Effects of Accelerated Soil Erosion on Soil Nutrient Loss After Deforestation on the Loess PlateauEnglish Full Text

ZHENG Fen-Li State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming in Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling 712100 (China).

Abstract: Soil erosion and nutrient losses on newly-deforested lands in the Ziwuling Region on the Loess Plateau of China were monitored to quantitatively evaluate the effects of accelerated soil erosion, caused by deforestation, on organic matter, nitrogen and phosphorus losses. Eight natural runoff plots were established on the loessial hill slopes representing different erosion patterns of dominant erosion processes including sheet, rill and shallow gully （similar to ephemeral gully）. Sediment samples were collected after each erosive rainfall event. Results showed that soil nutrients losses increased with an increase of erosion intensity. Linear relations between the losses of organic matter, total N, NH4-N, and available P and erosion intensity were found. Nutrient content per unit amount of eroded sediment decreased from the sheet to the shallow gully erosion zones, whereas total nutrient loss increased. Compared with topsoil, nutrients in eroded sediment were enriched, especially available P and NH4-N. The intensity of soil nutrient losses was also closely related to soil erosion intensity and pattern with the most severe soil erosion and nutrient loss occurring in the shallow gully channels on loessial hill slopes. These research findings will help to improve the understanding of the relation between accelerated erosion process after deforestation and soil quality degradation and to design better eco-environmental rehabilitation schemes for the Loess Plateau.

Keywords：

accelerated soil erosion; deforestation; erosion intensity; Loess Plateau; nutrient loss;

Series：
(D) Agriculture
Subject：
Agronomy; Fundamental Science of Agriculture
Classification Code：
S157.1

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Effects of Accelerated Soil Erosion on Soil Nutrient Loss After Deforestation on the Loess PlateauEnglish Full Text

ZHENG Fen-Li State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming in Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling 712100 (China).

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