Estimating interrill soil erosion from aggregate stability of Ultisols in subtropical China

Abstract

During raindrop impact soil, aggregates breakdown and produce finer, more transportable particles and micro-aggregates. These particles and micro-aggregates appreciably affect the processes of infiltration, seal and crust development, runoff, and soil erosion. Aggregate stability is, therefore, an important property that may explain, quantify, and predict these processes. This study was designed to develop improved formulae for assessing interrill erosion rate by incorporating the aggregate stability index ( A s) in the prediction evaluations for soil erodibilites of Ultisols in subtropical China. Field experiments of simulated rainfall involving rainstorm simulations with medium and high rainfall intensity were conducted on six cultivated soils for which the soil aggregate stability was determined by the LB-method. This study yielded two prediction equations D i = 0.23 A s I 2(1.05 − 0.85 exp −4sin θ ) and D i = 0.34 A s qI(1.05 − 0.85 exp −4sin θ ) that allowed a comparison of their efficiency in assessing the interrill erosion rate. A s is an aggregate stability index, which reflected the main mechanisms of aggregate breakdown in interrill erosion process, θ is the slope angle, I is the rainfall intensity, and q is the runoff rate. Relatively good agreement was obtained between predicted and measured values of erosion rates for each of the prediction models ( R 2 = 0.86 **, and R 2 = 0.90 **). It was concluded that these formulae based on the stability index, A s, have the potential to improve methodology for assessing interrill erosion rates for the subtropical Chinese Ultisols. Considering the time-consuming and costly experimentation of runoff rate measurements, the equation without runoff rate ( q) was the more convenient and effective one to predict interrill erosion rates on Ultisols of subtropical China.