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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #67394
Title: EROSION AND SOIL CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

Author
item Norton, Lloyd
item SHAINBERG, ISAAC - VOLCANI CTR, ISRAEL
item CIHACEK, LARRY - ND STATE UNIV., FARGO
item Edwards Jr, James - Jim

Submitted to: Soil and Water Conservation Society
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/2/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soil erosion by water involves complex interactions between rainwater and soil as influenced by soil properties and condition at the time of interaction. A very important property affecting soil condition and such interactions is chemistry. Depending on the constituents making up the soil and their relative proportions, soils may behave differently to rainfall and have different amounts of erosion. In this paper we hope to summarize some of what is known about how soil chemical properties may affect processes and how these same properties may interact thus affecting the condition of the soil at the time of interaction with rainfall. Inherent chemical properties such as charge density of clays are not easily altered and may affect physical properties such as aggregation, density, water holding capacity, porosity, etc. and thus cannot be discussed totally without attention to this. In fact, many problem soils have adverse physical conditions due to their inherent chemical properties. Other chemical properties of the soil including saturating cations, pH, eH, etc. are more easily modified and can be changed by amending soil. Amending chemical constituents may change the physical condition and soil erodibility by affecting processes important to erosion, including dispersion and flocculation, cohesion, hardsetting, self mulching, slaking, swelling and surface sealing. An understanding of how chemical properties affect soil condition and erosion processes will lead to strategies to amend soil chemistry to favorably affect soil quality and reduce erosion.