Sediment transfer at different spatial and temporal scales in the Sichuan Hilly Basin, China: Synthesizing data from multiple approaches and preliminary interpretation in the context of climatic and anthropogenic drivers

Valentin Golosov; Adrian L Collins; Qiang Tang; Xinbao Zhang; Ping Zhou; Xiubin He; Anbang Wen

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.133

Sediment transfer at different spatial and temporal scales in the Sichuan Hilly Basin, China: Synthesizing data from multiple approaches and preliminary interpretation in the context of climatic and anthropogenic drivers

Sci Total Environ. 2017 Nov 15:598:319-329. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.133. Epub 2017 Apr 24.

Authors

Valentin Golosov¹, Adrian L Collins², Qiang Tang³, Xinbao Zhang⁴, Ping Zhou⁴, Xiubin He⁴, Anbang Wen⁴

Affiliations

¹ Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Kazan (Volga region) State University, Kazan 420008, Russia; Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia.
² Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, UK; Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.
³ Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; Sustainable Agriculture Sciences Department, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon EX20 2SB, UK. Electronic address: qiangtang@imde.ac.cn.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China.

PMID: 28448924
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.133

Abstract

Quantifying sediment production and transfer at different spatial and temporal scales in a changing environment is critical in understanding the potential effects of climatic and anthropogenic drivers. Accordingly, estimates of soil erosion and sediment production at hillslope field, first-order small catchment (<0.25km²) and river basin scales in the Sichuan Hilly Basin of Southwestern China, generated using a variety of techniques, including fallout radionuclide tracing, runoff plot observations, core chronology dating and conventional sediment flux monitoring, were synthesized and interpreted in the context of potential climatic and human controls. Mean annual soil erosion rates ranged from 800Mg·km^-2·yr^-1 to 4500Mg·km^-2·yr^-1 on the basis of fallout radionuclide tracing and from 600Mg·km^-2·yr^-1 to 3300Mg·km^-2·yr^-1 using runoff plot monitoring on selected cultivated hillslopes. A high slope-channel sediment delivery ratio was observed, meaning that a substantial proportion of eroded sediment was delivered into downstream drainage channels. An obvious temporal trend of decreasing sediment transfer to the river channels in the first-order catchments was identified, which may be driven by change in regional precipitation regime and the implementation of multiple soil conservation and reforestation practices over recent decades.

Keywords: Caesium-137 tracing; Sediment budget; Sediment delivery ratio; Sediment transfer; Slope-channel connectivity.