Determination of soil erosion and sedimentation affected by buffer zones and biochar amendment as best management practices

Ataalah Khademalrasoul

Publikation: Bog/antologi/afhandling/rapportPh.d.-afhandling

Abstract

Sustainable management is one of the main challenges in modern agriculture. Soil erosion as one form of soil degradation is a threat against the soil sustainability. The main objective of my PhD study was to investigate the effectiveness of biochar as a non-structural best management practice (BMP) to improve soil structural properties in order to lowering the erodibility of the soil. A second objective was to parameterize a spatially distributed erosion model (WaTEM, Water and Tillage Erosion Model) for planning of the placement of buffer zones (a structural BMP) to reduce sediment transport to water bodies. Biochar as an organic amendment was in general able to improve soil quality by increasing soil aggregate stability, tensile strength (TS), and specific rupture energy (SRE) and on the other hand by decreasing clay dispersibility and the friability index (FI) of the soil aggregates. The results of rainfall-runoff simulations using round flumes in the laboratory indicated the positive effects of biochar amendment to mitigate runoff and soil erosion. Moreover laser scanning technique confirmed the positive effects of biochar lumps to enhance the soil surface roughness thereby reduce the runoff potential. The established buffer zone alongside the streams was able to trap the sediments and the placement and size of buffer zone was effective on buffer zone trapping efficiency. WaTEM as predictive tool was able to estimate soil erosion in the eroding sites.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
ForlagAarhus Universitet, Institut for Agroøkologi
Antal sider137
StatusUdgivet - 2014

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