Abstract
Purpose
Erosion and its spatial distribution in three agricultural headwater catchments were assessed in the border of the volcanic plateau in Southern Brazil. We analyzed terrain, hydrological processes, and land use influence to provide a comprehensive assessment of the catchments’ sensitivity to erosion.
Methods
Topographic attributes were acquired from a digital elevation map, WaterSed model was parameterized to simulate runoff, diffuse erosion, and sediment yield, and sediment source contributions were estimated using sediment fingerprinting based on near-infrared spectroscopy.
Results
According to the modeled results, areas covered by crop fields, grasslands, and those adjacent to the drainage network are the most sensitive to erosion. Short distances from the source to the river network and the occurrence of high magnitude rainfall events (80 mm) promoted increases in connectivity for runoff/sediment transfer. Erosion simulations show that areas of low infiltration, such as unpaved roads, were important runoff generators during lower volume rainfall events (25 mm). Sediment fingerprinting provided satisfactory results to quantify the contributions of unpaved roads to sediment (~ 39%). Topsoil and stream channels were also significant sediment sources for the set of analyzed samples, corresponding to average contributions of 38 and 23%, respectively.
Conclusion
Areas sharing geomorphological similarities did not lead to similar sediment contributions. Vegetation cover controlled erosion in topographically sensitive areas. Unpaved roads provide a significant sediment source, followed by topsoil and stream channels. The complementary results provide useful insights to better coordinate planning environmental conservation strategies in these fragile landscapes.
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Data and material will be made available on reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
The authors are grateful to the Laboratório Federal de Defesa Agropecuária (LFDA Porto Alegre, RS) for allowing the NIR spectral readings.
Funding
This study was financially supported by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development––CNPq (grant number 437525/2018–7).
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Dambroz, A.P.B., Minella, J.P.G., Tiecher, T. et al. Terrain analysis, erosion simulations, and sediment fingerprinting: a case study assessing the erosion sensitivity of agricultural catchments in the border of the volcanic plateau of Southern Brazil. J Soils Sediments 22, 1023–1040 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03139-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03139-6