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Wind and Water Erosion Management: Achievements, Challenges and Trends

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A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601). This special issue belongs to the section "Environmental Earth Science and Medical Geology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (29 November 2023) | Viewed by 17385

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Dr. Zhuodong Zhang

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
Interests: soil erosion; soil geography; soil landscapes

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soil erosion causes diverse on-site and off-site consequences that threaten the environment and public health, and such influences vary among different environments and spatial scales. Wind and water erosion, which are the two major types of soil erosion, prevail in different regions as they are determined by the climate conditions. They have their basic features in common, but also clear distinctions due to their different eroding agents, transportation and deposition modes. In certain areas, wind and water erosion coexist and form more complex erosion processes and phenomena. Under the circumstances of the changing climate and land use, the present and future of wind and water erosion warrant more attention. Comprehensive research on wind and water erosion is essential for maintaining environmental sustainability and ensuring the public health and well-being of humans in the environment.

This Special Issue aims to bring together papers that demonstrate the progress in soil erosion research, identify the major challenges and examine trends in this field, so as to achieve better practice for optimal soil utilization and protection. Original research articles and reviews on wind erosion, water erosion and the complex erosion by both wind and water are welcome.

Dr. Zhuodong Zhang
Guest Editor

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Keywords

wind erosion
water erosion
soil erodibility
erosion monitoring
erosion modeling
erosion mapping
sediment transport
dust emission
soil and water conservation
on-site and off-site impacts

Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

15 pages, 3055 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

The Impact of Residences and Roads on Wind Erosion in a Temperate Grassland Ecosystem: A Spatially Oriented Perspective

by Zhuoli Zhou, Zhuodong Zhang, Wenbo Zhang, Jianyong Luo, Keli Zhang, Zihao Cao and Zhiqiang Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(1), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20010198 - 23 Dec 2022

Viewed by 1382

Abstract

The existence of residences and roads is an important way in which human activity affects wind erosion in arid and semiarid environments. Studies assessing the impact of these elements on wind erosion have only focused on limited plots, and their threat of erosion to the surrounding environment has been ignored by many studies. This study was based on spatially overlayed analysis of independent wind erosion distribution simulated by the revised wind erosion equation (RWEQ) and remote-sensing-image-derived residence and road distribution data. Wind erosion at different distances from residences and roads was quantified at the landscape scale of a typical temperate grassland ecosystem, explicitly demonstrating the crucial impacts of both elements on wind erosion. The results showed that wind erosion weakened as the distance from residences and roads increased due to the priority pathways of human activities, and the wind erosion around the residence was more severe than around the road. Human activities in the buffer zones 0–200 m from the residences most frequently caused severe wind erosion, with a wind soil loss of 25 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and a wind soil loss of approximately 5.25 t ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for 0–60 m from the roads. The characteristics of wind erosion variation in the buffer zones were also affected by residence size and the environments in which the residences were located. The variation in wind erosion was closely related to the road levels. Human activities intensified wind erosion mainly by affecting the soil and vegetation around residences and roads. Ecological management should not be limited to residences and roads but should also protect the surrounding environments. The findings of this study are aimed towards a spatial perspective that can help implement rational and effective environmental management measures for the sustainability of wind-eroded ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wind and Water Erosion Management: Achievements, Challenges and Trends)

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14 pages, 2517 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Land Degradation Caused by Construction Activity: Investigation, Cause and Control Measures

by Shubing Dai, Yulei Ma and Kuandi Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(23), 16046; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192316046 - 30 Nov 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2210

Abstract

The rapid expansion of construction land has been a common phenomenon worldwide, which resulted in the loss of high-quality arable land and severe land degradation. Here, a statistical analysis, together with a field investigation, was carried out in China to address the challenges. This study has gathered data on the reduction of land amount and quality caused by construction activities and has collected the relevant policies to control land deterioration caused by those activities. The increasing amount of farmland and open space are occupied by construction use. The annual growth of construction land from 2001 to 2017 was 43.64 × 10⁴ hm², with an annual average of about 38 × 10⁴ hm² of cultivated land being converted to construction land in China. Construction activities usually cause a deterioration of the physico-chemical properties in and around construction site soils. The organic matter of post-construction soil was lower than the pre-construction by 257.4~879.8%. A lack of strong economic incentives for developers, limited effectiveness of measures to control land degradation, and weak requirements and enforcement of relevant laws and regulations allow land degradation from construction activities to remain at a significant level. For more efficiency and success, the study proposes effective measures to control the hazards that occur so widely in China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wind and Water Erosion Management: Achievements, Challenges and Trends)

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21 pages, 6862 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Influence of Short-Term Heavy Rainfall on Hydraulic Characteristics and Rill Formation in the Yuanmou Dry-Hot Valley

by Jun Luo, Xueyang Ma, Lei Wang, Bin Zhang, Xiao Yang and Tianxiang Yue

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15232; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215232 - 18 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1354

Abstract

Rill erosion is one of the major environmental problems in the world; it is an important factor with regard to land degradation and has a serious impact on production and daily life in the region. The widely distributed Yuanmou group stratum promotes the development of rill erosion, whereby the strong time-concentrated rainfall and the alternating arid-humid climate prepare the ground for the development of rills in soils. Therefore, a study of the processes of slope rill erosion was carried out, and a gravel-soil slope in the Yuanmou dry-hot valley was chosen to simulate short-term heavy rainfall (25 mm/h) (No. 1 plot) and moderate rainfall (15 mm/h) (No. 2 plot), to study the erosion processes of soil and the dynamic characteristics of runoff involved in erosion. The study results showed that the width of runoff was significantly different between the two plots, while the depth of runoff was not significantly different. During the rill formation process, the width of the two plots first decreased and then increased with increasing washout duration, while its depth did not change significantly. Flow was the key factor in determining the hydraulic characteristics of runoff, and it had a significant or extremely significant positive correlation with hydraulic characteristics parameters, except in the case of Fr (Froude number) (r = 0.039). The total sediment content (CS) of plot No. 1 (0.158 g/cm³) was significantly different from that of plot No. 2 (0.153 g/cm³), and both CSs in the two plots decreased with increasing washout duration. The CS had an extremely significant negative correlation with τ (runoff shear force) (r = −0.863 **) and DW-f (Darcy-Weisbach drag coefficient) (r = −0.863 **) and a significant negative correlation with Re (Reynolds number) (r = −0.735 *) in the short-term heavy rainfall experiment, while the CS had a significant positive correlation with V (velocity) (r = 0.814 *), R (hydraulic radius) (r = 0.811 *) and P (unit stream power) (r = 0.811 *) in the moderate rainfall experiment. The results of this study will help guide further examination of the processes involved in the dynamic mechanisms of rill erosion on slopes under short-term heavy rainfall conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wind and Water Erosion Management: Achievements, Challenges and Trends)

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17 pages, 3479 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Millennial Evolution of a Karst Socio-Ecological System: A Case Study of Guizhou Province, Southwest China

by Yetong Li, Qihua Ke and Zhuodong Zhang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 15151; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192215151 - 17 Nov 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1485

Abstract

The dynamic changes in socio-ecological system (SES) have exerted increasing pressures on the natural environment, leading to observable changes in terrestrial surface structure. Therefore, understanding the historical evolution mechanism of social ecosystems is crucial for the future sustainable management of karst regions. However, detailed quantitative analyses of karst socio-ecological system at a long-term scale are lacking. Here, we applied a comprehensive research framework for the SES of karst region to visually analyze the evolution of karst SES over the past 1000 years in Guizhou Province, defining five evolution stages of the karst SES. Concurrently, we characterized the interactive effects of drivers on karst socio-ecological system during every evolutionary stage, and then assess major influences between these stages. Despite rocky desertification as the main effect of karst SES driven by many indicators, the quantitative analysis indicated that human-dominated land-use change explained the expansion of rocky desertification. Although effective implementation of relevant policies partly compensated for increased environmental pressures, continued structure and function shifts in local ecosystem can challenge progress towards sustainability in karst region. Our findings provide scientific references for managers and policymakers to assist them to identify how environmental issues emerged in karst areas and how they should be addressed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wind and Water Erosion Management: Achievements, Challenges and Trends)

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19 pages, 4163 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Predicting Modified Fournier Index by Using Artificial Neural Network in Central Europe

by Endre Harsányi, Bashar Bashir, Firas Alsilibe, Muhammad Farhan Ul Moazzam, Tamás Ratonyi, Abdullah Alsalman, Adrienn Széles, Aniko Nyeki, István Takács and Safwan Mohammed

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(17), 10653; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191710653 - 26 Aug 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1692

Abstract

The Modified Fournier Index (MFI) is one of the indices that can assess the erosivity of rainfall. However, the implementation of the artificial neural network (ANN) for the prediction of the MFI is still rare. In this research, climate data (monthly and yearly precipitation (p_i, P_total) (mm), daily maximum precipitation (P_d-max) (mm), monthly mean temperature (T_avg) (°C), daily maximum mean temperature (T_d-max) (°C), and daily minimum mean temperature (T_d-min) (°C)) were collected from three stations in Hungary (Budapest, Debrecen, and Pécs) between 1901 and 2020. The MFI was calculated, and then, the performance of two ANNs (multilayer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF)) in predicting the MFI was evaluated under four scenarios. The average MFI values were between 66.30 ± 15.40 (low erosivity) in Debrecen and 75.39 ± 15.39 (low erosivity) in Pecs. The prediction of the MFI by using MLP was good (NSE_{Budapest(SC3)} = 0.71, NSE_Pécs(SC2) = 0.69). Additionally, the performance of RBF was accurate (NSE_{Debrecen(SC4)} = 0.68, NSE_Pécs(SC3) = 0.73). However, the correlation coefficient between the observed MFI and the predicted one ranged between 0.83 (Budapest (SC2-MLP)) and 0.86 (Pécs (SC3-RBF)). Interestingly, the statistical analyses promoted SC2 (P_d-max + p_i + P_total) and SC4 (P_total + T_avg + T_d-max + T_d-min) as the best scenarios for predicting MFI by using the ANN–MLP and ANN–RBF, respectively. However, the sensitivity analysis highlighted that P_total, p_i, and T_d-min had the highest relative importance in the prediction process. The output of this research promoted the ANN (MLP and RBF) as an effective tool for predicting rainfall erosivity in Central Europe. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wind and Water Erosion Management: Achievements, Challenges and Trends)

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19 pages, 4779 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Regional Potential Wind Erosion Simulation Using Different Models in the Agro-Pastoral Ecotone of Northern China

by Jun Liu, Xuyang Wang, Li Zhang, Zhongling Guo, Chunping Chang, Heqiang Du, Haibing Wang, Rende Wang, Jifeng Li and Qing Li

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9538; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159538 - 3 Aug 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1733

Abstract

Wind erosion is crucial for assessing regional ecosystem services and sustainable development. The Agro-Pastoral Ecotone of northern China (APEC) is a typical region undergoing wind erosion and soil degradation. In this study, the National Wind Erosion Survey Model of China, the Integrated Wind Erosion Modeling System, and the regional versions of the Revised Wind Erosion Equation and Wind Erosion Prediction System were used to evaluate the regional potential wind erosion of the APEC during 2000 and 2012. The results showed that the potential wind erosion predicted by National Wind Erosion Survey Model of China (NWESMC), Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ), Wind Erosion Prediction System (WEPS), and Integrated Wind Erosion Modeling System (IWEMS) were significantly related to the observed wind erosion collected from published literature, but the observed data were generally smaller than the predicted values. The average potential wind erosions were 12.58, 25.87, 52.63, and 58.72 t hm⁻² a⁻¹ for NWESMC, RWEQ, WEPS, and IWEMS, respectively, while the spatial pattern and temporal trend of annual potential wind erosion were similar for different wind erosion models. Wind speed, soil moisture, and vegetation coverage were the dominant factors affecting regional wind erosion estimation. These results highlight that it is necessary to comprehensively calibrate and validate the selected wind erosion models. A long-term standard wind erosion monitoring network is urgently required. This study can serve as a useful reference for improving wind erosion models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wind and Water Erosion Management: Achievements, Challenges and Trends)

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15 pages, 2530 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Adapting the WEPP Hillslope Model and the TLS Technology to Predict Unpaved Road Soil Erosion

by Yi Wang, Wei He, Ting Zhang, Yani Zhang and Longxi Cao

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(15), 9213; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19159213 - 28 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1767

Abstract

Unpaved road erosion have been recognized as important sediment sources in a watershed. To evaluate where and when road erosion occurs, the soil loss along road segments should be precisely predicted with process-based erosion models. Methods: The hillslope version of the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) was used to estimate soil loss from 20 typical road segments in the red soil region of South China. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS)-measured soil losses were used to validate the model simulations. The results showed that the WEPP model could reasonably predict the total soil loss in relatively short (less than 100 m) and gentle (slope gradient lower than 10%) road segments. In contrast, soil loss would be underestimated for long or steep road segments. Detailed outputs along roads revealed that most of the peak soil loss rates were underestimated. It might due to the linear critical shear stress theory in the WEPP model. Additionally, the lack of upstream flow was found to be connected to the relatively low model efficiency. Nevertheless, the WEPP simulation could accurately fit erosion trend and predict the peak soil loss positions along road segments. Conclusions: The WEPP model could be adopted to evaluate the erosion risk of unpaved roads in the red soil region of South China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wind and Water Erosion Management: Achievements, Challenges and Trends)

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17 pages, 8411 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Influence of Topographic Factors on the Characteristics of Gully Systems in Mountainous Areas of Ningnan Dry-Hot Valley, SW China

by Yuxin Cen, Bin Zhang, Jun Luo, Qingchun Deng, Hui Liu and Lei Wang

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(14), 8784; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19148784 - 19 Jul 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2415

Abstract

A gully system is an important indicator that reflects the development of regional topography and landforms, and topography is one of the most important factors affecting the development of gullies. However, at present, research on the impact of topography on the development of gully systems in the mountainous area of Ningnan dry-hot valley still needs to be strengthened. In order to study the characteristics of gullies and the influence of topography on the development of gully systems, based on both the visual interpretation of remote sensing images and field investigations, five topographic factors (elevation, slope gradient, aspect, relief, and dissection) were employed and three gully erosion indexes (gully length, density, and frequency) were calculated. The geographical information system was used in this study to carry out the spatial analysis, Ward’s hierarchical clustering and correlation analysis. Results showed that the development of gully systems is greatly affected by the degree of relief and dissection, and there is a significant positive correlation (p < 0.01; p < 0.05), while elevation, slope gradient and aspect have little influence on it. Analysis of the gully systems showed that the gully erosion is the most intense in the area with an elevation of 2800–3200 m and slope gradients ≥ 38°. Furthermore, the degree of erosion on shady slopes was greater than that on sunny slopes. These results will help us to understand the spatial distribution and formation of gully systems in mountainous areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wind and Water Erosion Management: Achievements, Challenges and Trends)

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19 pages, 8670 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Multi-Criteria Framework for Identification of Gully Developmental Stages Based on UAV Data—A Case Study in Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province, SW China

by Haimei Lin, Leichao Bai, Mingliang Luo, Zhicheng Wang, Dan Yang, Bin Zhang and Yebin Lin

Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(13), 8202; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19138202 - 5 Jul 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2253

Abstract

Gully erosion is a common form of soil erosion in dry-hot valleys, and it often brings serious land degradation. A multi-criteria method integrating the characteristics of the longitudinal profile (LP), the cross profile (CP) and the knickpoints of gullies was applied to identify the development stage of gullies in Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province, in southwestern China. Firstly, based on the high-resolution data sources produced by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), 50 gullies were selected as the typical ones in Tutujiliangzi and Shadi village. The LPs were extracted, and their morphological indices, information entropy and fitting functions were calculated. The morphological characteristics of the CPs and the presence or absence of knickpoints were recorded. The results show that the period of the gullies in Tutujiliangzi and Shadi is dominated by the deep incision period and the equilibrium adjustment period, which means that most gullies are in the period of the severe erosion stage. Among the gullies, 13 LPs’ morphological index is between 0.636 and 0.933, and the morphology of the LP presents an upward convex shape; the cross profiles are mainly V-shaped and U-shaped. Thirty-two LPs’ morphological index is between 1.005~2.384, which presents a slightly concave shape; the cross profiles are mainly repeated U-shapes. The remaining five LPs have a morphological index of 0.592, 0.462, 1.061, 1.344 and 0.888, respectively; the LPs of upstream and downstream are different. The LPs of the Tutujiliangzi gullies are nearly straight lines and slightly concave, while those of the Shadi village gullies are convex and nearly straight lines. The knickpoints and step-pools in Shadi village are more developed, while the gullies in Tutujiliangzi develop more rapidly. This study shows that in counties with similar conditions, these conditions such as temperature and precipitation, local topographic changes, soil properties and vegetation conditions have obvious effects on the development of gullies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wind and Water Erosion Management: Achievements, Challenges and Trends)

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