Application of New Technologies in Water and Soil Conservation and Soil Erosion

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Soil and Water".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 February 2024) | Viewed by 6376

Special Issue Editors

Institute of Soil and Water Conservation Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yangling, China
Interests: water; soil; erosion; sediment; new technology
Department of Physical and Earth Sciences, Sol Plaatje University, Kimberley, South Africa
Interests: hydrology; soil erosion; close-range photogrammetry; land surface processes; remote sensing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

There has been great development in monitoring techniques for soil erosion and soil and water conservation over the last hundred years. The monitoring techniques evolved from traditional runoff plot observation to a contemporary multidiscipline method, and the output results were expressed from qualitative description to semi-quantitative and quantitative data. Various modern monitoring techniques have been applied in soil and water conservation as well as soil erosion monitoring. For example, modern topographic survey, including GIS, unmanned aerial vehicle, 3D laser scanner, etc., could provide highly accurate data at various spatial and temporal scales based on landform evolvement; radionuclide tracing has the advantages of being cost-efficient and easy in practice to obtain soil erosion rate data; historical erosion information can be deduced by collecting deposited sediment in reservoirs, ponds or lakes and analyzing their physicochemical properties;. Based on modern monitoring techniques such as sensors and remote data transmission, contemporary in situ observation is a new concept for erosion monitoring, and it is an important direction for the development of promptly responding, automatic, and systematic monitoring techniques. This Special Issue will focus on the application of new technologies in water and soil conservation as well as soil erosion.

Prof. Dr. Gang Liu
Dr. Mohamed A. M. Abd Elbasit
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • soil erosion rate
  • soil and water conservation
  • monitoring technology
  • topographic survey
  • sediment

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 2147 KiB  
Article
Infiltration Measurements during Dry Conditions in an Urban Park in Ljubljana, Slovenia
by Janja Svetina, Joerg Prestor and Mojca Šraj
Water 2023, 15(20), 3635; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15203635 - 17 Oct 2023
Viewed by 797
Abstract
A thorough understanding of the hydrologic mechanisms that control the movement of water through the soil is essential for developing effective stormwater management strategies. Infiltration is critical for determining the amount of water entering the soil and controlling surface runoff. Spatial and temporal [...] Read more.
A thorough understanding of the hydrologic mechanisms that control the movement of water through the soil is essential for developing effective stormwater management strategies. Infiltration is critical for determining the amount of water entering the soil and controlling surface runoff. Spatial and temporal variations in soil properties strongly affect infiltration rates, which underscores the importance of evaluating field-specific values for hydraulic conductivity, which are also highly dependent on the chosen measurement and evaluation methods. The objective of this study is to determine and compare soil hydraulic conductivity under dry conditions using two field measurement techniques, namely the double-ring infiltrometer (DRI) and the mini-disk infiltrometer (MDI). The results demonstrate the importance of performing multiple replicates of infiltration tests, especially during the dry season, as the initial dry surface caused deviations in hydraulic conductivity estimates for both methods used (DRI and MDI). Significant spatial variability was observed within the radius of the test replicates over short distances (<1 m). In addition, experimental infiltration curves for a selected site were used to evaluate and compare soil hydraulic parameters through infiltration modeling. In general, the Philip, Green-Ampt, and Smith-Parlange theoretical models showed a better fit to the experimental DRI data than the semi-empirical Horton model. Full article
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23 pages, 11677 KiB  
Article
Determination of Soil Electrical Conductivity and Moisture on Different Soil Layers Using Electromagnetic Techniques in Irrigated Arid Environments in South Africa
by Phathutshedzo Eugene Ratshiedana, Mohamed A. M. Abd Elbasit, Elhadi Adam, Johannes George Chirima, Gang Liu and Eric Benjamin Economon
Water 2023, 15(10), 1911; https://doi.org/10.3390/w15101911 - 18 May 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3017
Abstract
Precise adjustments of farm management activities, such as irrigation and soil treatment according to site-specific conditions, are crucial. With advances in smart agriculture and sensors, it is possible to reduce the cost of water and soil treatment inputs but still realize optimal yields [...] Read more.
Precise adjustments of farm management activities, such as irrigation and soil treatment according to site-specific conditions, are crucial. With advances in smart agriculture and sensors, it is possible to reduce the cost of water and soil treatment inputs but still realize optimal yields and high-profit returns. However, achieving precise application requirements cannot be efficiently practiced with spatially disjointed information. This study assessed the potential of using an electromagnetic induction device (EM38-MK) to cover this gap. An EM38-MK was used to measure soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) as a covariate to determine soil salinity status and soil water content θ post irrigation at four depth layers (Hz: 0–0.25 m; Hz: 0–0.75 m; Vz: 0.50–1 m). The inverse distance weighting method was used to generate the spatial distribution thematic layers of electrical conductivity. The statistical measures showed an R2 = 0.87; r > 0.7 and p ≤ 0.05 on correlation of ECa and SWC. Based on the South African salinity class of soils, the area was not saline ECa < 200 mS/m. The EM38-MK can be used to estimate soil salinity and SWC variability using ECa as a proxy, allowing precise estimations with depths and in space. These findings provide key information that can aid in irrigation scheduling and soil management. Full article
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12 pages, 3798 KiB  
Article
Study on Water Vertical Infiltration Characteristics and Water Content Simulation of Sandstone Overlying Loess
by Xiaoyu Dong, Fucang Qin, Long Li, Zhenqi Yang, Yan Li and Yihan Wu
Water 2022, 14(22), 3716; https://doi.org/10.3390/w14223716 - 17 Nov 2022
Viewed by 1399
Abstract
Research on the infiltration characteristics of surface water is fundamental for understanding the entire hydrological process. Therefore, studying the water infiltration process of sandstone slopes overlaid with loess and predicting soil moisture content are of great importance for investigating hydrological processes and controlling [...] Read more.
Research on the infiltration characteristics of surface water is fundamental for understanding the entire hydrological process. Therefore, studying the water infiltration process of sandstone slopes overlaid with loess and predicting soil moisture content are of great importance for investigating hydrological processes and controlling soil erosion in the hilly and gully areas of the Loess Plateau in China. This study mainly focuses on the simulation of the vertical water infiltration characteristics and water movement patterns of four kinds of sandstone (feldspathic and argillaceous sandstone) structures covered with thin layers of loess. In the one-dimensional vertical infiltration experiment and Hydrus-1D model simulation, the interlayer transition planes of loess–feldspathic and loess–feldspathic–argillaceous sandstones were found to present two conditions: fine soil covering coarse soil and coarse soil covering fine soil. Therefore, water infiltration reduced permeability. The existence of a transition layer between loess and feldspathic sandstone decreased the water infiltration rate and infiltration amount and decelerated the speed of the wetting front, thereby further affecting the ability of water infiltration. By using the Hydrus-1D model, 15 sets of soil hydraulic parameters, including θx (0.028–0.05795 cm3/cm3), θs (0.2306–0.4786 cm3/cm3), α (0.01899–0.06071 cm−1), n (1.438–6.408), and Ks (1.96·10−4–0.0576 cm/s) were inverted and optimized for each 20 cm soil layer (total of 60 cm). The Van Genuchten model constructed using these parameters demonstrated high accuracy in the simulation of water content in the vertical infiltration process of sandstone covered by loess with the coefficient of determination R2 > 0.849 and relative error RE < 5.311. Full article
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