Impact of grazing and tillage on water erosion in northeastern Syria

Impact of grazing and tillage on water erosion under natural rainfall condi tions was investigated during the 1994/95 and 1995/96 rainy seasons in the Abd Al-Aziz mountain region, northeastern Syria. The grazing impact was not significant (0.4 Mg ha(-1) y(-1) at most) because the vegetation coverage was relatively abundant. Tillage enhanced soil loss (1.4 Mg ha(-1) y(-1)) p resumably due to the mechanical disturbance and the removal of shrub specie s, The ratio of the total nitrogen content in the sediments to that in the bulk soils (enrichment ratio) in the cropland exceeded unity, suggesting th e selective removal of the organic matter by water erosion. Measures to red uce water erosion and to replenish organic matter should be taken.