Caesium-137 estimates of erosion in agricultural areas

Abstract

Sediment redistribution within near-level agricultural fields in the Gray Wooded soil zone of Saskatchewan was studied using the artificial environmental tracer caesium-137 (137Cs). the objective of this study was to estimate erosion rates caused by wind erosion, and land clearing techniques (i.e. bulldozing). Net rates of erosion and deposition were quantified over the past 30 years on three fields. Wind erosion was estimated to be approximately 1.0 t ha−1 y−1 on a near-level field, with 50 per cent of the sampling sites having erosion rates in excess of soil formation. Bulldozing produced median net sediment flux values of between 40 and 90 t ha−1 y−1. in addition, between 65 and 85 per cent of the sampling sites had erosion rates in excess of the maximum tolerable limit (i.e. 11.0 t ha−1 y−1). These results indicate significant accelerated erosion results from land clearing techniques used in central Saskatchewan. Bulldozing of the fields removed the LFH-horizon and exposed the underlying mineral horizon. Bulk densitites of the 0 to 15 cm layer in the cleared fields were 27 to 55 per cent greater than the comparable depth increment within the undisturbed forest site. Organic carbon concentrations within the 1930s, 1979, and 1987 fields were decreased by 47, 42, and 37 per cent, respectively following cultivation and bulldozing. Decreases in total nitrogen for the cultivated fields ranged from 33 to 38 per cent.