Effects of initial soil moisture on rill erodibility and critical shear stress factors in the WEPP model across diverse soil types

Rill erosion, a significant issue in agricultural regions, is intricately linked to initial soil moisture conditions, affecting the development of concentrated flow erosion processes. However, understanding its dynamics amidst varying soil moisture conditions remain challenging. This study aimed to...

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Main Authors: Fikret Ari, Selen Deviren Saygin, Cagla Temiz, Sefika Arslan, Mehmet Altay Unal, Gunay Erpul, Dennis C. Flanagan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2025-03-01
Series:International Soil and Water Conservation Research
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095633924000704
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author Fikret Ari
Selen Deviren Saygin
Cagla Temiz
Sefika Arslan
Mehmet Altay Unal
Gunay Erpul
Dennis C. Flanagan
author_facet Fikret Ari
Selen Deviren Saygin
Cagla Temiz
Sefika Arslan
Mehmet Altay Unal
Gunay Erpul
Dennis C. Flanagan
author_sort Fikret Ari
collection DOAJ
description Rill erosion, a significant issue in agricultural regions, is intricately linked to initial soil moisture conditions, affecting the development of concentrated flow erosion processes. However, understanding its dynamics amidst varying soil moisture conditions remain challenging. This study aimed to assess the impact of different soil moisture levels on rill erodibility parameters in the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model and to evaluate soil cohesion across a spectrum of soils. Through laboratory experiments employing a small V-shaped rill channel, we investigated rill erodibility (Kr) and critical hydraulic shear stress (τcr), under three soil moisture scenarios: initially dry, saturated, and drainage, with incremental surface inflow rates. Additionally, we examined the efficiency of soil cohesion obtained from an Automated Soil Cohesion Measurement Apparatus in predicting Kr and τcr across various soil textures. Our analysis encompassed twenty soils representing nine texture classes, revealing significant correlations between basic soil properties, cohesion parameters, and WEPP model rill erodibility. Notably, initial soil moisture conditions exerted substantial influence on erodibility potentials. Soils with higher silt contents demonstrated better fits in terms of Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency, particularly under initially dry and saturated conditions. However, predictions for initially drained soils yielded poor fits, emphasizing the intricate interplay between soil properties and hydrological conditions. In conclusion, our findings emphasize the critical role of topsoil water dynamics in rill erodibility. We propose that soil cohesion serves as a valuable predictor, complementing friction forces within the soil and enhancing simulations of rill erodibility under shallow flow conditions in rills, particularly in next-generation process-based modeling approaches.
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spelling doaj-art-f9d506b74d114a0891ddca1d4cb1fb2e2025-01-07T04:17:18ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.International Soil and Water Conservation Research2095-63392025-03-01131114Effects of initial soil moisture on rill erodibility and critical shear stress factors in the WEPP model across diverse soil typesFikret Ari0Selen Deviren Saygin1Cagla Temiz2Sefika Arslan3Mehmet Altay Unal4Gunay Erpul5Dennis C. Flanagan6Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ankara University, 06830, Golbasi, Ankara, TurkeyDepartment of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, 06110, Diskapi, Ankara, Turkey; Corresponding author.Department of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, 06110, Diskapi, Ankara, TurkeyDepartment of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, 06110, Diskapi, Ankara, TurkeyStem Cell Institute, Ankara University, 06520, Cankaya, Ankara, TurkeyDepartment of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition, Faculty of Agriculture, Ankara University, 06110, Diskapi, Ankara, TurkeyUSDA-Agricultural Research Service, National Soil Erosion Research Laboratory, 275 S. Russell St., West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2077, USARill erosion, a significant issue in agricultural regions, is intricately linked to initial soil moisture conditions, affecting the development of concentrated flow erosion processes. However, understanding its dynamics amidst varying soil moisture conditions remain challenging. This study aimed to assess the impact of different soil moisture levels on rill erodibility parameters in the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model and to evaluate soil cohesion across a spectrum of soils. Through laboratory experiments employing a small V-shaped rill channel, we investigated rill erodibility (Kr) and critical hydraulic shear stress (τcr), under three soil moisture scenarios: initially dry, saturated, and drainage, with incremental surface inflow rates. Additionally, we examined the efficiency of soil cohesion obtained from an Automated Soil Cohesion Measurement Apparatus in predicting Kr and τcr across various soil textures. Our analysis encompassed twenty soils representing nine texture classes, revealing significant correlations between basic soil properties, cohesion parameters, and WEPP model rill erodibility. Notably, initial soil moisture conditions exerted substantial influence on erodibility potentials. Soils with higher silt contents demonstrated better fits in terms of Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency, particularly under initially dry and saturated conditions. However, predictions for initially drained soils yielded poor fits, emphasizing the intricate interplay between soil properties and hydrological conditions. In conclusion, our findings emphasize the critical role of topsoil water dynamics in rill erodibility. We propose that soil cohesion serves as a valuable predictor, complementing friction forces within the soil and enhancing simulations of rill erodibility under shallow flow conditions in rills, particularly in next-generation process-based modeling approaches.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095633924000704Soil erosion by waterRill erosionErodibility parametersSoil hydrologySoil cohesion
spellingShingle Fikret Ari
Selen Deviren Saygin
Cagla Temiz
Sefika Arslan
Mehmet Altay Unal
Gunay Erpul
Dennis C. Flanagan
Effects of initial soil moisture on rill erodibility and critical shear stress factors in the WEPP model across diverse soil types
International Soil and Water Conservation Research
Soil erosion by water
Rill erosion
Erodibility parameters
Soil hydrology
Soil cohesion
title Effects of initial soil moisture on rill erodibility and critical shear stress factors in the WEPP model across diverse soil types
title_full Effects of initial soil moisture on rill erodibility and critical shear stress factors in the WEPP model across diverse soil types
title_fullStr Effects of initial soil moisture on rill erodibility and critical shear stress factors in the WEPP model across diverse soil types
title_full_unstemmed Effects of initial soil moisture on rill erodibility and critical shear stress factors in the WEPP model across diverse soil types
title_short Effects of initial soil moisture on rill erodibility and critical shear stress factors in the WEPP model across diverse soil types
title_sort effects of initial soil moisture on rill erodibility and critical shear stress factors in the wepp model across diverse soil types
topic Soil erosion by water
Rill erosion
Erodibility parameters
Soil hydrology
Soil cohesion
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095633924000704
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