Variable effects of saltation and soil properties on wind erosion of different textured soils

Abstract

Wind erosion largely depends on saltation. Nevertheless, the effect of the composition of the saltation fraction of different textured soils is poorly understood, as is the relative influence of both saltation and soil properties on wind erosion. In order to answer these questions, wind erosion of six differently textured soils were simulated with a wind tunnel. The following saltation conditions were considered: injected saltation, in which the saltation fraction of each soil was added to the soil bed; no saltation, in which the soil eroded naturally, without injection of its saltation fraction; and only saltation, in which the saltation fraction was injected in absence of the soil bed. Results indicated that total erosion amounts increased as a function of the abrasion energy of the saltating particles but also with decreasing aggregation rate of the saltation fraction. The aforementioned agrees with a lower aggregate stability and higher amounts of the erodible fraction of sandy soils. Though saltation of individual sand grains produced impacts of higher kinetic energy on the soil surface of sandy soils than of fine textured soils, the relative erosion (quotient between the erosion occurred with and without saltation) was higher in finest soils, indicating a larger effect of saltation, probably due to the larger fragmentation of aggregates in these soils. Results of this study indicated that both the composition of the saltating fraction and also the intrinsic properties of the soil determined wind erosion.