Modelling soil erosion in a small catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau : Applying LISEM to extreme conditions

The Chinese Loess Plateau suffers some of the highest soil erosion rates on earth. This is caused by the fact that it can be characterized as a semi-arid area with low vegetation cover, erodible soils, steep slopes and occasional high intensity summer storms. In this study, the process based distributed soil erosion model LISEM was applied to a small catchment on the Chinese Loess Plateau. Several characteristics specific to the Loess Plateau needed to be taken into account to allow successful simulation with such a model. The most important were the occurrence of very high sediment concentrations, the occurrence of steep slopes and the presence of large gullies. High concentrations will affect fluid properties, steep slopes have effects on flow velocity and transport capacity, while in the gullies erosion processes (like soil fall) operate that are usually not considered in soil erosion models. A number of changes to LISEM were proposed to overcome the modelling problems posed by the steep slopes, high concentrations and permanent gullies of the Danangou catchment. These changes included a slope angle correction, the use of slope dependent Manning's n, the introduction of a concentration dependent settling velocity, the introduction of a loose material map and the use of sine instead of tangent. These changes were implemented in LISEM and evaluated on the hydrograph and sedigraph at the catchment outlet. Predicted discharge decreased by about 50% from applying a slope correction for the calculation of overland flow, but was only marginally affected by using a slope dependent value of Manning's n. Predicted concentration increased by applying a concentration dependent fall velocity, but was hardly changed by introducing a map with loose material or by using sine instead of tangent in the transport equations. However, the choice of transport equation had large effect on the simulation results. After recalibration the LISEM model simulated measured discharge and sediment yield only slightly better than before. LISEM was also found to be sensitive to changes in time step length and grid size. Calibration of the LISEM model for the Danangou catchment showed that LISEM can in principle be applied to the Chinese Loess Plateau. The results, however, also showed that a separate calibration was needed for low-magnitude and high-magnitude events and probably even for each event. Small events could not be calibrated well. A comparison of mapped and simulated erosion patterns showed that these patterns were very different in detail. The most likely causes are: process descriptions that are unsuitable for steep slopes, inaccurate data and effects caused by the raster-based approach itself. The effect of a number of land use and land management scenarios was also simulated with LISEM. The simulations predicted that implementing conservation methods would result in decreases of runoff and erosion of 5-20%. Changing the land use itself was predicted to have a much larger effect; discharge decreased by 40-50%, while erosion decreased by 50-70%. These large effects of land use change were mainly caused by extension of the woodland area. More research is needed before we can say to what degree the simulation results of LISEM reflect reality

MTurk 101: An Introduction to Amazon Mechanical Turk for Extension Professionals

Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) is an online marketplace for labor recruitment that has become a popular platform for data collection. In particular, MTurk can be a valuable tool for Extension professionals. As an example, MTurk workers can provide feedback, write reviews, or give input on a website design. In this article we discuss the many uses of MTurk for Extension professionals and provide best practices for its use

An Overview of Sustainability Assessment Frameworks in Agriculture

Recent research established a link between environmental alterations due to agriculture intensification, social damage and the loss of economic growth. Thus, the integration of environmental and social dimensions is key for economic development. In recent years, several frameworks have been proposed to assess the overall sustainability of farms. Nevertheless, the myriad of existing frameworks and the variety of indicators result in difficulties in selecting the most appropriate framework for study site application. This manuscript aims to: (i) understand the criteria to select appropriate frameworks and summarize the range of those being used to assess sustainability; (ii) identify the available frameworks to assess agricultural sustainability; and (iii) analyze the strengths, weaknesses and applicability of each framework. Six frameworks, namely SAFA, RISE, MASC, LADA, SMART and public goods (PG), were identified. Results show that SMART is the framework that considers, in a balanced way, the environmental, sociocultural and economic dimensions of sustainability, whereas others focused on the environmental (RISE), environmental and economic (PG) and sociocultural (SAFA) dimension. However, depending on the scale assessment, sector of application and the sustainability completeness intended, all frameworks are suitable for the assessment. We present a decision tree to help future users understand the best option for their objective

Desire for greener land: Options for sustainable land management in drylands

This text intends to support people’s efforts to invest wisely in the sustainable management of land – enabling greener drylands to become a reality. Clearly laid out in a concise and well-illustrated format, it decribes the DESIRE – desertification mitigation and remediation of land – approach and the World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) methodology. The book includes an analysis of current degradation and sustainable land management (SLM) in DESIRE study sites, and also compiles an assessment of the SLM technologies and approaches trialled in the DESIRE project. Conclusions and policy points are presented for decision-makers, the private sector, civil society, donors and researchers

Soil threats in Europe

Although there is a large body of knowledge available on soil threats in Europe, this knowledge is fragmented and incomplete, in particular regarding the complexity and functioning of soil systems and their interaction with human activities. The main aim of RECARE is to develop effective prevention, remediation and restoration measures using an innovative trans-disciplinary approach, actively integrating and advancing knowledge of stakeholders and scientists in 17 Case Studies, covering a range of soil threats in different bio-physical and socio-economic environments across Europe. Existing national and EU policies will be reviewed and compared to identify potential incoherence, contradictions and synergies. Policy messages will be formulated based on the Case Study results and their integration at European level. A comprehensive dissemination and communication strategy, including the development of a web-based Dissemination and Communication Hub, will accompany the other activities to ensure that project results are disseminated to a variety of stakeholders at the right time and in the appropriate formats to stimulate renewed care for European soils.JRC.H.5-Land Resources Managemen

An applied methodology for stakeholder identification in transdisciplinary research

In this paper we present a novel methodology for identifying stakeholders for the purpose of engaging with them in transdisciplinary, sustainability research projects. In transdisciplinary research, it is important to identify a range of stakeholders prior to the problem-focussed stages of research. Early engagement with diverse stakeholders creates space for them to influence the research process, including problem definition, from the start. However, current stakeholder analysis approaches ignore this initial identification process, or position it within the subsequent content-focussed stages of research. Our methodology was designed as part of a research project into a range of soil threats in seventeen case study locations throughout Europe. Our methodology was designed to be systematic across all sites. It is based on a snowball sampling approach that can be implemented by researchers with no prior experience of stakeholder research, and without requiring significant financial or time resources. It therefore fosters transdisciplinarity by empowering physical scientists to identify stakeholders and understand their roles. We describe the design process and outcomes, and consider their applicability to other research projects. Our methodology therefore consists of a two-phase process of design and implementation of an identification questionnaire. By explicitly including a design phase into the process, it is possible to tailor our methodology to other research projects

Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe

Soils form the basis for agricultural production and other ecosystem services, and soil management should aim at improving their quality and resilience. Within the SoilCare project, the concept of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS) was developed as a holistic approach to facilitate the adoption of soil management that is sustainable and profitable. SICS selected with stakeholders were monitored and evaluated for environmental, sociocultural, and economic effects to determine profitability and sustainability. Monitoring results were upscaled to European level using modelling and Europe-wide data, and a mapping tool was developed to assist in selection of appropriate SICS across Europe. Furthermore, biophysical, sociocultural, economic, and policy reasons for (non)adoption were studied. Results at the plot/farm scale showed a small positive impact of SICS on environment and soil, no effect on sustainability, and small negative impacts on economic and sociocultural dimensions. Modelling showed that different SICS had different impacts across Europe-indicating the importance of understanding local dynamics in Europe-wide assessments. Work on adoption of SICS confirmed the role economic considerations play in the uptake of SICS, but also highlighted social factors such as trust. The project's results underlined the need for policies that support and enable a transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in a coherent way

Assessing impacts of soil management measures on ecosystem services

Only a few studies have quantified and measured ecosystem services (ES) specifically related to soil. To address this gap, we have developed and applied a methodology to assess changes in ecosystem services, based on measured or estimated soil property changes that were stimulated by soil management measures (e.g., mulching, terracing, no-till). We applied the ES assessment methodology in 16 case study sites across Europe representing a high diversity of soil threats and land use systems. Various prevention and remediation measures were trialled, and the changes in manageable soil and other natural capital properties were measured and quantified. An Excel tool facilitated data collection, calculation of changes in ecosystem services, and visualization of measured short-term changes and estimated long-term changes at plot level and for the wider area. With this methodology, we were able to successfully collect and compare data on the impact of land management on 15 different ecosystem services from 26 different measures. Overall, the results are positive in terms of the impacts of the trialled measures on ecosystem services, with 18 out of 26 measures having no decrease in any service at the plot level. Although methodological challenges remain, the ES assessment was shown to be a comprehensive evaluation of the impacts of the trialled measures, and also served as an input to a stakeholder valuation of ecosystem services at local and sub-national level

Soil-Improving Cropping Systems for Sustainable and Profitable Farming in Europe

Soils form the basis for agricultural production and other ecosystem services, and soil management should aim at improving their quality and resilience. Within the SoilCare project, the concept of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS) was developed as a holistic approach to facilitate the adoption of soil management that is sustainable and profitable. SICS selected with stakeholders were monitored and evaluated for environmental, sociocultural, and economic effects to determine profitability and sustainability. Monitoring results were upscaled to European level using modelling and Europe-wide data, and a mapping tool was developed to assist in selection of appropriate SICS across Europe. Furthermore, biophysical, sociocultural, economic, and policy reasons for (non)adoption were studied. Results at the plot/farm scale showed a small positive impact of SICS on environment and soil, no effect on sustainability, and small negative impacts on economic and sociocultural dimensions. Modelling showed that different SICS had different impacts across Europe—indicating the importance of understanding local dynamics in Europe-wide assessments. Work on adoption of SICS confirmed the role economic considerations play in the uptake of SICS, but also highlighted social factors such as trust. The project’s results underlined the need for policies that support and enable a transition to more sustainable agricultural practices in a coherent way