Wind Erosion of Agricultural Soils and the Carbon Cycle - Soil Carbon: Science, Management and Policy for Multiple Benefits - page 166

On highly erodible sandy soils, the transport
capacity can be reached after very short dis-
tances ( 10-20 m), and despite very high
transport rates, the soil loss after the satur-
ation is quite low ( Fig. 13.4 , left). Soil and
SOC losses affect the first part of a field much
more than the downstream parts, where SOC-
poor material is already deposited. So, wind
erosion increases soil heterogeneity, with
consequences on soil physical properties
and eventually crop production.
At the large scale, topographical effects
are relevant if other surface characteris-
tics are homogeneous and/or deposition pro-
cesses are considered over a long period with
a predominant transport direction (Goossens,
1997, 2006). Topography influences the wind
velocity close to the ground, which may re-
sult in the typical deposition patterns on
summits, windward- or leeward-orientated
slopes related to the prevailing transport dir-
ection (Goossens and Offer, 1997; Zufall et al .,
1999; Hoffmann et al ., 2008b). The lowest

deposition could always be found on sum-
mits and the upper part of windward slopes,
the highest on leeward slopes and in de-
pressions.

Conclusions

Wind erosion and dust depositions are im-
portant processes of soil formation, and soil
destruction as well. In semi-arid regions
that are influenced by carbon-poor dust de-
positions from deserts, the properties as a
sink area have to be maintained to enable C
enrichment by continued soil formation. On
arable land, measures are necessary to pre-
vent wind erosion and the preferred emis-
sion of carbon-rich dust. The particulate
losses of SOC by wind erosion are not in-
cluded in most balances, but the available
data prove a considerable part of these losses
from the soils affected.

Soil transpor t (kg m -1 ) Soil loss (kg m -2 )

8.00
6.00
4.00
2.00
0.00
-2.00

1000

800
600
400
200

N

0

Wind
direction

Fig. 13.4. Spatial distribution of wind erosion on a field measuring 150 × 150 m; left side: total transported
soil per metre width; right side: appropriate soil loss per m 2 (negative values = deposition).

References

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de la region Semiárida Pampeana Central. Ciencia del Suelo 10-11, 46-53.
Buschiazzo, D.E., Quiroga, A.R. and Stahr, K. (1991) Patterns of organic matter accumulation in soils of the
semiarid Argentinean Pampas. Zeitschrift für Pflanzenernährung und Bodenkunde 154, 437-441.
Buschiazzo, D.E., Zobeck, T.M. and Abascal, S.A. (2007) Wind erosion quantity and quality of an Entic
Haplustoll of the semi-arid pampas of Argentina. Journal of Arid Environments 69, 29-39.