Patterns of water and tillage erosion on topographically complex landscapes in the North American Great Plains

Abstract

Two field sites located in the northern region of the North American Great Plains were examined to investigate the contributions of water and tillage erosion towards total soil erosion in topographically complex landscapes (hummocky and undulating landscapes). Results indicated that both water and tillage erosion contributed substantially to total erosion in the undulating landscape while tillage erosion dominated in the hummocky landscape. The patterns of water, tillage and total soil erosion can be predicted using landscape segmentation in such landscapes. Soil properties and crop yield are also related to soil erosion. Landscape segmentation can be used as a simple tool to more easily represent the spatial variability of soil erosion and affected biophysical processes such as crop production, nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas emission and pesticide fate, and to target soil conservation practices toward the most intensive erosion processes on given landform elements.