
TY  - JOUR
A1  - Eldridge, D. J. 
A1  - Kinnell, P. I. A. 
T1  - Assessment of erosion rates from microphyte-dominated calcareous soils under rain-impacted flow
JF  - Soil Research
JO  - Soil Res.
Y1  - 1997
VL  - 35
IS  - 3
SP  - 475
EP  - 490
KW  - microphytes, cryptogamic crusts, water erosion, microphytic crusts, lichens, bryophytes, erosion processes, semi-arid rangelands.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1071/S96072 
N2  - Intact soil monoliths with surfaces of varying microphytic crust cover were collected from a calcareous earth soil in a semi-arid belah&#8211;rosewood woodland near Wentworth in south-western New South Wales. Monoliths were tested for their susceptibility to erosion by rain-impacted flow using a laboratory rainfall simulator. The erosive stress applied to each surface was controlled by varying the flow depth between 4 and 8 mm whilst maintaining a flow velocity of 25 mm/s using 2&#183;7 mm raindrops falling 11&#183;2 m at average rainfall intensities of 65 mm/h. Increasing the cover of microphytic crusts on the surface resulted in a significant (P = 0&#183;001) reduction in sediment concentration. A linear model incorporating percentage cover and distribution of cover accounted for 46% of the variance in soil erosion. A significant relationship was also found between the coarse fraction (&#62;0&#183;053 mm) and crust cover (P = 0&#183;012) at the 4-mm depth. Management practices such as overgrazing, trampling, and fire, which reduce the cover of crusts in this landscape, will lead to increased erosion hazard. 
ER  -

