Soil Erosion and Runoff Generation Related to Land Use Changes in the Pyrenees

Abstract

Many scientific papers and books demonstrate the direct and indirect effects of human activities on the intensification of soil erosion processes and changes in both sediment and runoff sources (Ives and Messerli 1989). It is well known that deforestation and hillslope farming cause distinct changes in soil properties and infiltration rates, which ultimately affect soil erosion processes and the hydrological cycle at a basin and hillslope scale (Goudie 1986).