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This monograph is a fundamental study of watershed erosion and runoff processes. It utilizes decades of soil erosion data to take a comprehensive and balanced approach in covering various watershed erosion processes. While there are many works on soil erosion and conservation, this book fills the gaps in previously published research by focusing more on mass movement, gully erosion, soil piping/tunnel erosion, and the spatial interactions of different erosion processes. Additionally, the book examines erosion processes in extreme rainfall events, something typically absent in short-term studies but discussed in detail here as the book draws on 60 years of research and observations, including 30 years of the author's own investigations of erosion under a wide range of rainfall conditions. The book is divided into 3 parts, and is intended for soil erosion researchers and practitioners, and postgraduate students studying soil erosion and water conservation. Part 1 opens with a comprehensive and critical review of existing literature on soil erosion processes, discusses this book's place among existing literature, and examines the major erosion processes (rainwash, gully erosion, tunnel erosion, and mass movements) including their controlling factors and mechanisms. Part 2 explores the spatial interactions of these different erosion processes to provide a prerequisite for effective design of comprehensive soil erosion control measures in a watershed. Part 3 evaluates the relative significance of these erosion processes in sediment production, the effectiveness of comprehensive soil and water conservation programs, and the applications of watershed modelling in determining the impact of land-use changes on soil erosion and other ecological processes.

In this monograph the authors present an overview of the state-of-the-art and use examples or case histories to illustrate the combined role of rock decay and rivers on continental denudation. The Earth's surface dynamics would not be conceivable without the fundamental component of rock weathering and the subsequent transport of solid debris and dissolved components to the coastal ocean through riverine drainage pathways. In other words, continental wear away is highly dependent on the mechanisms that control mineral decay. Moreover, besides the significant role played by rivers in shaping the Earth's outer skin, there is the important function that rivers perform in all geochemical cycles, mediating between the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, the biosphere and the hydrosphere. Drainage basins and the weathering of rocks that occur therein may be significant sources (or sinks) of carbon dioxide and, hence, play a significant role in affecting the Earth's climate.

Soil Erosion and Conservation provides a comprehensive treatment of the processes of soil erosion, the methods that can be used for their control, and the issues involved in designing and implementing soil conservation programmes. Features of the third edition of this internationally recognised textbook include: New material on gully erosion, tillage practices, erosion risk assessment, use of erosion models, incentives for farmers and land users, and community approaches to erosion control Updated sections on the mechanics of wind erosion, soil erodibility, use of vegetation in erosion control, traditional soil conservation measures, socio-economic issues and the role of government Describes the methods used to assess the risk of erosion and predict rates of soil loss Outlines the social, economic, political and institutional constraints on implementing soil protection measures Covers erosion and its control for agriculture, grazing, forestry, mining land, road banks, pipeline corridors and recreation Provides worldwide coverage of the success and failure of erosion control using material from Europe, Africa, Australia, America and Asia An Instructor manual CD-ROM for this title is available. Please contact our Higher Education team at HigherEducation@wiley.com for more information.