Erosion Control Project Research Articles

Soil quality evaluation of different land use modes in small watersheds in the hilly region of southern Jiangsu

The Yixing Yuantianjian small watershed is a provincial soil erosion key management area in the hilly region of southern Jiangsu. It has been implemented key national soil erosion control project for small watershed management, which is typical and representative in the region. It is important to quantitatively evaluate the soil quality of the area under different land use modes and then select suitable ecological restoration measures to promote the ecological and economic construction of small watersheds in the hilly region of southern Jiangsu. Used four types of land use (forest land, garden land, arable land and abandoned land) in the Yixing Yuantianjian small watershed as the research object, 13 soil physical and chemical property indicators were screened based on principal component analysis, correlation analysis and Norm value calculation to construct a minimum data set (MDS) for soil quality evaluation. The results showed that the variability of soil chemical indicators of land use modes was higher than that of soil physical indicators in the study area. The MDS indicators affected by soil quality in the small watershed are sand content (Sand), total nitrogen (TN), available nitrogen (AN), available potassium (AK), total soil porosity (TSP) and bulk density (BD), which provide valid information on soil quality in the area with high accuracy. The soil quality index for different land use modes in the small watershed in the hilly areas of southern Jiangsu was SQI forest land (0.83) > SQI cultivated land (0.74) > SQI garden land (0.66) > SQI abandoned land (0.46), with soil quality at a medium to high level. AN was the key factor limiting the soil quality of this watershed. This study can provide a scientific basis for soil quality enhancement and ecological restoration in the small watersheds of the southern Jiangsu hilly region.

Benefits of Beach Erosion Control on the East Coast of Korea

Lee, J.S. and Chang, J.-I., 2023. Benefits of beach erosion control on the east coast of Korea. Journal of Coastal Research, 39(2), 347–353. Charlotte (North Carolina), ISSN 0749-0208. Coastal erosion control projects bring various benefits to people, such as reducing damage from coastal disasters, reducing erosion and flooding damage, and providing water-friendly spaces. Nevertheless, it is difficult to evaluate a project because there are few analyses of the economic impact of the project. Thus, this study aims to estimate the benefits of coastal erosion control and maintenance projects using people's willingness to pay (WTP). In particular, information on the effectiveness of a project for relatively unknown coastal regions is lacking. Therefore, this study targeted the Yeongrang coast in Gangwon-do, located on the east coast of Korea. The annual WTP per household was estimated to be approximately KRW 1999 (USD 1.81). The benefit–cost ratio based on this was estimated to be approximately 2.98, which is considered to be a sufficiently large benefit compared with the cost of the project. The findings of this study can be used as the basis for decision making regarding coastal erosion control policies for similar case areas.

Comprehensive Assessment of Soil Conservation Measures by Rough Set Theory: A Case Study in the Yanhe River Basin of the Loess Plateau

At present, much attention has been paid to the ecology, economics, and social benefits of erosion control projects: however, the evaluation of an erosion control technology itself has been neglected. This study selected six soil conservation measures applied to the Loess Plateau, and a comprehensive evaluation model was developed considering the maturity of the technology, application difficulty of the technology, technology efficiency, and the potential of technology promotion. The relation between a condition attribute and a decision attribute is evaluated using rough set theory, and the decision attribute is completely dependent on the condition attribute, which indicates that the index system can better evaluate the soil conservation measures applied to the Loess Plateau. Rough set theory was used to determine the weights of evaluation indexes, which overcomes the limitation of relying only on expert opinions or index data to determine the weights. According to the comprehensive scores, the six soil conservation measures can be grouped into three levels: the first level includes economic forests, check dams, and terraces; the second level includes afforestation and conversion to grassland, and the third level includes enclosures. The results can provide a scientific basis for the promotion and application of the high-ranking soil conservation measures in the Loess Plateau. However, the comprehensive evaluation of the soil conservation measures applied to the Loess Plateau is a very complex problem. To maximize the eco-environmental benefits, land use patterns should be rationally adjusted, and corresponding soil conservation measures could be suitable for meeting the regional development goals.

Effect of bioremediation technique on engineering properties of crude oil-contaminated soil

Crude oil plays an important role in maintaining national energy security and economic development, with the expansion of population, expanding income, and rapid urbanization. However, in industrial regions, crude oil leaks and penetration into the soil can alter soil engineering features and trigger environmental disasters. Also, restoring contaminated sites to their original condition and reusing contaminated material in construction fields after treatment necessitates remediation procedures that are both environmentally benign and geotechnically sound. Bioremediation is an effective, low cost & no harmful side effect technique will be used in this research study. In this study, two different types of soils from different locations such as poorly graded sand and highly plastic clayey soil are artificially contaminated with crude oil at 4%, 8% and 12% with the dried weight of soil. As the purpose of bioremediation, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus (MTCC-2409) bacterial strain used as a reference of oil-degrading bacteria and the other strains are identified from the natural soils by biological study, which have the capability to degrade crude oil. In the present study, for better understand to change in geotechnical properties, Atterberg limits, compaction, unconfined compressive strength and permeability test were conducted and from the results comparison is to be done for these strains. Also, gravimetric analysis were used as determination of total petroleum hydrocarbon. Biofilms developed in the presence of crude oil acquire more biomass and have larger thickness than biofilms formed in the presence of glucose as the sole carbon source, according to microscopic research. Generally, the application of bio-treated soil as utilized in the construction of liners, road construction, manufacturing portland cement, and erosion control projects.

Developing a mobile GIS application related to the collection of land data in soil mapping studies

Soil is the one of the most important natural resources having direct and indirect effects on human life, foremost on food supply. Moreover, two of the most important sources used in many sectors such as agriculture, forestry, environment, planning, related to the conservation of soil, are soil maps and soil reports. There is a need for proper and up-to-date soil maps produced with support of technology to achieve sustainable management of land and soil successfully. In order to facilitate the collection of soil data on site in a correct, fast and reliable way in soil survey and mapping studies, and therefore to produce soil maps with high accuracy, a mobile GIS application called “Soil Data System” was developed in this study to work in mobile devices which are driven by Android 5.0 and above. The developed application was tested in “Abadan Erosion Control Project” implementation area, which is located in the boundaries of Ankara, Turkey and was completed in 2016 within the General Directorate of Forestry of The Republic of Turkey, and various findings were obtained after comparing the application with classical soil survey and mapping studies. As a result of the analyzes, it was observed that Soil Data System contributed positively to soil mapping process in many aspects such as accuracy, transparency and time.

MONITORING TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL CHANGES OF LAND USE AND LAND COVER BASED ON REMOTE SENSING IN THE HILLY REGION OF CENTRAL SICHUAN BETWEEN 1989 AND 2009

Abstract. In recent years, under the background of government policy and the development of social economy, land use in hilly region of central Sichuan has changed drastically. Especially the Changzhi soil erosion control project that has been carried out since 1989 and the policy of converting from farm land to forest which has been carried out after flooding disaster in 1998, have seriously affected the land use in hilly region of central Sichuan between 1989 and 2009. In order to detect these changes and acquire the land use information, this study was conducted in Lizixi basin which is the typical area in hilly region of central Sichuan. Supervised classification was applied to the processing procedure of TM, SPOT data in 1989, 1999 and Rapideye data in 2009. The results were further improved by visual interpretation. The overall classification accuracy reaches 88.33% and the kappa is 0.8350. The elevation was classified into five grades to detect the land use distribution in different elevation gradients in 2009. Post-classification comparisons of the classified images indicated that the major change consists that the cultivated land is decreasing and forest is increasing. The force factor of these changes may be the policy of converting from farmland to forest. Because of the labor shortage, 53.29% of the decreased cultivated land has changed to abandoned arable land which is covered by lush grass and mainly distribute on the halfway up to the hill. The urban area has enlarged 7 times due to the large number of migrants from rural to urban. Overall these changes reflect the regional policies and human activities are the major and important force factors of changes in the hilly region of central Sichuan during last two decades.

Identifying government’s and farmers’ roles in soil erosion management in a rural area of southern China with social network analysis

Agricultural production in China is mainly decentralized, small in size, and involved by independent single households. Farmers are the main implementers of soil erosion control projects. Their willingness and abilities, which are crucial to the effectiveness of these projects, are closely related to their social networks. However, the relationship between farmers’ social networks and soil erosion control remains unclear. Hengxi, a typical village in Jiangxi Province, China, was used as a case study. Traditional- and new-type of farmers’ social networks were built according to the planting structures based on survey data. The results showed that both types of networks had the characteristics of small-world network and scale-free network. The ability to obtain and dispense information was the significant distinction between the two networks. The dealer was an influential key node in both networks. The government agencies were key nodes in the new-type network but not in the traditional-type network, which made it difficult for traditional farmers to obtain indispensable information about soil erosion control. The characteristics of farmers and their corresponding networks had significant influences on their awareness of soil erosion. Soil erosion management projects could be deployed smoothly by the key farmers and government agencies in the new-type social network, but difficultly in the traditional-type social network. To improve the effectiveness of soil erosion control projects, cooperation with dealers is important for government agencies.

Assessment on erosion risk based on GIS in typical Karst region of Southwest China

ABSTRACT This study evaluates the potential danger of soil erosion with regard to the current poor situation in the typical karst area of Anshun City in Guizhou Province (China) and provides a reference for the prevention and control of soil erosion in karst areas. The criteria of the Standards for classification and gradation of soil erosion and Techniques standard for comprehensive control of soil erosion and water loss in karst area in non-karst and karst areas, respectively, GIS, and high-resolution remote sensing image interpretation results of land use are used to explain the intensity of soil erosion and soil loss tolerance. Results show that soil erosion rate calculated by different standards in the karst area is consistent with the monitoring value. The average erosion modulus of Guizhou Anshun is 446.83 t/(km2·a), the soil erosion area is 2,861.01 km2 with a ratio of 30.9%, the soil erosion potential danger index (SEPDI) value is relatively small and mainly includes free- and light-danger types, and the average SEPDI value is 1.7. The soil erosion control project of Anshun City can range according to the SEPDI level of villages, which can be comprehensively managed from high to low. Soil erosion prevention and control in karst areas should use SEPDI as the core indicator rather than soil erosion intensity grade.

Underground deserts below fertility islands? Woody species desiccate lower soil layers in sandy drylands

Woody plants in water‐limited ecosystems affect their environment on multiple scales: locally, natural stands can create islands of fertility for herb layer communities compared to open habitats, but afforestation has been shown to negatively affect regional water balance and productivity. Despite these contrasting observations, no coherent multiscale framework has been developed for the environmental effects of woody plants in water‐limited ecosystems. To link local and regional effects of woody species in a spatially explicit model, we simultaneously measured site conditions (microclimate, nutrient availability and topsoil moisture) and conditions of regional relevance (deeper soil moisture), in forests with different canopy types (long, intermediate and short annual lifetime) and adjacent grasslands in sandy drylands. All types of forests ameliorated site conditions compared to adjacent grasslands, although natural stands did so more effectively than managed ones. At the same time, all forests desiccated deeper soil layers during the vegetation period, and the longer the canopy lifetime, the more severe the desiccation in summer and more delayed the recharge after the active period of the canopy. We conclude that the site‐scale environmental amelioration brought about by woody species is bound to co‐occur with the desiccation of deeper soil layers, leading to deficient ground water recharge. This means that the cost of creating islands of fertility for sensitive herb layer organisms is an inevitable negative impact on regional water balance. The canopy type or management intensity of the forests affects the magnitude but not the direction of these effects. The outlined framework of the effects of woody species should be considered for the conservation, restoration or profit‐oriented use of forests as well as in forest‐based carbon sequestration and soil erosion control projects in water‐limited ecosystems.

Wind erosion rate for vegetated soil cover: A prediction model based on surface shear strength

Vegetation is regarded as the most effective measure for soil erosion control and sand control projects, which plays an important role in controlling soil wind erosion and sand disasters in arid and semiarid regions. Most of the existing models for soil wind erosion rate prediction are based on empirical results that consider factors such as vegetation coverage and wind speed but have rarely investigated the wind erosion rate from the shear strength perspective, which is also an important reason why it is difficult for existing wind erosion models to be popularized. In fact, the presence of vegetation alters the distribution of the near-surface airflow field and thus profoundly changes the magnitude and spatial distribution of shear stress generated by airflow on soil particles. According to existing theories, it is very difficult to describe these processes. Although the shear stress on a vegetation-covered soil surface may be measured using existing observation techniques, difficulties in technology make it impractical for conducting at a large scale. Consequently, research that combines soil wind erosion and the shear strength of vegetation-covered soil surfaces has rarely been reported. Therefore, the prediction of discrete wind erosion rates considering the uneven spatial distribution of the airflow field has gradually become a new trend in the study of the wind erosion of vegetation-covered soil surfaces. In this study, the model for the airflow field of a single plant and the conversion model for the airflow field from a single plant to multiple plants were examined, based on which parameters, such as vegetation characteristics and plant density in wind tunnel tests, were combined to simulate the spatial distribution of the airflow field over vegetation cover surface under four different vegetation coverages. A method for calculating the effective shear strength of the vegetation-covered soil surface was proposed, and the effective shear strength of the surface with different vegetation covers was determined. The effective shear strength of the vegetation-covered soil surface was found to increase with increasing wind speed, decrease with increasing vegetation coverage, and decrease with increasing particle size. On this basis, the relationship between the wind erosion rate q and the effective shear strength τeff¯ of the vegetation-covered soil surface was quantitatively established as q=kd/g·τeff¯, where k = 114.02. Findings of this study help to explain the wind erosion dynamics of a vegetation-covered soil surface and can also provide a solid foundation for constructing a wind erosion prediction model based on the theory of dynamics.

일제 강점기 사방사업의 전개와 그 문제점

일제 강점기 사방사업의 전개와 그 문제점

English

Erosion is a key factor for sustainability of land management. This study aimed to determine the spatial distribution of estimated total soil loss amount and erosion severity in the Oltu Anzav Watershed located in the East of Anatolia, Turkey. This study was conducted by using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) based on Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) method. Topsoil samples (0-30 cm) were collected in 129 sites and analyzed for soil erosivity factor (K). Furthermore, the spatial distribution of potential estimated soil losses that may occur was mapped with the modeling using different scenarios in the future. Five different erosion risk groups have been determined as slight, moderate, severe, very severe and extreme, in the watershed area. As a result, the average surface soil loss was estimated as 24.44 ton ha-1year-1. Also, two different scenarios were created to estimate soil losses in the future in this study. According to the first scenario, if rehabilitation processes are implemented in the degraded forest area, soil loss was estimated as 7.33 tones ha-1year-1. In the second scenario, if any measures are not taken for soil erosion and flood control, soil loss was estimated as 58.63 ton ha-1year-1. Finally, sedimentation should be reduced in the watershed by erosion and flood control projects and applications. Key words: Erosion, erosion risk maps, Anzav basin, revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE), geographical information systems (GIS).

自然景観に配慮しつつ長大な崩壊地を復旧してきた男体山治山事業（栃木県 日光市）

自然景観に配慮しつつ長大な崩壊地を復旧してきた男体山治山事業（栃木県 日光市）

Land quality evaluation based on sustainable development for gully erosion control and land consolidation project of Yan’ an, China

Based on the three land consolidation projects in Yan’an region, the differentiation of the soil capacity, texture, available nutrients, pH etc before and after land consolidation were analyzed, and a comprehensive evaluation of soil quality before and after consolidation was done in this study. The results show that: (1) After the gully-land consolidation, the soil capacity, nitrogen, available P, available K and conductivity are increased, while the organic matter and pH are decreased. With one-year’s cultivation, the soil capacity decreased and the organic matter increased. After the slope-land consolidation, the soil physical and chemical properties have similar trends with the gullies, but the change is more significant. (2)No matter for gully or slope, the soil quality declines where the land just get consolidated, and the slope has more significant declining. With one-year’s cultivation, the soil quality of the gully has more rapid recovery with one grade uplift. (3) The correlation coefficient method was used to give a comprehensive evaluation of the soil quality, to considerate of the changes of the coefficients of the factors and the evaluation object. The evaluation can well reflect the actual situation of the soil quality, give reference to the soil quality evaluation for consolidated land, and the results may provide basis for the performance evaluation of the Yan’an land consolidation projects.

A Study on Selection of Media to Communicate Information for Raising Awareness of Soil Erosion Control Projects

A Study on Selection of Media to Communicate Information for Raising Awareness of Soil Erosion Control Projects

From economic choice to social choice in coastal management: A critical assessment of the use of cost-benefit analysis in the evaluation of an erosion control project in Flagler County, Florida, U.S.A.

Sustainable development remains of general interest in both political and academic circles. Importantly, the approach to collective decision making adopted in pursuit of sustainable development has importance repercussions regarding what range of possible informational considerations get incorporated as relevant to a given choice exercise. The most dominant approach to environmental public policy assessment, which I discuss under the rubric of economic choice, is interested in maximizing utility, measured in monetary metrics, and evaluates alternatives using cost-benefit analysis (CBA). CBA is a process which requires the quantification and monetization of all relevant considerations, a tendency which some critics suggest makes the outcomes of this technique inaccurate, exclusionary and negligent of the question of distribution. While these criticisms are practically important, they are also theoretically manageable within the economic choice approach, requiring improvements in its use rather than its abandonment. In contrast, I advance a different kind of criticism aimed at identifying contradictions internal to the economic choice approach itself which can only be resolved by rejecting its basic assumptions and replacing them with better ones. In particular I point to the inadequacy of the underlying assumption inherent in economic choice that income is a satisfactory representation of human well-being. Instead, drawing on Amartya Sen's capabilities approach, I argue for the superiority of conceptualizing well-being in terms of the substantive freedoms and capabilities people actually have to pursue lives they have reason to value. This alternative approach, which I discuss under the rubric of social choice, has the capacity to incorporate informational considerations emphasized by economic choice; however, it is superior to economic choice because it can also incorporate a wide range of other informational considerations based on a plurality of reasons; that is, without the need to reference their contribution to income metrics specifically. The economic choice approach and social choice approach are compared and contrasted both theoretically and practically in relation to a coastal erosion control project currently being planned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Flagler County, Florida, U.S.A.

The Implementation Effects of a Nationwide Sloping Farmland Soil Erosion Control Project in China

Abstract: To understand implementation of a nationwide sloping farmland soil erosion comprehensive control project during China's 12th Five-Year Plan we used data collection and expert consultation. We selected 24 indexes across three aspects including project management, engineering construction and implementation benefit and used AHP-grey correlation analysis methods. We found that the scores for engineering construction were greater than 0.65 in most of the provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities. These scores are high and scores for project management and implementation benefit are between 0.45–0.65; however, overall scores are low. The comprehensive evaluation results are normally distributed. The composite scores for Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou are 0.71, 0.68 and 0.68 respectively, indicating that the implementation effects are good. The scores for Jilin and Liaoning are 0.38 and 0.42 respectively, indicating that the implementation effects need improvement. Scores for other provinces are b...

An Erosion Control Project which Restored Destructed Forests in Coastal Area of Hiroshima Prefecture along Seto Inland Sea

An Erosion Control Project which Restored Destructed Forests in Coastal Area of Hiroshima Prefecture along Seto Inland Sea

Evaluation of Cassava (Manihot Esculenta crantz) Genotype for Yield and Yield Component, Tuber Bulking, Early Maturity in Cross River Basin Flood Plains, Itu, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria

Field experiments was conducted in 2013 and 2014 at Cross River flood plains , Itu, Akwa Ibom State to assess the yield, yield components, early tuber bulking and maturity among cassava genotype and identify superior ones for the environment. Experiment was conducted at Itu Irrigation Erosion and Flood Control project farm of the Cross River Basin Development Authority Oku Iboku. A land area of 416m² was laid out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) and replicated three times. Five cassava genotypes: NR 8082, TMS 01/1168, TMS 01/1412, TME 419 and a local cultivar (obubit okpo) constituted the treatments. Growth parameters studied were: plant height (cm), Number of branches, leaf area (cm), Number of leaf lobes, stem girth (cm) and length of petiole (cm). Also, Number, length (cm), and circumference of tubers and tuber yield per hectare (t/ha) were studied at 4,6,8,10 and 12 months after planting (MAP). Analysis of variance was conducted on all the characters and significant means separated with least significant difference (LSD) at 5% probability level. Plant height (cm), number of branches and leaf area (cm²) at harvest showed significant differences (p

Determination of sand dune characteristics through geomorphometry and wind data analysis in central Iran (Kashan Erg)

The combination of wind measurements and remotely sensed geomorphometry indices provides a valuable resource in the study of desert landforms, because arduous desert environments are difficult to access. In this research, we couple wind data and geomorphometry to separate and classify different sand dunes in Kashan Erg in central Iran. Additionally, the effect of sand-fixing projects on sand dune morphology was assessed using geomorphometry indices (roughness, curvature, surface area, dune spacing and dune height). Results showed that a Digital Elevation Model of the National Cartographic Center of Iran (NCC DEM) with 10-m resolution and accuracy of 54% could discriminate geomorphometry parameters better than the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data with 30-m resolution and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data with 90-m resolution and 45.2 and 1.6% accuracy, respectively. Low classification of SRTM DEM was associated with too many non-value points found in the DEM. Accuracy assessment of comparison ground control points revealed that ASTER DEM (RMSE = 4.25) has higher accuracy than SRTM and NCC DEMs in this region. Study of curvature showed that transverse and linear sand dunes were formed in concave topography rather than convex. Reduced slopes in fixed sand dunes were established due to wind erosion control projects. Measurements of dune height and spacing show that there is significant correlation in compound dunes (R 2 = 0.546), linear dunes (R 2 = 0.228) and fixed dunes (R 2 = 0.129). In general, the height of dunes in Kashan Erg increases from the margin of the field to the center of the field with a maximum height of 120 m in star dunes. Analysis of wind data showed that sand drift potential is in low-medium class in Kashan Erg. Linear sand dunes in Kashan Erg show that they are following a global trend in forming of these. Finally, established of geomorphometry method in dune classification will help researchers to identify priority of land management and performance assessment of sand dunes fixing projects in arid arduous environment.