Modeling translocation and dispersion of soil constituents by tillage on sloping land

Citation
K. Van Oost et al., Modeling translocation and dispersion of soil constituents by tillage on sloping land, SOIL SCI SO, 64(5), 2000, pp. 1733-1739
Citations number
29
Categorie Soggetti
Environment/Ecology
Journal title
SOIL SCIENCE SOCIETY OF AMERICA JOURNAL
ISSN journal
03615995 → ACNP
Volume
64
Issue
5
Year of publication
2000
Pages
1733 - 1739
Database
ISI
SICI code
0361-5995(200009/10)64:5<1733:MTADOS>2.0.ZU;2-7
Abstract
Recent studies clearly indicated that soil tillage is a major Factor affect ing soil redistribution on arable land. However, existing modeling studies of the redistribution of soil constituents by tillage are largely theoretic al in nature due to the lack of sufficient experimental data. This paper de scribes the results of field experiments carried out with a moldboard plow on different slope gradients showing that an important net downslope transl ocation and dispersion of soil constituents is associated with soil tillage . Both translocation and dispersion are strongly affected by slope gradient . Available experimental evidence suggests that redistribution of soil cons tituents can be modeled by convoluting the displacement probability distrib ution with the spatial distribution of the soil constituent. The convolutio n model presented here was found to be superior to existing models because it accounts for dispersion, directionality of tillage, and topogaphy. A com parison of soil property data with model simulations indicated that soil ti llage is a major factor when assessing the effect of erosion processes on t he variability of soil properties.