Effects of land use, slope gradient, and soil and water conservation structures on runoff and soil loss in semi-arid Northern Ethiopia

Auteur(s) et Affiliation(s)

TAYE, G.

Dept. of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Univ., Mekelle, Ethiopie

POESEN, J.

Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Katholieke Univ., Leuven, Belgique

VAN WESEMAEL, B.

Georges Lemaitre Center for Earth and Climate Research, Earth and Life Inst. Univ. Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgique

VANMAERCKE, M.

Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Katholieke Univ., Leuven, Belgique

Research Foundation Flanders, Brussel, Belgique

TEKA, D.

Dept. of Land Resources Management and Environmental Protection, Univ., Mekelle, Ethiopie

DECKERS, J.

Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Katholieke Univ., Leuven, Belgique

GOOSSE, T.

Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Katholieke Univ., Leuven, Belgique

MAETENS, W.

Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Katholieke Univ., Leuven, Belgique

NYSSEN, J.

Dept. of Geography, Univ., Ghent, Belgique

HALLET, V.

Dept. of Geology, Univ., Namur, Belgique

HAREGEWEYN, N.

Arid Land Research Center, Univ., Tottori, Japon

Description :
The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of typical land-use types, slope gradients, and different soil and water conservation (SWC) structures on runoff and soil loss at the runoff-plot scale. Six runoff measuring sites, corresponding to three slope gradients, were established for cropland (cultivated land for annual crop production) and rangeland (heavily grazed land on hillslopes with high rock-fragment cover) at Mayleba catchment in Tigray, Ethiopia. SWC structures tested were stone bunds, trenches, and stone bunds with trenches, in addition to control plots. In total, 21 large runoff plots (with lengths of 60 to 100 m ) were monitored daily for runoff production and soil loss during the main rainy season (July-September) in 2010. It is highlighted that the effects of SWC structures on runoff production and soil loss are considerable; hence, it is crucial to consider these effects for optimal design of water-harvesting schemes such as micro-dams that collect and store surface runoff for irrigation development in the Ethiopian highlands.

Type de document :
Article de périodique

Source :
Physical geography, issn : 0272-3646, 2013, vol. 34, n°. 3, p. 236-259, nombre de pages : 24, Références bibliographiques : 3 p.

Date :
2013

Editeur :
Pays édition : Royaume-Uni, Abingdon, Taylor and Francis

Langue :
Anglais