Abstract
Biogeotextiles constructed from the leaves of Borassus aethiopum and Mauritia flexuosa are investigated at the Kaltinėnai Research Station of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture, which is participating in the EU-funded BORASSUS Project. Biogeotextiles are potentially excellent biodegradable and environmentally-friendly materials useful for soil conservation. Field studies on a steep (21–25°) roadside slope in Lithuania suggest biogeotextile mats are an effective and sustainable soil conservation technique. Biogeotextiles have a potential as a biotechnical soil conservation method for slope stabilization and protection from water erosion on steep industrial slopes and may be integrated with the use of perennial grasses to optimize protection from water erosion. The investigations demonstrated that a cover of Borassus and Buriti mats improved the germination and growth of sown perennial grasses. The biomass of perennial grasses increased by 52.0–63.4% under cover of Borassus mats and by 18.6–28.2% under cover of Buriti mats. Over 2 years, the biogeotextiles (Borassus and Buruti, respectively) decreased soil losses from bare fallow soil by 90.8% and 81.5% and from plots covered by perennial grasses by 87.9% and 79.0%, respectively.
Highlights
Soil erosion is one of the world’s most serious environmental problems, causing extensive loss of cultivated and potentially productive soil and crop yields (Fullen, Catt 2004; Morgan 1995)
Biogeotextiles constructed from the leaves of Borassus aethiopum and Mauritia flexuosa are investigated at the Kaltinėnai Research Station of the Lithuanian Institute of Agriculture, which is participating in the EU-funded BORASSUS Project
Over 2 years, the biogeotextiles (Borassus and Buruti, respectively) decreased soil losses from bare fallow soil by 90.8% and 81.5% and from plots covered by perennial grasses by 87.9% and 79.0%, respectively
Summary
Soil erosion is one of the world’s most serious environmental problems, causing extensive loss of cultivated and potentially productive soil and crop yields (Fullen, Catt 2004; Morgan 1995). Water erosion is the main soil degradation factor in agricultural areas, which endangers 56% of the world’s available arable land and has already eliminated an estimated 430 mln ha from agricultural production, or 30% of the total available arable land (United Nations Environment Programme 2002). Major causes of water and wind erosion include deforestation, overgrazing and mismanagement of arable land. By removing vegetation cover the erosion-resisting capacity of the soil becomes disturbed. Hydraulic surface flow increases with the lack of vegetation cover, which increases the soil susceptibility to erosion, by reducing cohesion and shear strength
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