Concentrated flow erodibility of loess-derived topsoils: the impact of rainfall-induced consolidation and sealing

Abstract

This study investigates the impact of rainfall-induced soil consolidation and soil surface sealing processes over time after tillage on soil erosion during concentrated flow. The soil erodibility (Kc) and critical flow shear stress (τcr) were examined for identical, artificially created soil samples under simulated rainfall. As these rainfall-induced soil structural changes are inseparably related to soil moisture variations, the effects are evaluated for different soil moisture conditions.