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Towards quantification of soil conservation performance using sediment connectivity concept at hillslope scale: proposing a new framework for data-scarce regions

  • Sediments, Sec 3 • Hillslope and River Basin Sediment Dynamics • Research Article
  • Published:
Journal of Soils and Sediments Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Although contour trenching is one of the widely used nature-based solutions for soil conservation around the world, its efficiency has not been quantitatively investigated. This study aimed to scrutinize the performance of the contour trenching program, a nature-based solution and common soil erosion prevention measure in hillslopes of a data-scarce region based on the sediment connectivity approach.

Materials and methods

Six different hillslopes (A–F) were selected in the Khamsan watershed in Iran, a representative area where contour trenching has been implemented. The sediment connectivity map of each hillslope was generated using the index of connectivity (IC) based on two real scenarios: with (scenario I) and without (scenario II) contour trenching. Two different field-based validation methods were applied on the base of (i) in situ measurements of the sediment depth in contour trenches and Pearson’s correlation analysis, and (ii) field index of connectivity (FIC). The validity of the sediment connectivity results was verified using both validation approaches. The sediment connectivity in two scenarios was compared and the impact of the contour trenching was analyzed. The performance of the contour trenching program was quantitatively determined for each hillslope.

Results and discussion

The results revealed that contour trenching significantly affected sediment routing and reduced the IC values of all selected hillslopes. The differences in IC value between the two scenarios (∆IC) for hillslopes A, B, C, D, E, and F were found to be 22.6%, 11.27%, 14.69%, 5.83%, 15%, and 7.27%, respectively. Therefore, the spatial pattern of sediment connectivity also differed significantly after implementing contour trenching. Furthermore, Pearson’s correlation coefficients revealed that the sediment connectivity and the sediment depth in contours in all hillslopes had a significant negative relationship, resulting in confirming the validity of the sediment connectivity results for all six hillslopes in the current study.

Conclusion

Contour trenching significantly reduced the sediment connectivity on all six hillslopes studied. Furthermore, in situ measurements of the sediment depth in contour trenches should be conducted to verify the simulation of sediment connectivity. The proposed methodology can be applied in other data-scarce regions to evaluate the performance of the contour trenching program.

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Data Availability

The datasets generated during and analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

This manuscript was prepared based on a part of scientific outputs from the project “24-53-29-051-000936” in 2021. We greatly thank Mr. Ramyar Aliramaee for supporting the fieldwork in the Khamsan region. The authors are grateful to the assistance of the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Philip N. Owens, Submissions Editor, Dr. Simon Pulley, and anonymous reviewers for their constructive suggestions/comments that enhanced the quality and scientific value of the manuscript.

Funding

The research was funded by the Natural Resources and Watershed Management Department of Kurdistan Province, and scientifically confirmed by the Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO) and Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute (SCWMRI).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Department, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center,, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Sanandaj, Iran

    Omid Rahmati

  2. Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Department, Fars Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Shiraz, Iran

    Seyed Masoud Soleimanpour

  3. Water and Soil Conservation Engineering Department, Soil Conservation and Watershed Management Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Tehran, Iran

    Mahmood Arabkhedri

  4. Organization of Natural Resources and Watershed Management of Kurdistan Province, Sanandaj, Iran

    Sardar Mehrjo & Aref Bahmani

  5. Department of Physical Geography and Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, SE-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden

    Zahra Kalantari

  6. Department of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering (SEED), KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44, Stockholm, Sweden

    Zahra Kalantari

  7. Research Institute for Geo-Hydrological Protection, National Research Council (CNR IRPI), Padua, Italy

    Marco Cavalli & Stefano Crema

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  1. Omid Rahmati
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Correspondence to Omid Rahmati.

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Responsible editor: Simon Pulley

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Rahmati, O., Soleimanpour, S.M., Arabkhedri, M. et al. Towards quantification of soil conservation performance using sediment connectivity concept at hillslope scale: proposing a new framework for data-scarce regions. J Soils Sediments 23, 2298–2309 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-023-03491-1

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