The USDA has noted that soil is eroding at a rate of approximately 5 tons per year, although in many cases, sites can be losing closer to 100 tons per acre! Surface erosion can occur on slopes as flat at two percent [1] and is most likely to occur on medium-textured soils [2]. Erosion is most likely to occur on soils that experience reduced ground cover from fire, overgrazing and other disturbances. Although seeding after disturbance can be an effective approach to minimizing subsequent erosion, the success of this approach is strongly dependent on initial cover of seeded species [3]. Moreover, surface mulches, biodegradable matting (like coconut fiber) and other man-made structures (such as wattles) that modify runoff flows can be effective in protecting soil from erosion, however, the reestablishment of permanent plant cover is generally the most effective approach for maintaining erosion control [4]. Fast growing species that develop large root systems can be particularly useful for arresting soil loss. Hydroseeding is an effective strategy for erosion prone sites.
Resources
Fact Sheets and Webpages
- Vegetative barriers for erosion control
- Soil erosion control after wildfire
- Post-fire soil erosion and how to manage it
- EPA Stormwater BMP Silt Fences
- Don't bust the biological soil crust: Preserving and restoring an important desert resource
- Using beaver dam analogs to reduce downstream sediment loads
- Erosion control in Santaquin UT—Q&A
Research Articles
- Biological soil crusts in ecological restoration: emerging research and perspectives
- Optimizing the production of nursery-based biological soil crusts for restoration of arid land soils
- Connectivity in dryland landscapes
- Do changes in connectivity explain desertification?
- Short-term impact of beaver dam analogues on streambank erosion and deposition in Semi-Arid landscapes of the Western USA
- Protection from erosion following wildfire
Manuals, Reports, and Books
References
[1] Lynch K. Site planning. 2nd ed. Cambridge (MA): M.I.T. Press; 1971. 508 p. https://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262120500/site-planning/
[2] Meyer LD, Monke EJ. Mechanics of soil erosion by rainfall and overland flow. Transactions of the ASAE. 1965;8(4):572–577. doi:10.13031/2013.40586
[3] Pyke DA, Wirth TA, Beyers JL. Does seeding after wildfires in rangelands reduce erosion or invasive species? Restoration Ecology. 2013;21(4):415–421. doi:10.1111/rec.12021
[4] Brooks MA. Evaluation of roadside revegetation in central Arizona [thesis]. [Tucson (AZ)]: The University of Arizona; 1993. https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/186330