Rill and ephemeral gully erosion in a small olive grove catchment in Spain: Interactions between management and conservation measures

摘要

Concentrated flow erosion in Mediterranean cultivated areas is considered a major process of land degradation. Rills and ephemeral gullies in a 6.4 ha olive orchard catchment located in an intensive commercial farm, which could represent a common degradation scenario in hilly areas, were measured and compared with the sediment loads at the outlet. Four GPS survey campaigns were carried out between March 2009 and March 2014, for periods with cumulative precipitation ranging between 728 and 121 mm. Chopped pruning residues were kept on the lanes during campaigns 2-4, whereas a grass cover crop was seeded in campaign 4. Rainfall, runoff and sediment loads were measured in a flume gauge station at the catchment outlet.