A review on sheet erosion measurements in Hungary

Abstract

Soil erosion has a significant role in ecology, economy and in environmental protection therefore its quantification and prediction are very important, particularly on a national level. Although some details can be described using physical equations, the entire soil erosion process is rather complicated and can be determined only empirically, which requires large measured datasets. Because plot measurement is the most convenient and therefore the most popular way of capturing erosion data, we used plot measurement to understand erosion in Hungary. The northern and the western parts of the country are endangered by sheet erosion, which is why the plots were carried out in those areas. Most of the plots were constructed to determine the "K" factor of the USLE (Universal Soil Loss Equation) under permanently tilled soils without vegetation cover. Additionally the soil protection effect of various field crops and the additional land use types (forest, pasture) was measured in the plots. Furthermore descriptive investigations, rainfall simulations and soil tracer detections were also used to quantify sheet erosion at different environmental conditions and scales. Despite the large amount of measured data collected, only a few of them have since been published. Due to a lack of available data, national erosion research, erosion prediction, and model calibration are less precise and effective Scaling problems among the measured levels also emphasized a definite need for a larger and more accessible national database. Finally, without the financial base of additional plot measurements, the publication of the previously gathered data is absolutely necessary to continue soil erosion studies in Hungary.