EDAFOLOGÍA, Vol. 10 (3), pp. 93-101, 2003
DEGRADACIÓN DEL SUELO Y MODIFICACIÓN DE LOS PAISAJES AGRÍCOLAS POR EROSIÓN MECÁNICA (TILLAGE EROSION)
S. DE ALBA1, D. TORRI2, L. BORSELLI2, M. LINDSTROM3
1 UCM, F. CC. Geológicas, Dpto. de Geodinámica, Ciudad Universitaria s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain. E-mail: [email protected].
2 CNR-IRPI, Istituto di Ricerca per la Protezione Idrogeologic, Piazza delle Cascine 15, 50144 Firenze,.
3 USDA-ARS, N.C. Soil Conservation Research Laboratory, Morris, MN 56267, USA.
Soil redistribution due to tillage practices has been identified as an intensive soil erosion process. The long-term effects of this intensive soil redistribution within agricultural fields have resulted in a drastic modification of the landscapes. This paper presents several cases of field features observed in agricultural fields of contrasted agronomical and environmental conditions in Central Spain, Tuscany (Italy) and Central Minnesota (USA). The reported field features are presented grouped according to the nature of the effects, into the following five classes: a) Landscape levelling and smoothing; b) Spatial variability of soil properties; c) Modification of morphology of slope profiles; d) Interactions with processes of water erosion; and, e) Spatial variability of productivity. Findings of this study reveal the importance of incorporating the process of soil redistribution by tillage into comprehensive models of soil erosion and hydrological process and the need to explore subsequent interactions and synergies.
Key words: Tillage erosion, soil redistribution, field evidence, soil variability, slopes morphology.