Runoff and soil loss as affected by land use change and plough direction in poor vegetation cover pastures

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Former M.Sc. student in Soil Physics and Conservation, Soil Science Department, University of Zanjan

2 associate Professor of Soil Physics and Conservation, Soil Science Department, University of Zanjan

Abstract

The effects of land use change and ploughing method on soil erosion in pastures have been widely known, nevertheless, there is not sufficient information regarding these human activities in semi-arid regions, particularly in Iran. Therefore, this study was conducted to investigate the effect of land use change as well as ploughing method on surface runoff, soil loss and crop yield in poorly vegetated pastures, in a semi-arid region of NW Iran, in 2014. Four scantly covered pastures of 12.6, 15.37, 17 and 19.4% slope steepness as were considered in the area with six plots (3m×10m) established in each, early autumn 2013. The plots consisted of pasture vegetation cover, rain fed wheat cultivation on the up to down slope, as well as rain fed wheat cultivation on the contours. A total of 24 plots were investigated using a completely randomized block design of at two replicates. Runoff and soil loss were recorded at the plots under natural rainfall events during on 8 month growth period. Soil loss was also measured at the plot outlets after each natural rainfall event causing runoff the study period. Significant differences were found between the cultivated plots and pasture plots in runoff and soil loss (p<0.01). Runoff and soil loss in the cultivated lands appeared to be 13 and 60 times bigger than the lands under pasture the  two variables  for  the (up to down slope) cultivated plots were about 5.5 and 35 times greater than the contour cultivated plots. There existed a significant relationship between the slope and runoff generation (R²= 0.978, p < 0.05), and soil loss (R² = 0.998, p < 0.01) in the study slopes. The study revealed that the change of pastures to arable lands and ploughing up to down slope in semi-arid regions leads to accelerate on of runoff and soil loss, particularly in the lands of high slope steepness.

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Main Subjects

References

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Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research
Volume 47, Issue 1
July 2016
Pages 87-98

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