In rill erosion finger like rills appear on the cultivated land after it has undergone sheet erosion. Towards an assessment of the ephemeral gully erosion. This dynamic gully erosion model has been verified with data on gully morphology and dynamics from the yamal peninsula russia and new south wales australia. Gully erosion can be caused in a number of ways, having different mechanisms, modes and. Procedures to adopt when modelling soil erosion in landscapes affected by gullying j. Gully erosion and landslides are terminal and cancerous ecological diseases that destroy within minutes or at most hours. Crust movements, caused by endogenous factors, lead to the activation of exogenous factors such as gully erosion. An erosion gully site in ankpa the ankpa metropolis and environs is one of the areas of southeastern nigeria that have been ravaged by severe gully erosion. Prior to the occurrence of the gully erosion, the overland flow path would likely have carried only shallow concentrated flows conveying stormwater runoff to a.
While the study mainly observed the environmental impacts and causes of gully erosion in the. The occurrence of gully erosion specifically increases in the areas where land slope increases to a few percent. To name a few, anambra, imo, akwa ibom and others in southern side are badly affected leading to gully erosion and loss of land area there is need for the government to address this through organized tree planting and controlling erosion through sound engineering. A form of water erosion in which gullies are produced by combination of unattended rills. In some cases, a main gully channel may become as long as one kilometer. It was established that various factors bordering on anthropogenic and natural causes which include excessive rainfall, underlying geology of auchi, nature of the soil at. Several scientists agree that the cost of food production is increasing in many parts of the world due to erosion and loss of nutrients. The nsw department of primary industries provides further detail on the treatment of gully erosion. The study particularly seeks to explore the local peoples perceptions of gully erosion and how it affects crop, settlement development, crop yields, land ownership and values, rural economics and private conservation investments in dangara area of. The side walls of gullies become practically straight after rapid sliding following its incision. The warke watershed a project paper presented to the faculty of graduate school of cornell university in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree master of professional studies mps by birara chekol tarekegn january 2012. Learn about the impacts of this type of soil erosion, why it occurs and how. Gully and sheet erosion on subtropical mountain slopes.
Gully erosion, one type of soil erosion, occurs due to the removal of the top soil along the drainage channels through surface water runoff 1. The length of the gully channel increases as waterfall erosion causes the gully head to advance backwards. The warke watershed a project paper presented to the faculty of graduate school. Gully erosion may occur as a result of continuous and heavy rainfall the greater the intensity and duration of a rainfall, the higher the erosion potential. Rill erosion is often described as the intermediate stage between sheet erosion and gully erosion. Gully erosion erosion soil and water farm management. The gully erosion effect on the environment ceur workshop. Types of erosion environment, land and water queensland.
Causes and controlling factors of valley bottom gullies mdpi. These rills are usually smoothened out every year while forming. Gully erosion part 1 gully erosion and its causes catchments. Gully erosion assessment and control guide local land services. Check whether the erosion is active gully erosion can look dramatic, but if the gully has stabilised it may be better to leave it alone. Gully erosion causes severe damage to agricultural lands, including soil loss, increase in surface runoff, lower soil waterholding capacity, lower quality and quantity of water, lower groundwater table, and lower agricultural production. According to egboka 2007, the problems resulting from soil erosion in the state are so many and are varied too. Gully erosion is more difficult and expensive to control than sheet and rill erosion. Rill erosion can be reduced by reducing the volume and speed of surface water with grassed waterways and filter strips, ripped mulch lines, and contour drains. Features of watershed degradation gully erosion and badlands. Some of the identified natural causes include tectonism and uplift, climatic factors, geotechnical properties of soil, among others.
Disturbing dispersive soils may reactivate the gully and cause more erosion. Comparative analysis of the causes of gully erosion in. Tillage destroys soil structure and reduces the residue cover, leaving the soil surface more prone to erosion and runoff. Gully erosion is not a process limited to badlands, mountainous and hilly regions but a global and serious cause of land degradation affecting a wide variety of soils prone to crusting andor piping. A straight stable slope model was used for prediction of gully side wall inclination. Gully erosion, subsurface flow, saturation excess, infiltration excess. The occurrence of gully erosion specifically increases.
For example, cuestas, fractures and joints are common features in the gully erosion prone areas of southeastern nigeria and have been identified as significant factors in the formation of gully erosion and landslides 18,19. For this reason prevention is far better than control. Several studies have been conducted on the causes of gully. Gully erosion, the most impressive and striking erosion type, has been recognized as one of the major global environmental problems. The options provided in this guide are suited to the tablelands and slopes landscapes and may not be applicable.
Prolonged erosion causes irreversible soil loss over time, reducing the ecological e. In this study the environmental impacts of the gully erosion were investigated and remedies are being suggested to arrest andor minimize the menace. Gully erosion is regarded as an indicator of deserti. Investigating the causes and impacts of gully erosion in. Gully erosion and landslides in southeastern nigeria.
Pdf gully erosion, the most impressive and striking erosion type, has been recognized as one of the major global environmental problems. Gully erosion is caused when runoff concentrates and flows at a velocity sufficient to. Understanding the cause of the gully erosion can help in identifying the best treatment option. While the tillage does fill in the gully, each time the gully washes out again, the soil is lost from the gully and from along the sides of the gully as that soil was used to repair the gully. Photo 1 urban gully erosion migrating along a constructed stormwater drain qld photo 2 rural gully erosion migrating through pastoral land sa. Causes and impacts of gully erosion in nigeria research. It also refer to the land form formed after the erosion by water. A study of early gullycontrol structures in the colorado. Pdf gully and sheet erosion on subtropical mountain. From gully erosion estimating soil loss from gully erosion ephemeral or classic definitions ephemeral gully a shallow channel cut by concentrated runoff where soil loosened by mechanical operations is removed, generally between tillage operations. Through water erosion, approximately 400 thousand gully erosion formations were formed, covering over 500 thousand hectares according to g. It increased migration from villages to cities and increased socioeconomic problems and poverty. In some cases it may not be suitable to restore the gully back to its pre erosion condition, such as when there is a permanent change in the catchment hydrology.
Gully erosion highly occurs most in area where the contributing effects of land use, climate change and slope interact are prominent. The impact of raindrops on the soil surface can break down soil sediments and disperse the sediment to down streams. The responses received for the various aspects considered in evaluating the respondents perspectives of the processes, causative factors, consequences and control measures of gully erosion in the study area were subjective to multiple correspondence analysis mca to detect and explore relationships between knowledge of causes of gully. Causes, impacts and possible solutions to gully erosion in nigeria gully erosion. Under natural conditions, runoff is moderated by vegetation which generally holds the soil together, protecting it from excessive runoff and direct rainfall. The stabilisation of an active gully requires an understanding of the likely cause or causes of the gully erosion, and the ability to identify appropriate treatment options. Gully erosion occurs when, during a rain event, laminar surface runoff becomes linear and strongly deepens small rillsriverbeds. The areas with apparent success include some gully spots. However, experi mental studies on gully erosion commonly lacked the ampleness of those dedicated to surface sheet erosion. Central to this is a gully erosion classification system, which categorises gully erosion problems and provides management options for each class of gully. Gully erosion causes severe damage to agricultural lands, including soil loss, increase in surface runoff, lower soil waterholding capacity, lower quality and quantity of water, lower groundwater.
Classic gully erosion generally occurs in well defined drainage ways and generally is not. A landholders guide to preventing and repairing soil erosion pdf 6. Gully erosion gully erosion occurs due to the runoff of surface water causing the removal of soil with drainage lines. Gully erosion gullies are channels deeper than 30cm that cannot. Monitoring soil erosion in south africa at a regional scale. Determining the cause of accelerated streambank erosion is the first step in solving the problem. Because of more prevalence of gully erosion in the southeastern part of the country, the region has attracted more attention of a number of researchers to unravel the causes of gully erosion. The first is that present control measures are not entirely satisfactory in particular, a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms of different kinds of gullies is needed so that treatments can be designed to suit.
The four types or mechanisms of erosion are rill erosion, gully erosion, stream bank erosion, and sheet erosion. Gully erosion may cause considerable soil losses and produce large volumes of sediment. Gully erosion results not only from surface flow but also often from subsurface flow. Pdf causes and effects of gully erosion on agricultural lands. The details of all publications are in the researchgate in full text pdf forms.
Soil erosion in south africa its nature and distribution. Assessment of treatment options soil is a resource best used insitu, not in transit. Characteristics and causes of gully erosion in iran. Sep 24, 2015 gully erosion is the removal of soil along drainage lines by the surface of the water. There are farms in ontario that are losing large quantities of topsoil and subsoil each year due to gully erosion. The causes of gully erosion are poorly understood but. Soil erosion is a major problem affecting some states in nigeria. Effectiveness of gully erosion control measures in edo.
The same forces at work in streambank erosion are seen in soils on. This study examines the causes and consequences of gully erosion, as perceived by the local people of dangara area, nigeria. Gully erosion occurs due to the runoff of surface water causing the removal of soil with drainage lines. To check whether the erosion is active, look at the gully head, walls and floor. At the same time, the gully becomes deeper and wider because of channel erosion. Although students could tell which was which, i missed a key component keep reading to find out what that was. The process may be natural or accelerated by human activity. The first is that present control measures are not entirely satisfactory in particular, a more detailed understanding of the mechanisms of different kinds of gullies is. Soil erosion not only involves the loss of fertile. Assessment of environmental impacts and remedies for gully.
Gully erosion is best characterised as a bed instability that subsequently causes in bank instabilities. The study particularly seeks to explore the local peoples perceptions of gully erosion and how it affects crop, settlement development, crop yields, land ownership and values, rural economics and private conservation investments in dangara area of nigerias federal. Gully erosion gully erosion is an advanced stage of rill erosion where surface channels are eroded to the point where they become a nuisance factor in normal tillage operations figure 5. Therefore, the works from this area are overwhelming in the literature. If untreated, the ephemeral gully may develop into a classic. Causes of gully erosion gully erosion may occur as a result of continuous and heavy rainfall the greater the intensity and duration of a rainfall, the higher the erosion potential. The causes and impacts of the gully erosion menace in the auchi community of edo state, nigeria, have been investigated. Gully erosion is a welldefined water worn channel monkhouse and small, 1978.
Estimating soil loss from gully erosion ephemeral or classic definitions ephemeral gully a shallow channel cut by concentrated runoff where soil loosened by mechanical operations is removed, generally between tillage operations. Excessive clearing, inappropriate land use and compaction of the soil caused by grazing often means the soil is left exposed and unable to absorb excess water. Gullies when started once, will move by headward erosion or even by slumping of side walls unless and untill proper steps will be taken in order to stabilize the disturbance. Causes and effects of gully erosion on agricultural lands and the. Understanding the cause of the gully erosion is important because it may help to identify the best treatment option. Surface water runoff, causing gully formation or the. Causes and features of watershed degradation related to. Gully erosion occurs when water is channelled across unprotected land and washes away the soil along the drainage lines.
It is also more spectacular than the other forms of erosion. Soil erosion soil erosion is the detachment and movement of soil material. The causes of gully erosion with respect to the geologic settings as suggested by the earlier studies are numerous. A form of water erosion in which numerous very small and more or less straight channels are produced. Gully erosion is an advanced stage of rill erosion where surface channels are eroded to the point where they become a nuisance factor in normal tillage operations. The intensity of deepening depends on the slope and the ground texturestructure.
Natural erosion has sculptured landforms on the uplands and built landforms on the lowlands. Soil erosion constitutes one of the global environmental problems and is perhaps the most serious mechanism of land degradation in the tropical counties like nigeria. An ephemeral gully typically erodes to the tilled depth. Poesen physical and regional geogra phy research group, department of earth and environmental sciences, katholieke universiteit leuven, geo. Performance of gully erosion control measures 169 stabilized after two years of the construction of the remedial measures, in some the gullying has continued but at a reduced rate while at others gullying has continued unabated despite the measures. Gully erosion, however, can also occur within a watercourse, typically within the upper reaches, and typically resulting from an active headcut migrating rapidly up the valley. Many states in nigeria are currently under the threats of this phenomenal process, southeastern part of the country being the most affected. In sheet erosion a thin layer of the surface is removed. Each year the rills slowly increase in number become wider and deeper. Causes and effects of gully erosion on agricultural lands.
A study of early gully control structures in the colorado front range by burchard h. Gully treatment by water diversion or retention reduction of the runoff which flows through a gully is one of the most effective control measures. In pakistan, 75% of the country is affected by water and wind erosion and gully erosion affects 36% of the agricultural area of the country according to g. Pdf causes and effects of gully erosion on agricultural. Heede, research forester introduction the control of gullies is an important step in watershed rehabilitation. Gully erosion pdf 330kb saving soil a landholders guide to preventing and. Soil degradation and overland flow as causes of gully erosion on mountain pastures and in forests. Depending on the local landscape and weather conditions, erosion may be very slow or very rapid. Gully erosion, definition, causes, effects and prevention. The results show that several parameters, including poor rangeland vegetation cover, overgrazing, human activities, intensive and shortperiod rainfall, improper.
To avoid wind erosion, keep soil covered with plants or residue, plant windbreaks, use stripcropping, increase surface roughness, cultivate on the contour, and maintain soil aggregates at a size less likely to be carried by wind. Soil erosion sheet, rill and wind erosion concentrated flow erosion shoreline, bank and channel erosion. This is because gullies that develop due to this poor road construction are allowed to get to a worst state before solutions are sorted for by individuals, corporate organizations and government. Gully erosion is the removal of soil along drainage lines by surface water runoff. Contrary to sheet and rill erosion, the damage done to land by gully erosion is permanent. Causes and effects of gully erosion on agricultural lands and. Environmental pollution, types, causes, impact and. Magnitude and causes ofgully erosion in the lower redwood. Gully erosion threshold dependent often linked to extreme rainfall events can we predict gully erosion at regional scales, using simple empirical models, based on available data. Dec 23, 2014 this study examines the causes and consequences of gully erosion, as perceived by the local people of dangara area, nigeria. Sheet and rill erosion are usually not as conspicuous as gully erosion.
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