Spatio-temporal monitoring of soil erosion and sedimentation in areas degraded by accelerated erosive processes in the municipality of Botucatu, São Paulo.

• Grant number: 23/18488-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2024
• End date: January 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Physical Geography
• Principal Investigator: Renata Cristina Bovi
• Grantee: Gabriel Henrique de Souza Rodrigues
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The soil is a natural resource of great importance not only to humanity but also to all living beings and ecosystems on our planet. Soil erosion is a natural process that occurs worldwide, but anthropogenic actions accelerate the process and cause severe environmental, social, and economic problems. Rainwater is the most important erosive agent, and various erosive features result from this process, such as sheet erosion, rills, and gullies. In addition to erosions caused by the concentration of surface flows, the concentration of subsurface flows can occur, often referred to as piping. Although the fundamental factors triggering soil erosion formation are well understood, there is still a scarcity of field data quantifying the critical thresholds of climate, soil, and regolith that favor the process. Erosion pins, also known as erosion stakes, can be used to monitor and quantify erosion rates, providing information on the magnitude of soil loss in a specific area, allowing a more accurate understanding of ongoing erosive processes. Furthermore, the analysis of erosion pins over time can reveal trends and patterns of erosion, assisting in evaluating the effectiveness of soil conservation measures. The aim of this study is to assess erosion and sedimentation rates through erosion pins in an area with an advanced and unstable gully. Additionally, the goal is to determine the soil's susceptibility to erosion through morphological, physical, physico-hydric, and chemical soil attributes.