Agronomic determinants of runoff and soil erosion : from plot to watershed

Abstract

We first review the processes controlling runoff and erosion and then examine the influence of agricultural practices on these phenomena on the scale of the agricultural field and the cultivated catchment. Agricultural practices determine the kind and density of plant and mulch cover in a given field. The cover protects the topsoil from rainfall and reduces the runoff speed. At the same time, agricultural practices are associated with a succession of mechanical actions on the soil that can cause fragmentation and compaction. These actions have opposite effects. Fragmentation increases the infiltration rate, but also the risk of erosion, while compaction increases the runoff rate, but reduces the risk of erosion. The agricultural practices used on each field determine the spatial distribution of areas able to produce runoff in a catchment area, and the areas susceptible to erosion. The relative position of an area along the runoff collector network determines the location and risk of erosion. This catchment hydrographic structure changes under the combined effects of climate and agricultural practices. Understanding the effects of agricultural practices on the catchment require the use of digital simulations with appropriate erosion models.