Potential Reduction of Spatiotemporal Patterns of Water and Wind Erosion with Conservation Tillage in Northeast China

Fahui Jiang, Xinhua Peng (), Qinglin Li, Yongqi Qian and Zhongbin Zhang
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Fahui Jiang: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Ecology in Poyang Lake Watershed of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in China, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Xinhua Peng: Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Ecology in Poyang Lake Watershed of Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs in China, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
Qinglin Li: State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Yongqi Qian: State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
Zhongbin Zhang: Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 8, 1-19

Abstract: Conservational tillage (NT) is widely recognized globally for its efficacy in mitigating soil loss due to wind and water erosion. However, a systematic large-scale estimate of NT’s impact on soil loss reduction in Northeast, China’s primary granary, remains absent. This study aimed to investigate the spatial and temporal variability of soil erosion under NT compared to conventional tillage (CT) in the black soil region and to analyze the underlying mechanisms driving these erosions. The Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and the Revised Wind Erosion Equation (RWEQ) models were employed, incorporating previously published plot/watershed data to estimate the potential reduction of water and wind erosion by NT in this region. Results indicated that under CT practices, water- and wind-induced soil losses were widely distributed in the arable land of Northeast China, with intensities of 2603 t km −2 a −1 and 34 t km −2 a −1 , respectively. Furthermore, the erosive processes of water and wind erosion were significantly reduced by 56.4% and 91.8%, respectively, under NT practices compared to CT. The highest efficiency in soil conservation using NT was observed in the mountainous regions such as the Changbai Mountains and Greater Khingan Mountains, where water erosion was primarily driven by cropland slopes and wind erosion was driven by the wind speed. Conversely, the largest areas of severe erosion were observed in the Songnen Plain, primarily due to the significant proportion of arable land in this region. In the plain regions, water-induced soil loss was primarily influenced by precipitation, with light and higher levels of erosion occurring more frequently on long gentle slopes (0–3°) than on higher slope areas (3–5°). In the temporal dimension, soil loss induced by water and wind erosion ceased during the winter under both tillage systems due to snow cover and water freezing in the soil combined with the extremely cold climate. Substantial reductions were observed under NT from spring to autumn compared to CT. Ultimately, the temporal and spatial variations of soil loss under CT and NT practices were established from 2010 to 2018 and then projected onto a cropland map of Northeast China. Based on this analysis, NT is recommended as most suitable practice in the southern regions of Northeast China for maintaining soil health and crop yield production, while its suitability decreases in the northern and eastern regions.

Keywords: no tillage; wind erosion; water erosion; soil erosion; conservation tillage (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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