Surface runoff generation on arable fields is an important driver of flooding, on-site and off-site damages by erosion, and of nutrient and agrochemical transport. ...[Read More]
It needn’t be Hell with soil
This is one of the pictures the year has left. In it, two Muslim militiamen armed with machetes are registering a Christian in the Miskine neighborhood, in Bangui (Central African Republic), December 13, 2013. About 1,600 and 3,000 French soldiers already there of the African MISCA international mission were not able to stop violence and chaos. Both in this case and in other armed conflicts, there ...[Read More]
Monday paper: Combined use of stable isotopes and fallout radionuclides as soil erosion indicators in a forested mountain site, South Korea
Meusburger, K., Mabit, L., Park, J.-H., Sandor, T., Alewell, C. 2013. Combined use of stable isotopes and fallout radionuclides as soil erosion indicators in a forested mountain site, South Korea. Biogeosciences 10, 5627-5638. DOI: 10.5194/bg-10-5627-2013, 20133 Abstract The aim of this study is to assess and to validate the suitability of the stable nitrogen and carbon isotope signature as soil e ...[Read More]
Soils at Imaggeo: soil erosion in olive groves
Artemi Cerdà, Spain Olive-cropped soils in Spain cover more than 2.4 million ha, 75% in southern Spain. Historically, high soil erosion rates have been determined in olive groves due to soil management, mostly. Due to Mediterranean climate conditions and low water inputs, traditional management is based on reduced tree density, canopy size control by pruning, and intensive weed control. Weed contr ...[Read More]
Monday paper: Seasonal changes in the soil hydrological and erosive response depending on aspect, vegetation type and soil water repellency in different Mediterranean microenvironments
Gabarrón-Galeote, M.A., Martínez-Murillo, J.F., Quesada, M.A., Ruiz-Sinoga, J.D. 2013. Seasonal changes in the soil hydrological and erosive response depending on aspect, vegetation type and soil water repellency in different Mediterranean microenvironments. Solid Earth, 4, 497-509. DOI: 10.5194/se-4-497-2013. Abstract Mediterranean areas are characterized by a strong spatial variability that make ...[Read More]
Forest residue mulching reduces post-fire soil erosion
Sergio A. Prats University of Aveiro, Portugal Still under the effect of the last wave of wildfires of summer 2013, Porto Canal interviewed the last Ph.D. student of the CESAM Research Centre at the University of Aveiro, who deals with soil erosion mitigation after wildfires. Porto Canal wanted to disseminate the last advances in recognizing the main effects of wildfires, the selection of soil ero ...[Read More]
Working for the recovery of burned soils
Fire is a natural agent that occurs in most terrestrial ecosystems. In Mediterranean areas, for example, fire is a natural agent that has contributed to shape the history of vegetation, soils, and ultimately, the landscape we know today. Also, since ancient times, men have also used fire as a tool for the management of ecosystems. As a result, the Mediterranean vegetation has developed mechanisms ...[Read More]