Soil Wind Erosion Research Articles

The effects of various cover crops on soil wind erosion in the Horqin Sandy Land of northern China

The effects of various cover crops on soil wind erosion in the Horqin Sandy Land of northern China

The impact of technologies for the development and use of virgin, fallow lands on agroecological stability and soil fertility

Relevance. The research was carried out in order to analyze the impact of technologies for the development of virgin and fallow lands on erosion processes in the steppe zone in the 60s and modern conditions.Methods. The analysis of approaches to the prevention of soil degradation and desertification of the territory is carried out based on materials obtained in the steppe zone of the Republic of Khakassia in the second half of the XX century and in modern conditions. We used the results of the application of technologies for the development of virgin and fallow lands of Tselinnoye LLC in different periods. Information about dust storms was taken from data from the Bey and Shire weather stations. In 1954–1960 when plowing the chernozem of the southern virgin lands, technology was used using plows, huskers and other tillage tools. The lack of adapted ways of developing and using new lands has led to an outbreak of wind erosion of soils over large areas, including in the south-east of the country.Results. The dump system of soil treatment during the mass development of virgin and fallow lands in the 60s, without taking into account soil, climatic and other conditions, led to a strong development of wind erosion. The number of days with dust storms in Khakassia reached up to 4.8–11.6 per year. In modern conditions, the removal of highly ventilated soils from arable lands and the use of strip placement of crops and minimal tillage on the rest of the arable land contribute to increasing the erosion resistance of agricultural landscapes. The use of the Tornado 500 herbicide in August during the development of the deposit reduces the erodibility by 2.5 times, compared with the technology with its introduction in early summer.

Spatiotemporal Variation in Soil Wind Erosion in the Northern Slope of the Tianshan Mountains from 2000 to 2018

The Northern Slope of the Tianshan Mountains (NSTM) is characterized by complex and diverse terrain, which represents a fragile ecological environment. Soil wind erosion is a key factor affecting the natural ecosystem and the social development of the region, but it has not been well understood until now. In this study, the revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) was employed to display the spatial and temporal characteristics of soil wind erosion in the NSTM from 2000 to 2018. In addition, the main driving factors of wind erosion were analyzed. The results showed that approximately 94.25% of the NSTM experienced soil wind erosion, with a multi-year average actual soil wind erosion modulus of 6556.40 t·km−2·a−1. From 2000 to 2018, the actual soil wind erosion modulus in the NSTM showed a trend of fluctuational increase, with an increase rate of 44.65 t·km−2·a−2, but the area affected by soil wind erosion exhibited a downward trend. The wind erosion rate decreased in 76.38% of the total area, except for some areas such as Hami, with an increasing trend of soil wind erosion. The wind factor in RWEQ showed a significant linear relationship with the soil wind erosion modulus (r = 0.62, p < 0.01). Land use changes also have a critical impact on the soil wind erosion. The results of geographical detectors show that the combined effect of weather factor and vegetation factor can explain more than 60% of the changes in soil wind erosion.

Effects of the types and ages of vegetation restoration on land surface roughness in the Eastern Hobq Desert, Northern China

Vegetation restoration has an important remodelling effect on near-surface characteristics, and consequent changes in land surface roughness (LSR) are key influences on soil wind erosion processes. However, the effects of vegetation restoration types and ages on LSR and the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, the sand-fixing vegetation restoration area of the Hobq Desert was examined in comparison to a bare sand control area. The LSR of four artificial vegetation types (Salix psammophila, Caragana korshinskii, Artemisia ordosica, and Populus simonii) with restoration age of 36 years, and Salix psammophila and Caragana korshinskii after different periods of restoration (20, 28, 36 and 45 years) were measured using Structure-from-Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. Near-surface characteristics that may affect LSR were also measured. The results showed that vegetation restoration was associated with a 230–409 % higher LSR compared to the control site (1.74 mm). LSR in the different vegetation restoration areas were ranked, from high to low, as follows: AO (8.85 mm) > CK (7.89 mm) > SP (6.70 mm) > PS (6.61 mm). LSR also increased with time since restoration, with the greatest rate of increase during the first 20 years. The change of LSR is mainly affected by the change of near-surface characteristics, with the direct effects of biological crust thickness (0.331), litter thickness (0.289), soil bulk density (−0.239), and clay content (0.171) being significant. Stem diameter, litter density, biological crust coverage, and soil organic matter affected LSR indirectly, mainly through acting on the above factors. Finally, LSR was effectively estimated based on biological crust thickness, litter thickness, and soil bulk density (R2 = 0.904). The research results will help to further deepen the understanding of the influence mechanism of vegetation restoration on LSR, and provide scientific basis and practical reference for vegetation ecological restoration in similar areas.

Global Wind Erosion Reduction Driven by Changing Climate and Land Use

AbstractWhile significant progress has been achieved in researching water erosion, our understanding of global patterns and the magnitude of wind soil erosion remains limited. Here, we present a comprehensive assessment using the revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) of the global rates and long‐term trends (1982–2019) of wind erosion using a spatially explicit (0.05° × 0.05°) quantitative model. On average, in this study global wind erosion caused 312.5 Pg yr−1 of soil loss, with a decreasing trend of 1.04 ± 0.48 Pg yr−1 (p < 0.05) during 1982–2019. Excluding stable regions, approximately 36% of the modeled areas exhibit a significant decrease in wind erosion, accounting for 3.13 ± 0.18 Pg yr−1, while only 9% experience a notable increase, amounting for 1.83 ± 0.16 Pg yr−1. The decrease of wind erosion primarily occurs in the southern hemispheres. Notably, wind erosion decreases considerably in grassland and cropland, while it remains unchanged in dryland. Although grassland and cropland account for only 11% and 1.8% of the total erosion, they contribute to 68% and 17% of the total erosion reduction, respectively. This study highlights global wind stilling and vegetation greening as important factors contributing to the decline in wind erosion and offers valuable insights into the intricate relationship between climate change and terrestrial ecosystems, including carbon sequestration and agricultural productivity.

Occurrence and human exposure risk of antibiotic resistance genes in tillage soils of dryland regions: A case study of northern Ningxia Plain, China

Agricultural soils are important source and sink of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). However, little is known about the fate of ARGs in dryland soils, while its human exposure risks were seriously overlooked. Taking the northern Ningxia Plain as a case, this study explored the occurrence of ARGs and its relationship with mobile genetic elements (MGEs), pathogens, and environmental factors. Furthermore, the concentrations of airborne ARGs by soil wind erosion and the human exposure doses of soil ARGs were evaluated. The results showed the abundances of different regions ranged from 4.0 × 105 to 1.6 × 106 copies/g. Soil ARGs are driven by MGEs, but multiply impacted by soil properties, nutrition, and bacterial community. Vibrio metschnikovii, Acinetobacter schindleri, and Serratia marcescens are potential pathogenic hosts for ARGs. Further exploration revealed the concentration of ARGs loaded in dust by soil wind erosion reached more than 105 copies/m3, which were even higher than those found in sewage treatment plants and hospitals. Skin contact is the primary route of ARGs exposure, with a maximum dose of 24071.33 copies/kg/d, which is largely attributed to ARGs loaded in dust. This study bridged the gap on ARGs in dryland soils, and provided reference for human exposure risk assessment of soil ARGs.

A dataset of soil wind erosion in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2018

A dataset of soil wind erosion in the Yellow River Basin from 2000 to 2018

Development of Interpolyelectrolyte Complex Based on Chitosan and Carboxymethylcellulose for Stabilizing Sandy Soil and Stimulating Vegetation of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.).

The issue of water and wind erosion of soil remains critically important. Polymeric materials offer a promising solution to this problem. In this study, we prepared and applied an interpolyelectrolyte complex (IPEC) composed of the biopolymers chitosan and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (Na-CMC) for the structuring of forest sandy soils and the enhancement of the pre-sowing treatment of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seeds. A nonstoichiometric IPEC [Chitosan]:[Na-CMC] = [3:7] was synthesized, and its composition was determined using gravimetry, turbidimetry, and rheoviscosimetry methods. Soil surface treatment with IPEC involved the sequential application of a chitosan polycation (0.006% w/w) and Na-CMC polyanion (0.02% w/w) relative to the air-dry soil weight. The prepared IPEC increased soil moisture by 77%, extended water retention time by sixfold, doubled the content of agronomically valuable soil fractions > 0.25 mm, enhanced soil resistance to water erosion by 64% and wind erosion by 81%, and improved the mechanical strength of the soil-polymer crust by 17.5 times. Additionally, IPEC application resulted in slight increases in the content of humus, mobile potassium, mobile phosphorus, ammonium nitrogen, and mineral salts in the soil while maintaining soil solution pH stability and significantly increasing nitrate nitrogen levels. The novel application technologies of biopolymers and IPEC led to a 16-25% improvement in Scots pine seed germination and seedling growth metrics.

Inhibition of Soil Wind-Erosion and Dust by Shelterbelts in the Hilly Area of Loess Plateau and Its Influencing Factors

Inhibition of Soil Wind-Erosion and Dust by Shelterbelts in the Hilly Area of Loess Plateau and Its Influencing Factors

Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation to combat desertification: A field application experiment

Combating desertification and recovering vegetation can help resolve global ecological problems. Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation is a natural and widespread phenomenon that has been a green and efficient approach for environmental issues. However, long-term field experiments are lacking and microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation biological routes for desert restoration is unclear. Therefore, we investigated soil wind erosion resistance and soil characteristics via mixed methodology involving field and laboratory experiments and revealed the biological route. Our objective was to evaluate sand fixation efficiency and clarify the biological route. Results demonstrated that (1) microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation produced sand cement, increased soil hardness, and changed soil characteristics. (2) Compared with CK, 25%, 50% and 75% treatments (MICP treatment from low to high concentration) reduced soil loss by 34.93%, 31.62% and 51.93%, respectively, and wind erosion decreased by 69.09%–77.27% at highest wind speed. (3) The 75% treatment had the greatest effect on wind erosion resistance. (4) Microbial activity changes the mechanism of wind erosion which meteorological effects change from direct to indirect after treatment. These results can address challenges and overcome the natural disadvantages of microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation and contribute to technologies for combating desertification using soil microbial approaches.

Assessment of Soil Wind Erosion and Population Exposure Risk in Central Asia’s Terminal Lake Basins

Assessment of Soil Wind Erosion and Population Exposure Risk in Central Asia’s Terminal Lake Basins

Cosmogenic radionuclide Beryllium-7 and Beryllium-10 characteristics and influencing factors in different natural climate regions, China

The cosmogenic radionuclide 7Be (T1/2: 53.29 days) and 10Be (T1/2: 1.39 My), as unique tracers, play an excellent indicative role in atmospheric environmental changes and Earth surface processes. Currently, their different characteristics and influencing factors in various natural climate environments are still vague. Here, we used a state-of-the-art accelerator mass spectrometry to synchronously measure the ultra-trace 7Be and 10Be in aerosols, obtaining the spatial and temporal variability of daily-resolution atmospheric 7Be and 10Be in different natural climate regions (n = 11) of China. The survey results show that the 10Be and 7Be concentrations in the central/southern regions of China (22–38°N, 85–119°E) in 2020/21 are (0.5–18.7)·104 and (0.4–6.1)·104 atoms·m−3, respectively, with 10Be/7Be ratios of 0.7–3.3. Except for the Tibetan Plateau, there are differences in the concentration thresholds of 10Be and 7Be in various regions, especially in 10Be concentration. These 10Be/7Be thresholds are consistent in areas with an altitude range of 4–3420 m a.s.l and reach their highest values throughout the spring of the year. The analysis results indicate that both 7Be and 10Be are influenced by local meteorological conditions such as rainfall and boundary layer disturbances, while also exhibiting different distribution states. This distribution states is due to the re-suspended soil dust 10Be interference caused by soil wind erosion to varying degrees in different regions, with an average contribution to aerosol 10Be of 5.0 ± 2.6 %–24.2 % ± 13.3 %, and is controlled by local annual rainfall (r = 0.8, p < 0.01). Furthermore, unlike the characteristics of 10Be and 7Be concentrations influenced by local meteorological conditions, the daily variation of corrected 10Be/7Be exhibits independence from meteorological processes other than stratosphere troposphere transport, and its significant seasonal oscillations indicate changes in atmospheric circulation in the East Asian monsoon region.

Impact of Dust Source Patchiness on the Existence of a Constant Dust Flux Layer During Aeolian Erosion Events

AbstractDust emission fluxes during wind soil erosion are usually estimated using a dust concentration vertical gradient, by assuming a constant dust flux layer between the surface and the dust measurement levels. Here, we investigate the existence of this layer during erosion events recorded in Iceland and Jordan. Size‐resolved dust fluxes were estimated at three levels between 2 and 4 m using the eddy‐covariance method. Dust fluxes were found mainly constant only between the two upper levels in Iceland, the lower dust flux being often stronger and richer in coarse particles, while dust fluxes in Jordan were nearly constant across all levels. The wind dynamics could not explain the absence of a constant dust flux layer in Iceland. We show that the presence of stationary dust source patches in Iceland, related to surface humidity, created a non‐uniform dust layer near the surface, named dust roughness sublayer (DRSL), where individual plumes behind each patch interact but do not fully mix. The lowest dust measurement level was probably located within this sublayer while the upper ones were located above, such that there the emitted dust became spatially well‐mixed. This explains near the surface in Iceland, the more intermittent dust concentration, its low correlation with the dust concentrations above, and the richer dust flux in coarse particles due to their lower deposition contribution. Our findings highlight the importance of estimating dust fluxes above a dust blending height whose characteristics depend on the dust source patchiness caused by surface humidity or the presence of sparse non‐erosive elements.

Flexibility evaluation of psammophytes using Young’s modulus based on 3D numerical simulation

Flexible psammophytes play an important role in controlling soil wind erosion and desertification, owing to their characteristics. Although flexibility of psammophytes has been considered in previous studies, the interaction between flexible psammophytes and the surrounding airflow field still remained unclear. In this study, we used the Young’s modulus to describe plant flexibility and conducted a 3D computational fluid dynamics simulation using a standard k-ε model and a fluid–structure interaction model. Taking Caragana korshinskii (Caragana), a typical psammophyte, as the research object, we constructed 3D geometric models with different diameters to simulate the airflow field around the flexible psammophytes. By comparing with the simulation results of rigid plants and simulation results of flexible plants at different wind speeds, we could verify the rationality of the simulation method. Based on the simulation results, the maximum swing amplitude of the model and the Young’s modulus were found to have a negative correlation, presenting an exponential functional relationship with good fitting. The relationship between the actual Young’s modulus of the plant branches and that of different diameter models in the numerical simulation was also established. This study is expected to improve our basic understanding of the interaction between flexible psammophytes and the surrounding airflow field, and provide some qualitative reference for the numerical simulation of the airflow field around flexible psammophytes.

No increase of soil wind erosion with the establishment of center pivot irrigation system in Mu-Us sandy land

Center Pivot Irrigation system (CPIs) is widely used in newly exploited arable land in sandy lands. These sandy lands are currently stable because of climate change and ecological restoration efforts since the beginning of the 21st century in northern China. The exploitation of these fixed sandy lands to arable land with CPIs may affect the soil wind erosion, yet it remains unknown. The temporal changes of CPIs and its effect on wind erosion module were analyzed and modeled from 2000 to 2020 in Mu-Us sandy land using satellite images and Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ). The establishment of CPIs started from 2010, boomed in 2015 and peaked in 2020. They were mainly transformed from woodland, grassland, and barren land near rivers in east and southeast, and from cropland in inter-dunes in west and southwest of Mu-Us sandy land. The temporal and spatial pattern of CPIs well aligns with the land consolidation and requisition-compensation balance policies. In most of the Mu-Us sandy land, the annual erosion module is <25 t ha−1 a−1. Despite great variation, the annual, Winter and Spring erosion module of the Mu-Us sandy land or in Otog Qian and Yuyang, the CPIs concentrated counties, all decreased during 2000–2019. Although, wind erosion module in CPIs was lower than the surrounding area, it increased in 2019 given the same climate conditions as in 2010. Our results suggest 1) the establishment of CPIs in Mu-Us sandy land greatly depends on the local policy and natural endowment, and 2) although the set-up of CPIs showed no impact on the wind erosion with CPIs accounting for <1 % of Mu-Us sandy land, post-harvest of CPIs should be carefully concerned to prevent soil wind erosion.

Characterizing sand transport with various micro‐ridge spacings and heights

AbstractIn arid regions, the use of ridge cover as a traditional agricultural strategy has been effective in mitigating soil wind erosion. However, few studies have focused on the sand transport characteristics of different micro‐ridge spacings and heights. This study aimed to identify the mechanism by which ridges change the near‐surface sand transport. In a controlled wind tunnel environment, the aeolian sand flux structure and sand transport flux (qz) at heights from 0 to 0.7 m were measured. The results showed that, compared with no ridges, ridge covering could significantly modify the structure of aeolian sand flux near the surface, yielding a substantial reduction in the proportion of sand transport to the total sand transport in the 0‐ to 0.1‐m height layer. In the absence of ridges, blown sand was mainly concentrated in the 0‐ to 0.1‐m height layer, and qz decreased exponentially as the height increased. With various micro‐ridge spacings and heights, when H was less than 0.1 m and L was more than 15H, the blown sand also remained concentrated in the 0‐ to 0.1‐m height layer, and qz decreased exponentially as the height increased. When H increased to 0.15 m from 0.1 m and L decreased from 15H to 5H, the height of the blown sand was concentrated in the 0.3‐ to 0.4‐m layer. The blown sand layer of most ridge structures was concentrated at a height of 0.1–0.4 m, and the structure of the aeolian sand flux resembled an ‘elephant nose effect’. The total sand transport rate of all ridge structures was significantly lower than that with no ridges, indicating that a reasonable ridge structure can effectively prevent wind erosion.

A wind tunnel study of the effects of vegetation structural characteristics on the airflow field

Implementing vegetation is the preferred measure for controlling soil wind erosion. The physical variations in the wind velocity profile, such as the friction wind velocity (u*), aerodynamic roughness (z0), zero-plane displacement (d) and drag coefficient (Cd), are key to understanding soil wind erosion on vegetation-covered surfaces. However, the lack of systematic and in-depth research in the literature has led to significant controversy and uncertainty. Based on the wind tunnel data of wind velocities at 18 different heights near the ground surface for four plant heights (H = 5, 10, 15, and 20 cm) and densities (ds = 27, 46, 97, and 193 N/m2) and six free stream velocity (u∞ = 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, and 16 m/s) scenarios, the relationships among u*, z0, d, the parameters of u∞ and the vegetation structural characteristics, including the plant height (H), density (ds), and lateral cover (λ), are investigated in this paper. The conclusions are as follows: (1) The near-surface wind velocity profiles of the vegetation-covered surface can be divided into three segments with little variation in the wind velocity with height, a rapid increase in the wind velocity with height, and close to the free stream velocity. Their corresponding heights ranged from the surface to heights of 0.5 – 0.75H, 0.5 – 0.75H to 50 cm, and exceeding the height of 50 cm, respectively. (2) The zero-plane displacement increased with the plant height and density but decreased with the free stream velocity. The relationship between them can be expressed by Eq. (5). (3) The friction wind velocity of the vegetation-covered surface increased with the plant height, density, and free stream velocity. The relationship between them can be expressed by Eq. (6). The drag coefficient increased rapidly at first and then slowly decreased with increasing lateral cover, which satisfied the equation Cd = 0.00155 + 0.0111λ/(λ + 0.124). (4) The aerodynamic roughness increased with the plant height and density but decreased with the free stream velocity. The aerodynamic roughness of the vegetation-covered surface under different free stream velocities and lateral cover conditions can be expressed by Eq. (8). The study results are a basis for the modeling of the dynamics of wind erosion on vegetation-covered surfaces.

Montmorillonite combined with microbially induced carbonate precipitation for wind erosion control of bare surface soil in arid mining area

Open-pit mining will form a large area of bare soil. Under the dry and windy climate in northern China, the surface bare soil of mining area is prone to wind erosion and dust, posing a threat to the environment and human health. This study evaluated the performance of montmorillonite combined with microbially induced carbonate precipitation (MICP-M) to control bare soil wind erosion in mining area. Results showed that the average CaCO3 contents, surface strength, threshold friction velocity (TFV) and thickness of soil crust was the highest, and the mass loss was the lowest in MICP-M group, which significantly improved the wind erosion resistance. After MICP-M solidified the bare soil, the pH value only slightly increased. The consolidation layer could effectively lock in soil moisture, maintain a certain degree of permeability, and had good environmental application performance. Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) tests with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) confirmed more calcite appeared in the soil treated with MICP-M. Ultra-depth three-dimensional maps and particle size analysis indicated that biological bridging was the main consolidation mechanism. The above results indicate that MICP-M has great potential as a wind erosion mitigation strategy.

Experimental investigation of sandy soil stabilization using chitosan biopolymer

The performance of an environmentally friendly biopolymer synthesised from secondary resources to overcome the wind erosion of sandy soil was investigated in this study. The study employed a multi-scale approach to investigate the mechanical, erosional, and hydraulic properties of sandy soil. At the macroscale, experimental techniques such as unconfined and triaxial compression tests, permeability measurements, contact angle assessments, and wind tunnel experiments were utilized to characterize the bulk behavior of the soil. Concurrently, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were conducted at the nanoscale to predict surface mechanical characteristics and elucidate chemical interactions at the molecular level. Results show that when the outer surface of the sandy particles is coated with a sparse concentration of biopolymer, the sandy aerosol inhibitory performance is significant even under extreme storm conditions reaching speeds of 140 km/h of storms. The study on the impact of biopolymer content, curing time, and curing conditions revealed that the addition of chitosan biopolymer has the ability to enhance the bonding between particles and significantly enhance the mechanical properties of sandy soil. The atomic insight from molecular dynamics reveals huge entanglement between sandy particles and biopolymer by Van der Waals interaction. The results of the Unconfined Compressive Strength test indicate that chitosan enhances the compressive strength of sand by up to 320 kPa. Additionally, the triaxial test demonstrated that the application of chitosan led to a 34.2 kPa improvement in the cohesion of sand. Furthermore, analysis of the permeability test results revealed a decrease in the hydraulic conductivity coefficient from 1.6 × 10^-6 m/s to 5.7 × 10^-7 m/s, representing a reduction of approximately 35 %.

Influence of crop rotation, irrigation, fertilization, and tillage on the aggregate property and soil wind erosion potential in the floodplain of the Yellow River

The floodplain of the Yellow River (FPYR) is threatened by severe soil erosion. Soils are often susceptible to wind erosion owing to their coarse-textures and weak aggregation, yet studies are yet to describe the ability of soils to resist wind erosion in this region. Accordingly, this study aimed to quantify how soil wind erosion potential is affected by soil aggregate properties, such as dry aggregate geometric mean diameter (GMD), aggregate geometric standard deviation (GSD), aggregate stability, and soil bulk density, and to assess the effects of soil type, crop rotation, irrigation, fertilization, and tillage treatments on these aggregate properties in the main wind erosion area across the FPYR. Significant differences in GMD and aggregate stability were found between crop rotation treatments, whereas crop rotation marginally affected the soil bulk density. Further, the impact of management practices on aggregate properties differed for each soil type. The soil aggregate erodible fraction (EF) in the FPYR ranged from 1.14 to 82.73% across sites, with a mean of 26.14% across soil types and management practices, which was lower than that previously reported in other wind erosion regions. We incorporated these measured EFs into the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) to evaluate the wind erosion risk of the FPYR. The results indicated that the central FPYR was more susceptible to wind erosion than the other regions, although the total wind erosion potential in the FPYR was small. Adoption of soil conservation practices could help minimize wind erosion and improve atmospheric quality in the region.