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Soil wind erosion influenced by clay amendment in the inland Pacific Northwest, USA
  • huawei Pi,
  • David Huggins,
  • Brenton Sharratt
huawei Pi
Washington State University

Corresponding Author:huawei.pi@wsu.edu

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David Huggins
USDA-ARS
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Brenton Sharratt
USDA-ARS
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Abstract

Soil clay content is one of the primary intrinsic soil properties affecting soil erodibility, but few studies have tested the effects of clay amendment on soil wind erosion. The objective of this study was therefore to evaluate the effect of progressive clay amendment on soil wind erosion in the inland Pacific Northwest (iPNW), where there is a high soil erodibility risk due to the arid and semi-arid environment. Clay amendment significantly increased crust crushing energy when physical soil crusts formed after simulated rainfall. Crusts were then subject to simulated tillage to create an erodible soil surface before determining wind erosion in a wind tunnel. Soil loss significantly decreased with increasing clay amendment, even for low clay amendments (2%). In addition, the rate of change in erosion decreased with increasing amounts of clay amendment. Clay amendment was more effective in decreasing soil loss for two sandy loams or soil types with lower clay content. Clay amendment decreased soil loss primarily due to its impact on increasing aggregate geometric mean diameter (GMD), but aggregate crushing energy is also important in decreasing soil loss in terms of decreasing abrasion flux. Clay amendment is thus an effective way to restrain land deterioration in terms of increasing crust crushing energy, aggregate GMD, and decreasing abrasion flux.
11 Mar 2020Submitted to Land Degradation & Development
11 Mar 2020Submission Checks Completed
11 Mar 2020Assigned to Editor
21 Mar 2020Reviewer(s) Assigned
27 Apr 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
02 May 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Major
21 May 20201st Revision Received
21 May 2020Submission Checks Completed
21 May 2020Assigned to Editor
04 Jun 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
07 Jun 2020Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
09 Jun 20202nd Revision Received
09 Jun 2020Submission Checks Completed
09 Jun 2020Assigned to Editor
22 Jun 2020Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
28 Jun 2020Editorial Decision: Accept