A study on responses of soil erosion and sediment yield to closing cultivation on sloping land in a small catchment using 137Cs technique in the Rolling Loess Plateau, China

By comparison of volumes and ¹³⁷Cs contents of the deposited sediments before and after 1993, changes of specific sediment yields and relative sediment contributions from the gully area and from the inter gully area after closing cultivation on the later area on a small catchment of Zhaojia Gully, in the Rolling Loess Plateau, are analyzed in this paper. Closing cultivation in a large scale has not resulted in decrease but increase of specific sediment yield of the catchment, in sharp decrease of the sediment yield and the relative sediment contribution of the inter-gully area, and in increase of the sediment yield and the contribution of the gully area, for a short term. The mean specific sediment yield of 29650 t km⁻² a⁻¹ of 1994–1996 in the catchment was 2.2 times the average value of 13413 t km⁻² a⁻¹ for a long term. The specific sediment yield of the inter-gully area decreased from the 14335 t km⁻² a⁻¹ in 1994 to 7034 t km⁻² a⁻¹ in 1995 and 3517 t km⁻² a⁻¹ in 1996, while the yield of the gully area varied between 44944 and 62136 t km⁻² a⁻¹ during the period of 1994–1996 which was much greater than the value of 21118 t km⁻² a⁻¹ before 1993. The relative sediment contribution from the inter-gully area decreased from 23% in 1994 to 15% in 1995 and 6% in 1996, while the contribution from the gully area increased from 77% in 1994 to 85% in 1995 and 94% in 1996. It is suggested that compacting of ploughed soils resulted in increasing of the erosion resistance but in decreasing of the precipitation infiltration, therefore, the soil erosion reduced but the runoff amount increased on the inter-gully area. Increase of delivering runoff from the inter-gully area to the gully area should result in activeness of gully erosion and mass movements, consequently, in increase of the total sediment yield from the catchment.     

Estimation of wind erosion rates by using ~(137)Cs tracing technique:A case study in Tariat-Xilin Gol transect, Mongolian Plateau

Wind erosion is one of the major environmental problems in semi-arid and arid regions. Here we es- tablished the Tariat-Xilin Gol transect from northwest to southeast across the Mongolian Plateau, and selected seven sampling sites along the transect. We then estimated the soil wind erosion rates by using the ~(137)Cs tracing technique and examined their spatial dynamics. Our results showed that the ~(137)Cs inventories of sampling sites ranged from 265.63±44.91 to 1279.54±166.53 Bq·m~(-2), and the wind erosion rates varied from 64.58 to 419.63 t·km~(-2)·a~(-1) accordingly. In the Mongolia section of the transect (from Tariat to Sainshand), the wind erosion rate increased gradually with vegetation type and climatic regimes; the wind erosion process was controlled by physical factors such as annual precipitation and vegetation coverage, etc., and the impact of human activities was negligible. While in the China section of the transect (Inner Mongolia), the wind erosion rates of Xilin Hot and Zhengxiangbai Banner were thrice as much as those of Bayannur of Mongolia, although these three sites were all dominated by typical steppe. Besides the physical factors, higher population density and livestock carrying level should be responsible for the higher wind erosion rates in these two regions of Inner Mongolia.     

Preliminary results of the study on wind erosion in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau using 137Cs technique

The worldwide fallout of caesium-137 (137Cs) associated with the nuclear weapon tests during the 1950s and 1960s has provided a valuable man-made tracer for studies of soil erosion and sediment delivery. But relatively few researchers have used it to estimate wind erosion. In this note, the 137Cs technique is introduced into the studies of wind erosion and its modern processes in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Two 137Cs reference inventories of 982.11 and 2 376.04 Bq·m-2 were established preminarily, distributed in the south and middle-north parts of the studied area respectively. By analyzing the patterns of 137Cs depth profiles from sampling sites, the aeolian processes of erosion and deposition in nearly 40 years have been revealed, i.e. the shrub coppice dunes (S1) and semi-fixed dunefields (S3) experienced the alternation of erosion and deposition, while the grasslands (S4, S6 and S7) and dry farmlands (S5) suffered erosion only. By using 137Cs model, the average wind erosion rates for shrub coppice dune (S1), semi-fixed dune fields (S3), dry farmlands (S5) and grasslands (S4, S6 and S7) were estimated to be 84.14, 69.43, 30.68 and 21.84 t·ha-1·a-1 respectively, averaging 47.59 t·ha-1·a-1 for the whole plateau, which can be regarded as of the medium erosion standard. These results derived from 137Cs for the first time have significant implications for the further research of wind erosion and desertification control in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.     

Preliminary results of the study on wind erosion in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau using137Cs technique

The worldwide fallout of caesium-137 (¹³⁷Cs) associated with the nuclear weapon tests during the 1950s and 1960s has provided a valuable man-made tracer for studies of soil erosion and sediment delivery. But relatively few researchers have used it to estimate wind erosion. In this note, the¹³⁷Cs technique is introduced into the studies of wind erosion and its modern processes in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Two¹³⁷Cs reference inventories of 982.11 and 2 376.04 Bq · m⁻² were established preminarily, distributed in the south and middle-north parts of the studied area respectively. By analyzing the patterns of¹³⁷Cs depth profiles from sampling sites, the aeolian processes of erosion and deposition in nearly 40 years have been revealed, i.e. the shrub coppice dunes (S1) and semi-fixed dunefields (S3) experienced the alternation of erosion and deposition, while the grasslands (S4, S6 and S7) and dry farmlands (S5) suffered erosion only. By using¹³⁷Cs model, the average wind erosion rates for shrub coppice dune (S1), semi-fixed dune fields (S3), dry farmlands (S5) and grasslands (S4, S6 and S7) were estimated to be 84.14, 69.43, 30.68 and 21.84 t · ha¹ · a⁻¹ respectively, averaging 47.59 t · ha⁻¹ · a⁻¹ for the whole plateau, which can be regarded as of the medium erosion standard. These results derived from Cs for the first time have significant implications for the further research of wind erosion and desertification control in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.     

Using ~(137)Cs tracing technique to estimate wind erosion rates in the typical steppe region, northern Mongolian Plateau

Wind erosion is one of the major factors of land degradation in the typical steppe region, northern Mongolian Plateau. Using 137Cs tracing technique, we estimated the wind erosion rates of different pastures and abandoned farmland at Bayannur and Karakorum in Mongolia. The pastures and cutting grassland at Bayannur were slightly eroded by wind, with the rates of 64.58-169.07 t·km?2·a?1. The abandoned farmland in Karakorum, however, was strongly eroded by wind, with annual surface soil loss of 4.05 mm·a?1, and wind erosion rates up to 6723.06 t·km?2·a?1. The total loss of surface soil due to wind erosion has been 17.4 cm since the cultivation of the steppe land in the 1960s. The wind ero- sion rate at the abandoned farmland was much higher than that at the typical steppe sites, showing that the cultivation led to serious wind erosion in the typical steppe region, northern Mongolian Plateau. By contrast, traditional livestock grazing resulted in less disturbance to the surface soil, and did not in- duce to devastating wind erosion, which plays an important role in maintaining the stability of the steppe ecosystem in the northern Mongolian Plateau.     

Sediment source identification by using ^137Cs and ^210pb radionuclides in a small catchment of the Hilly Sichuan Basin, China

The Hilly Sichuan Basin is one of the most populous agricultural regions in the Upper Yangtze River Basin and has an area of about 105000 km2. Cropland ratios and population densities vary between 0.3 and 0.7 and be-tween 400 and 800 people/km2, respectively, in the Si-chuan basin. The basin is considered as one of the most severely eroded regions in the Upper Yangtze River Basin as well in China. Soil erosion rates were reported mostly to be greater than 5000 t·km-2·a-1 by the first st…     

Estimation of wind erosion rates by using 137Cs tracing technique: A case study in Tariat-Xilin Gol transect, Mongolian Plateau

Wind erosion is one of the major environmental problems in semi-arid and arid regions. Here we established the Tariat-Xilin Gol transect from northwest to southeast across the Mongolian Plateau, and selected seven sampling sites along the transect. We then estimated the soil wind erosion rates by using the 137Cs tracing technique and examined their spatial dynamics. Our results showed that the 137Cs inventories of sampling sites ranged from 265.63=44.91 to 1279.54=166.53 Bq. m-2, and the wind erosion rates varied from 64.58 to 419.63 t. km-2. a-~ accordingly. In the Mongolia section of the transect （from Tariat to Sainshand）, the wind erosion rate increased gradually with vegetation type and climatic regimes; the wind erosion process was controlled by physical factors such as annual precipitation and vegetation coverage, etc., and the impact of human activities was negligible. While in the China section of the transect （Inner Mongolia）, the wind erosion rates of Xilin Hot and Zhengxiangbai Banner were thrice as much as those of Bayannur of Mongolia, although these three sites were all dominated by typical steppe. Besides the physical factors, higher population density and livestock carrying level should be responsible for the higher wind erosion rates in these two regions of Inner Mongolia.