Erosion of agrochernozems under sprinkler irrigation and rainfall simulation in the southern forest-steppe of Bashkir Cis-Ural region

Abstract

Experiments on small (about 10 m in length) runoff plots on slopes of 1°–3° subjected to sprinkler irrigation in the southern Cis-Ural forest-steppe region showed that the formation of surface runoff is controlled by the intensity and character (intermittence) of sprinkler irrigation, its duration, and the state of the soil surface. On the clay-illuvial moderately leached agrochernozem, the surface runoff is developed after 14‒20 h of irrigation imitating heavy rain (180–210 mm rainfall), after 15 min (24 mm) under shower, and after 10 min (23 mm) under heavy shower. Runoff appeared on the plowed plots unprotected by plants after 100–140 mm of heavy rainfall 6 h earlier than on the fallow plot; in the case of shower and heavy shower on the unprotected plot, it appeared virtually immediately. Turbidity of runoff flows gradually increased after the beginning of runoff under heavy rain and sharply increased under heavy shower. After reaching its maximum, it decreased. The contents of fine fractions, humus, and nutrients in the solid runoff (drift) were higher under lower rain intensity (heavy rain) than under showers and heavy showers; they were higher in all the drifts than in the soil on the adjacent slope. Long (about 24 h) continuous artificial heavy rain (0.17–0.22 mm/min) caused slight soil compaction and some improvement of the structure of the surface soil layer both on the fallow plots and on the plowed plots.