Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Assessment of soil erosion models for predicting soil loss in cracked vegetated compacted surface layer

  • Research Article - Hydrology
  • Published:
Acta Geophysica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Rainfall-induced progressive soil erosion of compacted surface layer (SL) impedes the functioning of cover system (CS) of landfills with high expected design life (≈ 100 years). The existing soil erosion models are not tested extensively for compacted soil with cracks and vegetation. This study evaluated the efficacy of three popular soil erosion models for estimating the soil loss of compacted SL of CS, which is useful for annual maintenance. The interactive effect of rainfall, vegetation and desiccation cracks on erosion of compacted surface layer was investigated under the influence of both natural and simulated rainfall events for one year. Among all, the Morgan, Morgan and Finney (MMF) model was found to be effective in predicting soil erosion of compacted SL. However, the MMF model overestimated soil erosion when the vegetation cover exceeded 60%. The soil loss estimated from Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) models was poor for high rainfall intensity (100 mm/h). The RUSLE and WEPP model overestimated the soil erosion for low vegetation cover (≤ 3%) and underestimated for vegetation area > 3%. The mechanism of root reinforcement, strength due to root water uptake-induced soil suction and its effect on soil loss mitigation could not be adequately captured by the existing models for compacted SL. Further studies are needed to improve the existing erosion models for incorporating the effects of desiccation and vegetation on soil loss from the compacted SL.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10

Similar content being viewed by others

Data availability statement

Data are available on request.

References

  • Abu Hammad A, Lundekvam H, Børresen T (2005) Adaptation of RUSLE in the eastern part of the Mediterranean region. Environ Manage 34:829–841. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-003-0296-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Adekalu KO, Okunade DA, Osunbitan JA (2006) Compaction and mulching effects on soil loss and runoff from two southwestern Nigeria agricultural soils. Geoderma 137(1–2):226–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Aksoy H, Unal NE, Cokgor S, Gedikli A, Yoon J, Koca K, Inci SB, Eris E (2012) A rainfall simulator for laboratory-scale assessment of rainfall-runoff-sediment transport processes over a two-dimensional flume. CATENA 98:63–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.catena.2012.06.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen RG, Pereira LS, Raes D, Smith M (1998) Crop Evapotranspiration-Guidelines for computing crop water requirements-FAO Irrigation and drainage paper 56. FAO Rome 300(9):D05109

    Google Scholar 

  • Beasley DB, Huggins LF, Monke A (1980) ANSWERS: a model for watershed planning. Trans ASAE 23(4):938–0944

    Google Scholar 

  • Boldrin D, Leung AK, Bengough AG (2017) Correlating hydrologic reinforcement of vegetated soil with plant traits during establishment of woody perennials. Plant Soil 416(1–2):437–451

    Google Scholar 

  • Bordoloi S, Gadi VK, Hussain R, Garg A, Sreedeep S, Poulsen T (2018a) ’Influence of fibre from waste weed Eichhornia crassipes on water retention and cracking characteristics of vegetated soils’. Geotech Lett 8:130–137

    Google Scholar 

  • Bordoloi S, Hussain R, Gadi VK, Bora H, Sahoo R, Karangat R, Garg A (2018b) ’Monitoring soil cracking and plant parameters for a mixed grass species’. Géotechnique Letters 8:49–55

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown LC, Foster GR (1987) Storm erosivity using idealized intensity distributions. Trans ASAE 30:379–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Cai CF, Ding SW, Shi ZH (2000) Study of applying USLE and geographical information system IDRISI to predict soil erosion in small watershed. J Soil Water Conserv 14(2):19–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaney K, Swift RS (1984) The influence of organic matter on aggregate stability in some British soils. J Soil Sci 35:223–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Choi K, Huwe B, Reineking B (2017) Commentary on modified MMF (Morgan-Morgan Finney) model for evaluating effects of crops and vegetation cover on soilerosion by Morgan and Duzant (2008). arXiv:1612.08899

  • Christiansen JE (1941) The uniformity of application of water by sprinkler system. Agric Eng 22:89–92

    Google Scholar 

  • Cruse RM, Larson WE (1977) Effect of soil shear strength on soil detachment due to raindrop impact. Soil Sci Soc Am 1.41(4):777–781

  • Dawkins TCK, Hebblethwaite PD, McGowan M (1984) Soil compaction and the growth of vining peas. Ann Appl Biol 105(2):329–343

    Google Scholar 

  • De Roo APJ, Wesseling CG, Ritsema CJ (1996) LISEM: a single-event physically based hydrological and soil erosion model for drainage basins. I: theory, input and output. Hydrol Process 10(8):1107–1117

    Google Scholar 

  • Devia GK, Ganasri BP, DwarakishGS (2015) A review on hydrological models. Aquat Procedia 4:1001–1007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aqpro.2015.02.126

  • Dun S, Wu JQ, Elliot WJ, Frankenberger JR, Flanagan DC, McCool DK (2013) Applying online WEPP to assess forest watershed hydrology. Trans ASABE 56(2):581–590

    Google Scholar 

  • Dymond JR (2010) Soil erosion in New Zealand is a net sink of CO2, Earth surf. Proc Land 35:1763–1772. https://doi.org/10.1002/esp.2014

  • Eusebius NP, Papalia L, Suphioglu C, McLellan SC, Varney M, Rolland JM, O’Hehir RE (2002) Oligoclonal analysis of the atopic T cell response to the group 1 allergen of Cynodon dactylon (bermuda grass) pollen: pre-and post-allergen-specific immunotherapy. Int Arch Allergy Imm 127(3):234–244. https://doi.org/10.1159/000053868

  • Flanagan DC, Nearing MA (1995) USDA-water erosion prediction project: hillslope profile and watershed model documentation. Nserl Rep 10:1–123. NSERL Report No. 10. USDA ARS National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory: West Lafayette, IN

  • Fernández C, Vega JA, Vieira DCS (2010) Assessing soil erosion after fire and rehabilitation treatments in NW Spain: performance of RUSLE and revised Morgan–Morgan–Finney models. Land Degrad Dev 21(1):58–67

    Google Scholar 

  • Foster GR, Meyer LD (1972) Transport of soil particles by shallow flow. Transactions of the ASAE 15.1:99-0102.1

  • Gadi VK, Bordoloi S, Garg A, Sahoo L, Berretta C, Sreedeep S (2017) Effect of shoot parameters on cracking in vegetated soil. Environ Geotech 1–31. https://doi.org/10.1680/jenge.17.00013

  • Garg A, Leung AK, Ng CWW (2015) Comparisons of soil suction induced by evapotranspiration and transpiration of S. heptaphylla. Can Geotech J 52(12):2149–2155

    Google Scholar 

  • Garg A, Bordoloi S, Ni J, Cai W, Maddibiona PG, Mei G, Lin P (2019) “ Influence of biochar addition on gas permeability in unsaturated soil. Géotechnique Lett 9:1–20

    Google Scholar 

  • Hikhailova EA, Bryant RB, Schwager SJ, Smith SD (1996) Predicting rainfall erosivity in Honduras

  • Hong HS, Huang JL, Cao WZ (2008) Agricultural non-point source pollution mechanism and control research in Jiulong River watershed. Science Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Jotisankasa A, Sirirattanachat T (2017) Effects of grass roots on soil-water retention curve and permeability function. Can Geotech J 54(11):1612–1622

    Google Scholar 

  • Kinnell PIA (2010) Event soil loss, runoff and the Universal Soil Loss Equation family of models: a review. J Hydrol 385(384):397

    Google Scholar 

  • Klik A, Haas K, Dvorackova A, Fuller IC (2015) Spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall erosivity in New Zealand. Soil Res 53:815–825

    Google Scholar 

  • Knisel WG (1980) CREAMS: a field scale model for chemicals, runoff, and erosion from agricultural management systems. Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration

  • Liang T, Bengough AG, Knappett JA, MuirWood D, Loades KW, Hallett PD, Boldrin D, Leung AK, Meijer GJ (2017). Scaling of the reinforcement of soil slopes by living plants in a geotechnical centrifuge. Ecol Eng

  • Liu BY, Xie Y, Zhang KL (2001) Prediction model of soil loss. Beijing: China. Science and Technology Press

  • Loades KW, Bengough AG, Bransby MF, Hallett PD (2015) Effect of root age on the biomechanics of seminal and nodal roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) in contrasting soil environments. Plant Soil 395 (1–2): 253–261

  • López-Vicente M, Navas A, Machín J (2008) Identifying erosive periods by using RUSLE factors in mountain fields of the Central Spanish Pyrenees. Hydrol Earth Syst Sci 12:523–535. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-12-523-2008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martínez-Murillo JF, Remond R, Ruiz-Sinoga JD (2020) Validation of RUSLE K factor using aggregate stability in contrasted mediterranean eco-geomorphological landscapes (southern Spain). Environ Res 183:109160

    Google Scholar 

  • Mondal A, Khare D, Kundu S (2018) A comparative study of soil erosion modelling by MMF, USLE and RUSLE. Geocarto Int 33(1):89–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Monteith JL (1965) Evaporation and environment. In Symp Soc Exp Biol 19(205–23):4

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan RPC (2001) A simple approach to soil loss prediction: a revised Morgan–Morgan–Finney model. CATENA 44(4):305–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan RPC, Morgan DDV, Finney HJ (1984) A predictive model for the assessment of soil erosion risk. J Agric Eng Res 30:245–253

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan RPC, Quinton JN, Smith RE, Govers G, Poesen JWA, Auerswald K, Chisci G, Torri D, Styczen ME (1998) The European soil erosion model EUROSEM: a dynamic approach for predicting sediment transport from fields and small catchments. Earth Surf Process Landforms 23:527–544

    Google Scholar 

  • Morgan RPC (2005) Soil erosion and conservation. National Soil Resources Institute, Cranfield University. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118351475.ch22

  • Musgrave GW (1947) The quantitative evaluation of factors in water erosion: a first approximation. J Soil Water Conserv 2(3):133–138

    Google Scholar 

  • Mutchler CK, Young RA (1975) Soil detachment by raindrops, present and prospective technology for predicting sediment yield and sources. USDA Annual Report, pp 5–40

  • Ng CWW, Leung AK, Woon KX (2013a) Effects of soil density on grass-induced suction distributions in compacted soil subjected to rainfall. Canadian Geotech J 51(3):311–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Ng CWW, Leung AK, Garg A, Woon KX, Chu LM, Hau BCH (2013) Soil suction induced by grass and tree in an atmospheric-controlled plant room. In: Proceedings of the 18th international conference on soil mechanics and geotechnical engineering, Paris, pp 1167–1170

  • Ng CWW, Menzies BK (2007) Unsaturated soil mechanics and engineering. Taylor & Francis

  • Panagos P, Borrelli P, Poesen J, Ballabio C, Lugato E, Meusburger K, Alewell C (2015) The new assessment of soil loss by water erosion in Europe. Environ Sci Policy 54:438–447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2015.08.012

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parker DB, Michel TG, Smith JL (1995) Compaction and water velocity effects on soil erosion in shallow flow. J Irrig Drain Eng 121(2):170–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Post DA, Hartcher MG (2005) Evaluating uncertainty in modelled sediment delivery in data-sparse environments: application to the Mae Chaem Catchment.” Thailand. In: Proceedings of symposium S7 held during the Seventh IAHS Scientific Assembly, 80–89, Foz do Iguaçu

  • Poulsen TG, Cai W, Garg A (2019) Water evaporation from cracked soil under moist conditions as related to crack properties and near‐surface wind speed. Eur J Soil Sci

  • Raghavan GSV, Ohu JO (1985) Prediction of static equivalent pressure of proctor compaction blows. Trans ASAE 28(5):1398–1400

    Google Scholar 

  • Renard KG, Foster GR, Weesies GA, McCool DK, Yoder DC (1997) Predicting soil erosion by water: a guide to conservation planning with the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE). United States Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC

    Google Scholar 

  • Sahli Y, Mokhtari E, Merzouk B, Laignel B, Vial C, Madani K (2019) Mapping surface water erosion potential in the Soummam watershed in Northeast Algeria with RUSLE model. J Mt Sci 16(7):1606–1615

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmidt S, Alewell C, Meusburger K (2019) Monthly RUSLE soil erosion risk of Swiss grasslands. J Maps 15(2):247–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Shaikh J, Yamsani SK, Bora MJ, Sekharan S, Rakesh RR, Mungale A, Bordoloi S (2019) Impact assessment of vegetation growth on soil erosion of a landfill cover surface. Acta Horticulturae Et Regiotecturae 22(2):75–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh G, Rambabu, Chander S (1981) Soil loss prediction research in India. Bull. No. T-12/D-9. CSWCR AND T1, Dehradun

  • Singh RK, Panda RK, Satapathy KK, Ngachan SV (2012) Runoff and sediment yield modelling for a treated hilly watershed in Eastern Himalaya using the water erosion prediction project model. Water Resour Manage 26(3):643–665

    Google Scholar 

  • Sinha D, Joshi VU (2012) Application of universal soil loss equation (USLE) to recently reclaimed badlands along the Adula and Mahalungi Rivers, Pravara Basin, Maharashtra. J Geol Soc India 80(3):341–350

    Google Scholar 

  • Song L, Li JH, Zhou T, Fredlund DG (2017) Experimental study on unsaturated hydraulic properties of vegetated soil. Ecol Eng 103:207–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Sutherland RA, Wan Y, Ziegler AD, Lee CT, El-Swaify SA (1996) Splash and wash dynamics: an experimental investigation using an Oxisol. Geoderma 69(1):85–103

    Google Scholar 

  • Thorne CR, Zevenbergen LW, Grissinger EH, Murphey JB (1985) Calculator programe and nomograph for on-site predictions of ephemeral gully erosion. United States Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service, United States

  • Torri D, Poesen J, Borselli L, Knapen A (2006) Channel width–flow discharge relationships for rills and gullies. Geomorphology 76(3–4):273–279

    Google Scholar 

  • USEPA (1989) Risk assessment: guidance for superfund. In: Human health evaluation manual (Part A), interim final, vol 1. Office of Emergency and Remedial Response, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington DC

  • Wautersa E, Bieldersb C, Poesenc J (2010) Adoption of soil conservation practices in Belgium: an examination of the theory of planned behavior in the agri-environmental domain. Land Use Policy 27:86–94

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams JR, Berndt HD (1977) Sediment yield prediction based on watershed hydrology. Trans ASAE 20(6):1100–1104

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams RJ, Renard KG (1983) EPIC – a new method for assessing erosions effect on soil productivity. J Soil Water Conserv 38:381–383

    Google Scholar 

  • Wischmeier WH, Smith DD (1965) Rainfall-erosion losses from cropland east of the rocky mountains: guide for election of practices for soil and water conservation (Agricultur.). U.S. Governmental Printing Office, Washington

  • Wischmeier WH, Smith DD (1978) Predicting rainfall erosion losses: a guide to conservation planning. Department of Agriculture, Science and Education Administration

  • Xue Q, Chen YJ, Liu L (2016) Erosion characteristics of ecological sludge evapotranspiration cover slopes for landfill closure. Environmental Earth Sciences 75(5):419

    Google Scholar 

  • Yamsani SK, Dey A, Sekharan S, Rakesh RR (2019) Vulnerable interface diagram for translational stability analysis of multilayered cover system. Int J Geomech 19(12):04019130

    Google Scholar 

  • Yang D, Kanae S, Oki T, Koike T, Musiake K (2003) Global potential soil erosion with reference to land use and climate changes. Hydrol Process 17(14):2913–2928. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.1441

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao L, Yuan GL, Zhang Y, He B, Liu ZH, Wang ZY, Li J (2007) The amount of soil erosion in Baoxiang Watershed of Dianchi Lake based on GIS and USLE. Bull Soil Water Conserv 27(3):42–46

    Google Scholar 

  • Zheng ZC, He SQ, Wu FQ (2014) Changes of soil surface roughness under water erosion process. Hydrol Process 28(12):3919–3929. https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.9939

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the project (Grant no. 2013/36/06-BRNS) supported by Board of Research in Nuclear Sciences (BRNS), Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), India. The fourth author is also grateful to the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) for the project (Grant no. 41907252).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, Guwahati, India

    Manash Jyoti Bora, Sanandam Bordoloi, Sreeja Pekkat & Sreedeep Sekharan

  2. Guangdong Engineering Center for Structure Safety and Health Monitoring, Shantou University, Shantou, Guangdong, China

    Manash Jyoti Bora & Ankit Garg

  3. CE & QAS/Nuclear Recycle Group, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Trombay, Mumbai, 400085, India

    Ravi Ranjan Rakesh

Authors
  1. Manash Jyoti Bora
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sanandam Bordoloi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sreeja Pekkat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Ankit Garg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Sreedeep Sekharan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ravi Ranjan Rakesh
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ankit Garg.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Communicated by Dr. Michael Nones (CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF).

The original online version of this article was revised: wrong category name.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bora, M.J., Bordoloi, S., Pekkat, S. et al. Assessment of soil erosion models for predicting soil loss in cracked vegetated compacted surface layer. Acta Geophys. 70, 333–347 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-021-00698-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11600-021-00698-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation