Abstract
In this chapter, multiple sets of data collected from both closed (with artificial boundaries) and open plots (without artificial boundaries) are used to investigate soil and water loss caused by sheet and rill erosion. In particular, the effects of slope gradients (ranging from 5° to 30°), land use, and soil crusting on soil and water loss are examined. The results indicate that the difference in both runoff generation and soil shear strength are limited among plots of different slope gradients. However, there is a drastic increase in soil loss with slope gradient. This mainly results from the increasing erosivity of flows with an increase of slope gradient. All types of soil conservation measures can significantly reduce soil loss but not necessarily reduce runoff. Breaking up the pre-existing soil crust does not significantly change soil moisture nor runoff but increases soil loss in large storms. The major problem associated with closed plots is the plot boundaries, which makes it difficult to extrapolate soil loss from plot to watershed scale. In addition, we should be cautious when using plot data to evaluate the effectiveness of soil conservation at the catchment or regional levels.
Published Version
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