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Tracing erosion rates in loess landscape of the Trzebnica Hills (Poland) over time using fallout and cosmogenic nuclides
- Source :
- Journal of Soils and Sediments, 21 (8)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- Purpose Loess landscapes are highly susceptible to soil erosion, which affects soil stability and productivity. Erosion is non-linear in time and space and determines whether soils form or degrade. While the spatial variability of erosion is often assessed by either modelling or on-site measurements, temporal trends over decades to millennia are very often lacking. In this study, we determined long- and short-term erosion rates to trace the dynamics of loess deposits in south-western Poland. Materials and methods We quantified long-term (millennial) erosion rates using cosmogenic (in situ 10Be) and short-term (decadal) rates with fallout radionuclides (239+240Pu). Erosion processes were studied in two slope-soil transects (12 soil pits) with variable erosion features. As a reference site, an undisturbed soil profile under natural forest was sampled. Results and discussion The long-term erosion rates ranged between 0.44 and 0.85 t ha−1 year−1, whereas the short-term erosion rates varied from 1.2 to 10.9 t ha−1 year−1 and seem to be reliable. The short-term erosion rates are up to 10 times higher than the long-term rates. The soil erosion rates are quite consistent with the terrain relief, with erosion increasing in the steeper slope sections and decreasing in the lower parts of the slope, while still maintaining high values. Conclusions Soil erosion rates have increased during the last few decades owing to agriculture intensification and probably climate change. The measured values lie far above tolerable erosion rates, and the soils were found to be strongly imbalanced and exhibit a drastic shallowing of the productive soils horizons.<br />Journal of Soils and Sediments, 21 (8)<br />ISSN:1439-0108<br />ISSN:1614-7480
- Subjects :
- 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Stratigraphy
1904 Earth-Surface Processes
01 natural sciences
In situ Be-10
Loess
Loess landscape
Cosmogenic nuclide
910 Geography & travel
Transect
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Earth-Surface Processes
Radionuclides
Radionuclide
Soil erosion
Pu239+240
Earth
04 agricultural and veterinary sciences
10122 Institute of Geography
Surface Processes
Soil water
040103 agronomy & agriculture
Erosion
0401 agriculture, forestry, and fisheries
Soil horizon
Environmental science
Spatial variability
Physical geography
1913 Stratigraphy
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 14390108 and 16147480
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Journal of Soils and Sediments, 21 (8)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....d53bd94bba75edd798571d6ec7c53b2a