Sources and export of particle-borne organic matter during a monsoon flood in a catchment of northern Laos

International audienceThe yields of the tropical rivers of Southeast Asia supply large quantities of carbon to the ocean. The origin and dynamics of particulate organic matter were studied in the Houay Xon River catchment located in northern Laos during the first erosive flood of the rainy season in May 2012. This cultivated catchment is equipped with three successive gauging stations draining areas ranging between 0.2 and 11.6 km2 on the main stem of the permanent stream, and two additional stations draining 0.6 ha hillslopes. In addition, the sequential monitoring of rainwater, overland flow and suspended organic matter compositions was conducted at the 1 m2 plot scale during a storm. The composition of particulate organic matter (total organic carbon and total nitrogen concentrations, δ13C and δ15N) was determined for suspended sediment, soil surface (top 2 cm) and soil subsurface (gullies and riverbanks) samples collected in the catchment (n = 57, 65 and 11, respectively). Hydrograph separation of event water was achieved using water electric conductivity and δ18O measurements for rainfall, overland flow and river water base flow (n = 9, 30 and 57, respectively). The composition of particulate organic matter indicates that upstream suspended sediments mainly originated from cultivated soils labelled by their C3 vegetation cover (upland rice, fallow vegetation and teak plantations). In contrast, channel banks characterized by C4 vegetation (Napier grass) supplied significant quantities of sediment to the river during the flood rising stage at the upstream station as well as in downstream river sections. The highest runoff coefficient (11.7%), sediment specific yield (433 kg ha−1), total organic carbon specific yield (8.3 kg C ha−1) and overland flow contribution (78–100%) were found downstream of reforested areas planted with teaks. Swamps located along the main stream acted as sediment filters and controlled the composition of suspended organic matter. Total organic carbon specific yields were particularly high because they occurred during the first erosive storm of the rainy season, just after the period of slash-and-burn operations in the catchment

Burkholderia pseudomallei in a lowland rice paddy: seasonal changes and influence of soil depth and physico-chemical properties.

Melioidosis, a severe infection with the environmental bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, is being recognised increasingly frequently. What determines its uneven distribution within endemic areas is poorly understood. We cultured soil from a rice field in Laos for B. pseudomallei at different depths on 4 occasions over a 13-month period. We also measured physical and chemical parameters in order to identify associated characteristics. Overall, 195 of 653 samples (29.7%) yielded B. pseudomallei. A higher prevalence of B. pseudomallei was found at soil depths greater than the 30?cm currently recommended for B. pseudomallei environmental sampling. B. pseudomallei was associated with a high soil water content and low total nitrogen, carbon and organic matter content. Our results suggested that a sampling grid of 25 five metre square quadrats (i.e. 25?×?25?m) should be sufficient to detect B. pseudomallei at a given location if samples are taken at a soil depth of at least 60?cm. However, culture of B. pseudomallei in environmental samples is difficult and liable to variation. Future studies should both rely on molecular approaches and address the micro-heterogeneity of soil when investigating physico-chemical associations with the presence of B. pseudomallei

Comprendre les comportements face à un risque modéré d’inondation. Etude de cas dans le périurbain toulousain (Sud-Ouest de la France)

Les espaces urbanisés soumis à des risques modérés d’inondation pour les vies humaines sont souvent peu considérés dans les études sur la vulnérabilité aux risques naturels en dépit des enjeux qu’ils représentent en termes de gestion de crise. Comment les riverains y font-ils face au danger et quelles sont leurs « bonnes raisons » d’agir? A partir de l’étude socio-géographique de deux inondations récentes (2000 et 2003) dans la périphérie toulousaine (Sud-Ouest de la France), nous montrons que les caractéristiques de l’aléa dans les vallées étudiées influencent les représentations du risque et par conséquent les motivations à se protéger. Face au risque majeur, la vulnérabilité sociale se trouve ainsi augmentée. Pour améliorer la résilience des populations, il convient d’adapter la communication sur les risques: personnaliser l’information, améliorer la compréhension de l’événement vécu et mobiliser de nouvelles formes de médiation entre gestionnaires et riverains

Sediment source fingerprinting: benchmarking recent outputs, remaining challenges and emerging themes

Abstract: Purpose: This review of sediment source fingerprinting assesses the current state-of-the-art, remaining challenges and emerging themes. It combines inputs from international scientists either with track records in the approach or with expertise relevant to progressing the science. Methods: Web of Science and Google Scholar were used to review published papers spanning the period 2013–2019, inclusive, to confirm publication trends in quantities of papers by study area country and the types of tracers used. The most recent (2018–2019, inclusive) papers were also benchmarked using a methodological decision-tree published in 2017. Scope: Areas requiring further research and international consensus on methodological detail are reviewed, and these comprise spatial variability in tracers and corresponding sampling implications for end-members, temporal variability in tracers and sampling implications for end-members and target sediment, tracer conservation and knowledge-based pre-selection, the physico-chemical basis for source discrimination and dissemination of fingerprinting results to stakeholders. Emerging themes are also discussed: novel tracers, concentration-dependence for biomarkers, combining sediment fingerprinting and age-dating, applications to sediment-bound pollutants, incorporation of supportive spatial information to augment discrimination and modelling, aeolian sediment source fingerprinting, integration with process-based models and development of open-access software tools for data processing. Conclusions: The popularity of sediment source fingerprinting continues on an upward trend globally, but with this growth comes issues surrounding lack of standardisation and procedural diversity. Nonetheless, the last 2 years have also evidenced growing uptake of critical requirements for robust applications and this review is intended to signpost investigators, both old and new, towards these benchmarks and remaining research challenges for, and emerging options for different applications of, the fingerprinting approach

Caractérisation des évènements averses crues et de l’érosion hydrique à l’échelle d’un petit versant pastoral sahélien (Nord du Burkina Faso)

Les événements averses-crues et l’érosion hydrique ont été suivis pendant trois années (1998-2000) sur un petit bassin versant (1.4 ha) en milieu sahélien du Burkina Faso. Les résultats hydrologiques montrent que les hauteurs de pluie mesurées au sol sont supérieures de 27% à celles mesurées à 1 m du sol (appareils standards). Les cumuls annuels de pluie s’élèvent à 518 mm en 1998, 486 mm en 1999 et 419 mm en 2000, avec des coefficients de ruissellement de 34%, 23% et 38% respectivement. Les valeurs individuelles de ces coefficients de ruissellement peuvent atteindre 72% et un seul évènement peut représenter jusqu’à 40% du volume total annuel ruisselé et 20% de la pluie annuelle.  En ce qui concerne l’érosion hydrique, les exportations annuelles de matières solides se chiffrent à 6.8 t.ha-1 en 1998, 4.0 t.ha-1 en 1999 et 8.4 t.ha-1 en 2000. Les matières en suspension représentent la forme dominante (plus de 90%) des pertes en terre ; le charriage de fond représentant moins de 10%. Les exportations de sédiments durant un évènement dépendent fortement de l’importance de l’averse-crue et peuvent atteindre 4.2 t.ha-1 pour une averse-crue importante (Pluie = 85 mm et débit spécifique de pointe = 362 l.s-1.ha-1). Ainsi, on trouve que sur la période d’étude, une petite proportion (entre 20 et 32%) des évènements averses-crues est responsable de la majorité (environ 80%) des transports solides. Ces résultats semblent être des traits caractéristiques du milieu sahélien. Une comparaison avec quelques données de pertes en terre de ce milieu, fait ressortir une décroissance des taux d’érosion avec la taille du bassin versant étudié, ce qui traduit l’importance des effets d’échelle dans les processus d’érosion hydrique

Techniques for simultaneous quantification of wind and water erosion in semi-arid regions

Wind and water erosion are usually studied as two separate processes. However, in semi-arid zones both processes contribute significantly to soil degradation. Whereas for water erosion the direction of sediment transport is controlled by topography, in wind erosion the direction of transport is controlled by the wind direction. Furthermore, the spatial pattern of erosion and deposition for wind erosion is determined by the spatial distribution of source material, soil erodibility factors and non-erodible roughness elements. Given this difference in dependence on topography, different approaches are needed to determine the mass balance for a given area. For water erosion, the research area has to be defined such that no input of sediment occurs, whereas in wind erosion the input and output fluxes of sediment should be measured, or a non-eroding boundary should be created. In semi-arid regions, wind erosion events are often followed immediately by heavy rain. As wind and water erosion occur almost simultaneously at the same site, the effect of wind and water erosion at a given site should be studied concurrently. To do so, a number of measurement techniques with different spatial and temporal scales are necessary. The research should be started at the scale of a Sahelian field. For a complete insight into the processes at a site, the research should include measurement techniques that quantify the impact of wind and water erosion separately and techniques that quantify their combined effec

Wind and water erosion of non cultivated sandy soils in the Sahel: a case study in northern Burkina Faso, Africa

In the Sahel, sandy soils are widespread and support not only most of pearl millet production, the major staple crop in the region, but also forage production for livestock. Parent sediments of these soils have an aeolian origin and hence are prone to wind erosion. However, the clay content, albeit very low, results in the formation of crusts during rainfall, thus leading to runoff and water erosion. Squall lines, major rainfall events of the rainy season, are usually preceded by intense wind. Wind and water erosion is thus closely associated both in time and in space, but they are rarely studied simultaneously. Erosion measurements were carried out during two years (2001, 2002) on a small catchment of grazing land (1.4 ha) at Katchari, Burkina Faso, typical of the Sahel area under 500 mm annual rainfall. Wind erosion occurred at the onset of the rainy season, when soil cover is the lowest, from May to 15th of July, before vegetation growth. Water erosion occurred throughout the rainy season, but some intense events produced most of the total annual erosion. Wind caused the largest sediment fluxes leading to both erosion (up to 20 Mg ha-1 yr-1) and deposits (up to 30 Mg ha-1 yr-1) according to the area of the catchment. Water erosion is one order of magnitude lower than wind erosion, and is more intense where wind erosion is the highest. Thus the same area is eroded both by wind and water. Conversely, in areas where there are aeolian deposits, water erosion is low and these areas correspond to fertile islands where vegetation grows. At this study scale, there is no land degradation, but intense dynamics leading to a high spatial variability typical of the Sahelian environment. On this uncultivated area, the dynamics were similar to those recorded in other Sahelian cultivated millet fields