effectsofsoilsurfacemanagementonerosionduringextreme（ effectsofsoilsurfacemanagementonerosionduringextreme）.docVIP

COST 623 “Soil Erosion and Global Change” WorkshopWorking Group 1 – Linking processes across temporal and spatial scalesWorking Group 2 – Key thresholds for soil erosion International Symposium The significance of soil surface characteristics in soil erosion 20th – 22th September 2001 University Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg, France Book of Abstracts organized by RIDES groupRuissellement, Infiltration et Dynamique des Etats de Surface du Sol (network of several research groups of CNRS, INRA, IRD and Universities) Supported by PNRH, BRGM, ESSC, INRA, UNESCO, Université Louis Pasteur Effects of soil surface management on erosion during extreme rainfall events in semiarid agricultural lands (Central Spain) S. De Alba 1 and G. Benito 2 1 CNR-IGES, Institute for Sol Genesis and Ecology, Piazzale delle Cascine 15, 50144 Firenze, Italy2 CSIC-CCMA, Centro de Ciencias Medioambientales, Serrano 115 dpdo, 28006 Madrid, Spain This paper is focused on the erosive effects of high intensity rainfall events in agricultural lands, giving a special attention to the influence of soil surface characteristics (vegetation cover and orientated roughness) on rill and ephemeral gully erosion processes. In the study area, the climate is semiarid continental Mediterranean with an average annual precipitation around 450 mm. The region’s geology is mainly characterised by non-consolidated Miocene arcosic materials. The area has low relief and gentle slopes, generally less than 20%. The predominant soils are Haplic Luvisols (FAO, 1989) with an upper Ocric horizon of sandy-loam texture. The main land use is dryland crops, mainly cereal, sunflower, vineyard and olive. The erosive effects of a single storm event on August 1995 were studied. The total precipitation recorded in 45 minutes was 70 mm and the average rainfall intensity was 93 mm/h. In order to evaluate the erosion effects a field survey was carried to identify and characterise erosion field features. Field features of severity soil los