Watershed Engineering and Management

In collaboration with Iranian Watershed Management Association

Current Issue

By Issue

By Author

By Subject

Author Index

Keyword Index

About Journal

Aims and Scope

Publication Ethics

Indexing and Abstracting

FAQ

Peer Review Process

Guide for Authors

Receiving the code ORCID

Reviewers

Publons membership guide

Analysis of changes in soil erosion and sediment yield in the last century in Khamsan representative-paired watershed

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Ph.D. Student, Department of Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Iran

2 Associate Professor, Department of Watershed Management, Faculty of Natural Resources, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Iran

3 Assistant Professor, Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

4 Professor, Department of Agraria, University Mediterranea of Reggio Calabria, Italy

Abstract

Introduction
Estimation of erosion and sedimentation using radionuclides is a one of the methods used to provide erosion/sedimentation maps and calculate sediment budget components at time scales ranging from storm to annual and even long-term annual averages. Comparing the results of long-term average annual erosion/sedimentation with observed sediment values over recent decades can be used to investigate trends in erosion and sediment yield. This study compares the average intensity of soil erosion over two periods: 100–120 years and the last 60 years, using the isotopes and , respectively. By analyzing changes in erosion and sediment production trends over the past century, this research was conducted in the reference sub-watershed of the Khamsan representative-paired watershed.
 
Materials and methods
Soil sampling was performed at 57 systematically random points across various land uses within the reference sub-watershed. Erosion and deposition intensities were estimated using the diffusion and transfer model for non-agricultural lands and Mass Balance Model II for agricultural lands. These calculations were based on the soil inventories of and (Bq m⁻²) along with other relevant parameters. Erosion, stable, and deposition area maps were generated by comparing isotope inventories with reference areas. The spatial distribution of erosion and deposition intensities was then mapped using the working unit approach, and sediment budget components were quantified for the 100–120-year and 60-year periods.
 
Results and discussion
The sediment budget analysis indicated that total soil erosion increased from 292.87 to 526.87 tons year⁻¹, total deposition rose from 7.07 to 20.26 tons year⁻¹, and net soil erosion (sediment yield) grew from 285.79 to 506.61 tons year⁻¹ over the two periods. The estimated average erosion intensity increased from 2.92 to 5.25 tons ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, while sediment production rose from 2.85 to 5.05 tons ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Additionally, the sediment delivery ratio (SDR) was 0.98 for the 100–120-year period and 0.96 for the last 60 years, indicating that the proportion of eroded soil retained within the watershed increased from 2% to 4% in recent decades.
 
Conclusions
The findings demonstrate a significant increase in soil erosion intensity over the past 60 years compared to the 100–120-year period. The average total erosion, total deposition, and net erosion have approximately doubled, tripled, and doubled, respectively. Field observations suggest that this rise in erosion and sediment production is primarily due to intensified tillage operations in rain-fed agricultural lands, particularly on steep slopes, and the prevalence of contour-plowing practices. In addition to understanding the trend of erosion and sediment yield changes in the last century, the results of this study can also be used to predict future soil erosion condition in the watersheds.

Keywords

References
Abbaszadeh Afshar, F., Ayoubi, S., Jalalian, A., 2010. Soil redistribution rate and its relationship with soil organic carbon and total nitrogen using 137Cs technique in a cultivated complex hillslope in western Iran. J. Environ. Radioacti. 101, 606-614.
Aneseyee, A.B., Elias, E., Soromessa, T., Feyisa, GL., 2020. Land use/land cover change effect on soil erosion and sediment delivery in the Winike watershed, Omo Gibe Basin, Ethiopia. Sci. Total Environ. 728, 138776.
Arata, L., Meusburger, K., Frenkel, E., A’Campo-Neuen, A., Iurian, A.R., Ketterer, M.E., Mabit, L., Alewell, C., 2016. Modelling Deposition and Erosion rates with RadioNuclides (MODERN) e Part 1: A new conversion model to derive soil redistribution rates from inventories of fallout radionuclides. J. Environ. Radioactiv. 162-163, 45-55.
Ayoubi, S., Ahmadi, M., Abdi, M.R., Abbaszadeh Afshar, F., 2012. Relationships of 137Cs inventory with magnetic measures of calcareous soils of hilly region in Iran. J. Environ. Radioactiv. 112, 45-51.
Babcock, B.A., Lakshminarayan, P.G., Wu, J.J., Zilberman, D., 1996. The economics of a public fund for environmental amenities: a operator characteristics and the perception of soil erosion. Land Economics 65, 167-182.
Bazshoushtari, N., Ayoubi, S., Abdi, M.R., Mohammadi, M., 2016. Variability of 137Cs inventory at a reference site in west-central Iran. J. Environ. Radioactiv. 160, 86-92.
Benmansour, M., Mabit, L., Nouira, A., Moussadek, R., Bouksirate, H., Duchemin, M., Benkdad, A., 2013. Assessment of soil erosion and deposition rates in a Moroccan agricultural field using fallout 137Cs and 210Pbex. J. Environ. Radioactiv. 115, 97-106.
Cao, Z., Zhang, Z., Zhang, K., Wei, X., Xiao, S., and Yang, Z., 2020. Identifying and estimating soil erosion and sedimentation in small karst watersheds using a composite fingerprint technique. Agricul. Ecosys. Environ. 294, 106881
Chen, X., Qiao, Q., McGowan, S., Zeng, L., Stevenson, M. A., Xu, L., Cao, Y., 2019. Determination of geochronology and sedimentation rates of shallow lakes in the middle Yangtze reaches using 210Pb, 137Cs and spheroidal carbonaceous particles. Catena 174, 546-556.‏
Chiu, Y.J., Chang, K.T., Chen, Y.C., Chao, J.H., Lee, H.Y., 2011. Estimation of soil erosion rates in a subtropical mountain watershed using 137Cs radionuclide. Nat. Hazards 59(1), 271-284.
Costanza, R., d'Arge, R., De Groot, R., Farber, S., Grasso, M., Hannon, B., Van Den Belt, M., 1997. The value of the world's ecosystem services and natural capital. Nature 387(6630), 253-260.
Deal, J.L., 2004. Crop insurance, government agricultural policies, and soil erosion. Annual AAEA Meetings, Denver, North Carolina State University.
Dedkov, A.P., Mozzherin V.I., 1992. Erosion and sediment yield in mountain regions of the world. In: Walling, D.E., T.R. Davies and B. Hasholt (Eds), Erosion, Debris flows and environment in mountain regions. IAHS Publication No. 209, 29-36.
Dowell, S.M., Humphrey, O.S., Gowing, C.J., Barlow, T.S., Chenery, S.R., Isaboke, J., Watts, M.J., 2024. Suitability of 210Pbex, 137Cs and 239+ 240Pu as soil erosion tracers in western Kenya. J. Environ. Radioactiv. 271, 107327.‏
Eblaghian, A., Ali, A.A., Radmanesh, F., Zarei, H., 2019. Trend Analysis of Temperature, Precipitation, and Relative Humidity Changes in Iran. Irriga. Sci. Engineer. 42(3), 197-212 (in Persian).
Gaspar, L., Navas, A., Walling, D.E., Machín, J., Gómez Arozamena, J., 2013. Using 137Cs and 210Pbex to assess soil redistribution on slopes at different temporal scales. Catena 102, 46-54.
Gellis, A., 2010. Agricultural soil erosion rates for the Linganore Creek watershed in the piedmont physiographic province of the Cheaspeake watershed. In: 2nd Joint Federal Interagency Conference, Las Vegas, USA. 1-8.
Gharibreza, M., Bahrami Samani, A., Arabkhedri, M., Zaman, M., Porto, P., Kamali, K., Sobh-Zahedi, S., 2021. Investigation of on-site implications of tea plantations on soil erosion in Iran using 137Cs method and RUSLE. Environ. Earth Sci. 80(1), 1-14.
Gharibreza, M., Zaman, M., Porto, P., Fulajtar, E., Parsaei, L., Eisaei, H., 2020. Assessment of deforestation impact on soil erosion in loess formation using 137Cs method, case study: Golestan Province, Iran. Int. Soil Water Conserv. Res. 8(4), 393-405.‏‏
Hancock, G.R., Gibson, A., Kirk, E., Conway, I., Parrod, A., 2024. Soil erosion and carbon export: A case study in a steep slope grazing landscape. Geoderma Region. e00751.‏
He, Q., Walling, D.E., 2003. Testing distributed soil erosion and sediment delivery models using 137Cs measurements. Hydrological Processes, 17(5), 901-916.‏
Khaledi Darvishan, A., Faraji, J., Gholami, L., Khorsand, M., 2021. Spatio-temporal variation of soil erosion in Khamsan representative watershed using RUSLE. Watershed Engin. Manage. 13(3), 534-547 (in Persian).
Khodamoradi, H., Khaledi Darvishan, A., Sadeghi, S.H.R., 2023. Performance evaluation of watershed management measures in reducing soil erosion in treated and control sub-watersheds of Khamsan representative watershed using Cs-137 Method. J. Watershed Manage. Res. 36(2), 2-17 (in Persian).
Mabit, L., Benmansour, M., Walling, D.E., 2008. Comparative advantages and limitations of the fallout radionuclides 137Cs, 210Pbex and 7Be for assessing soil erosion and sedimentation. J. Environ. Radioactiv. 99(12), 1799-1807.
Menzel, R.G., 1960. Transport of 90Sr in runoff. Science, 131, 499-500.
Mohammadi, M., Khaledi Darvishan, A., Dinelli, E., Bahramifar, N., Alavi, S.J., 2021. How does land use configuration influence on sediment heavy metal pollution Comparison between riparian zone and sub-watersheds. Stochastic Environ. Res. Risk Assess. 1-16.
Moradi, A.R., Jafari, M., Arzani, H., Ebrahimi, M., 2016. Assessment of land use changes into dry land using satellite images and Geographical information system (GIS). J. RS GIS Nat. Resou. 7(1), 89 -120-100 (in Persian).
Mouri, G., 2020. Reproduction of sediment deposition and prediction of 137Cs concentration in the major urban rivers of Tokyo. Sci. Reports 10(1), 1-15.‏
Moustakim, M., Benmansour, M., Zouagui, A., Nouira, A., Benkdad, A., Damnati, B., 2019. Use of caesium-137 re-sampling and excess Pb-210 techniques to assess changes in soil redistribution rates within an agricultural field in Nakhla watershed. J. African Earth Sci. 156, 158-167.
Navas, A., Gaspar, L., Lopez-Vicente, M., Machin, J., 2011. Spatial distribution of natural and artificial radionuclides at the catchment scale (South Central Pyrenees). Radia. Measure. 46(2), 261-269.
Onyando, J.O., Kisoyan, P., Chemelil, M.C., 2005. Estimation of potential soil erosion for river Perkerra catchment in Kenya. J. Water Resour. Manage. 19, 133-143.
Porto, P., Walling, D.E., Callegari, G., Capra, A., 2009. Using caesium-137 and unsupported Pb-210 measurements to explore the relationship between sediment mobilisation, sediment delivery and sediment yield for a Calabrian catchment. Marine Freshwater Res. 60(7), 680-689.‏
Preiss, N., Me´lie` res, M.A., Pourchet, M., 1996. A compilation of data on Pb-210 concentration in surface air and fluxes at the air–surface and water–sediment interfaces. J. Geophysi. Res. 101, 28847-28862.
Qian, X., Zhao, L., Fang, Q., Fan, C., Zi, R., Fang, F., 2024. Rill formation and evolution caused by upslope inflow and sediment deposition on freshly tilled loose surfaces. Soil Tillage Res. 235, 105868.‏
Ritchie, J.C., McHenry, J.R., 1973. Determination of fallout 137CS and naturally occurring gamma-ray emitters in sediments. Int. J. Applied Radia. Isotopes 24(10), 575-578.‏
Rogowsky, A.S., Tamura, T., 1960. Movement of 137Cs by runoff, erosion and infiltration on the alluvial Captina silt loam. Health Phys. 11, 1333-1340.
Sedighi, F., Khaledi Darvishan, A., Golosov, V., Zare, M.R., Spalevic, V., 2022. Influence of land use on changes of sediment budget components: western Iran case study. Turkish J. Agricul. Forestry 46(6), 838-851.
Sedighi, F., Khaledi Darvishan, A., Zare, M.R., 2021. Effect of watershed geomorphological characteristics on sediment redistribution. Geomorphol. 375, 107559.‏
Sui, J., He, Y., Liu, C., 2009. Changes in sediment transport in the Kuye River in the Loess Plateau in China, Int. J. Sediment Res. 24, 201-213.
Swinton, S.M., Lupi, F., Robertson, G.P., Hamilton, S.K., 2007. Ecosystem services and agriculture: Cultivating agricultural ecosystems for diverse benefits. Ecologi. Econom. 64(2), 245-252.‏‏
Szilassi, P., Jordan, G., Van Rompaey, A., Csillag, G., 2006. Impacts of historical land use changes on erosion and agricultural soil properties in the Kali Basin at Lake Balaton, Hungary. Catena 68(2-3), 96-108.
Urushadze Tengizz, F., 2002. Soil in space and time: Realities and challenge for 21st century. Tailand: Key book of 17th WCSS.
Walling DE., 1999. Linking land use, erosion and sediment yields in river basins. In: Man and River Systems, Springer, Dordrecht. 223-240.
Walling, D.E., He, Q., 1999. Improved models for estimating soil erosion rates from 137Cs measurements. J. Environ. Quality 28(2), 611-622.
Walling, D.E., He, Q., Whelan, P.A., 2003. Using 137Cs measurements to validate the application of the AGNPS and ANSWERS erosion and sediment yield models in two small Devon catchments. Soil Tillage Res. 69(1-2), 27-43.
Walling, D.E., He, Q., Zhang, Y., 2014. Conversion models and related software. In: Guidelines for Using Fallout Radionuclides to Assess Erosion and Effectiveness of Soil Conservation Strategies. IAEA-TECDOC-1741. IAEA Publication, Vienna, Austria, 46(7), 125-148.
Walling, D.E., Quine, T.A., 1991. Use of 137Cs measurements to investigate soil erosion on arable fields in the UK: potential applications and limitations. Europ. J. Soil Sci. 42(1), 147-160.
Yuan, Y., Xiong, D., Wu, H., Liu, L., Li, W., Chidi, C. L., Neupane, N., 2021. Using 137Cs and 210Pbex to trace soil erosion rates for a small catchment in the mid-hills of Nepal. J. Soils Sediments 21(1), 403-418.‏
Zapata, F., 2003. Handbook for the assessment of soil erosion and sedimentation using environmental radionuclides, Vol. 219. Dordrecht/Boston/London: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 219 pp.
Zhang, F., Wang, J., Liu, D., Bi, Q., Du, J., 2019. Distribution of 137Cs in the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea and East China Sea: sources, budgets and environmental implications. Sci. Total Environ. 672, 120-1004-1016.
Zhou, P., Luukkanen, O., Tokola, T., Nieminen, J., 2008. Effect of vegetation cover on soil erosion in a mountainous watershed. Catena 75(3), 319-325.
Watershed Engineering and Management
Volume 17, Issue 1
April 2025
Pages 1-13
Files
Share
How to cite
Statistics