Spacial Plan of Serbia (Yugoslavia) predicts the concept of water supply, which is based on exploitation of water from surface storages, formed or under construction. Usage of surface storages is profitable if exploitation of water takes place by protected capacity, during predicted period. Useful spaces of storages are endangered by fulfillment with erosional material, especially in hilly-mountainous region. By the way, particles of sediment are the carriers of pollutants from agricultural surfaces and products of wet and dry deposition from the atmosphere. In order to protect storages by fulfillment, primary tasks are decreasing the erosion production and stopping the existing quantities of sediment in the hydrographic system. Data about investments in erosion control works (period 1994-2000) are presented in the paper. It is necessary to increase level of investments, because the territory of Serbia (Yugoslavia) is region of high risk, in the sense of erosional material production.

In the late sixties and early seventies the processes of intensive erosion prevailed in the catchment and channel of the torrent Lonjinski Potok, Serbia (Yugoslavia). As the consequence the village Lonjin and the very important road Belgrade - Loznica - Uzice, Serbia (Yugoslavia). In the period 1973-1980, significant erosion control works (ECW) were performed in the watershed and in the channel of the Lonjinski Potok torrent. As the results of this the processes of low erosion occur in the watershed and sediment transport is under limit of the runoff regime. Now, runoff regime is balanced without the floods and long drought period. According his quality water belongs to the first classe. Results of research shows that erosion control works are, also, very important factor for balanced runoff regime and water quality.

Polyacrylamide (PAM) use in irrigation for erosion control has increased water infiltration and reduced soil erosion. This has improved runoff water quality via lower concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorous, and pesticides, and decreased biological oxygen demand. Since non-toxic high molecular weight anionic PAMs removed clay size sediment particles in flowing water, it was hypothesized that PAM would effectively remove or immobilize microorganisms in flowing water. In an agricultural field at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, Idaho, USA, the efficacy of PAM-treatment of furrow irrigation water to remove several categories of microorganisms in the inflow and runoff was determined. Treatments were: (1) PAM application and a control; (2) three flow rates; (3) two distances from the inflow point; and (4) three times during each irrigation. After water travelled 1 m at 7.5 and 15.5/min, PAM-treatment reduced total bacterial and microbial biomass and total fungal biomass relative to the control treatment. After water travelled 40 m at 7.5, 15.5, and 22.5/min, PAM-treatment reduced algae, the numbers active and total bacteria, active and total fungal length, and total bacterial biomass, total fungal and microbial biomass relative to the control treatment. Although specific organisms were not identified or monitored in this study, the results clearly have implications for controlling the spread of soil-borne plant pathogens and other classes of harmful organisms within and among fields via irrigation water and in re-utilized return flows. Beyond furrow-irrigated agriculture, new methods to manage overland transmission of harmful microorganisms could potentially help control transport of pathogens from animal waste in runoff and groundwater.

Information about suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in the stream is vital for sustainability of water conservation and erosion control planning, designing and monitoring. In this research, prediction of SSC has been done using artificial neural network (ANN), support vector regression (SVR) and multi-linear regression (MLR) models. Performance evaluation of developed models has been carried out on the basis of root mean square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (r), coefficient of efficiency (CE) and pooled average relative error (PARE). Cross-correlation function (CCF) validated that gamma test (GT) is an appropriate tool for the selection of most responsive input variables. On the basis of GT and CCF, GT-6 model was selected as the model with most effective input variables, with the values of gamma, standard error and V-ratio as 0.0643, 0.00583 and 0.2570, respectively. The ANN (6–3-1) model performed better than the other single and double hidden layered ANN models with the values of r, RMSE, CE and PARE as 0.939, 0.0063 g/l, 85.17 and 0.0160, respectively. The performance of the SVR model was found better with the values of r, RMSE, CE and PARE as 0.906, 0.018 g/l, 79.09 and 0001, respectively, but slightly poor than the selected ANN (6–3-1) model. The values of r, RMSE, CE and PARE were found as 0.899, 0.0312 g/l, 65.15 and − 0.0031, respectively, in the case of MLR model. The present study revealed that among the ANN, SVR and MLR models, the ANN model with a single hidden layer is most suitable for observed SSC. The present study offers the simple efficient model to estimate the suspended sediment concentration in the stream with minimum error using limited data set.

The high distribution of water resources among provinces in China considerably impacts the development of society and economy in each region. Thus, it is of great practical significance to examine the water resources carrying capacity (WRCC) of each Chinese province. This paper constructs a comprehensive evaluation index system for the WRCC from two aspects: pressure and support. First, it analyzes dynamic changes in the WRCC of 31 Chinese provinces in China by using the decoupling model (DM). Second, it analyzes the key factors that hinder the improvement of WRCC by using the obstacle degree model (ODM). The study found that there are significant inter-provincial differences in China’s WRCC. Provinces with greater natural water resources have a higher WRCC. Under the condition of similar natural water resources, WRCC in economically developed provinces is higher. From 2008 to 2015, China’s overall WRCC has been increasing. Moreover, three-fifth of China’s provinces can be classified as Upward-type (Upward I, Upward II, and Upward III) provinces and their WRCC is in a good state by considering the decoupling type and trend of WRCC in two periods together. The main obstacle factors hindering the improvement of the WRCC are total water resources ([Formula: see text]), water supply per capita ([Formula: see text]), total water supply ([Formula: see text]), forest cover rate ([Formula: see text]), soil erosion control area ([Formula: see text]), water consumption saving ([Formula: see text]), and water usage penetration rate ([Formula: see text]). This study can provide a scientific basis for understanding change trend of WRCC in Chinese provinces and improve their WRCC.

This paper describes a preliminary evaluation of two types of greenwaste (fresh and aged) used as a mulch layer to control runoff from disturbed landfill areas. Fresh greenwaste refers to woody and herbaceous garden waste that has been recently collected, chopped and shredded. Aged greenwaste is greenwaste which has been stockpiled for 18 months. We used rainfall simulator tests to investigate two aspects: (1) the performance of greenwaste mulch in reducing runoff during designed storm events with a high frequency of occurrence and (2) the release of pollutants via runoff as total suspended solids (TSS) and total organic carbon (TOC) during rain. Rainfall of <5-year average recurrence interval (ARI) was generally applied, consistent with stormwater compliance requirements for many Australian landfills. TOC released from fresh greenwaste material was higher in concentration than from aged greenwaste. However, when used as a 10-cm-deep mulch layer, fresh greenwaste was able to completely prevent runoff, even when tested under rainfalls of up to 50-year ARI duration. An equivalent mulch layer of aged greenwaste was also effective in reducing runoff volume and TSS concentration compared with the bare soil during a 3.5-year ARI rainfall, but mean TOC concentration was higher. Based on these preliminary results, fresh greenwaste mulching of bare soils is an attractive option to control runoff and erosion from areas subject to intermittent landfill operations and worthy of further investigations.

During the seasons 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2005/06, a study was made of the evolution of runoff as well as soil and available P and K losses in the sediment carried away in a conventional till system--that most used at the present time--and in a no till system with added pruning remains in an olive grove of the picual variety located in Torredonjimeno (Jaén, Spain). A group of microplots for sediment collection in a randomized complete block design was established. The samples were collected in the field after each storm. In the study period, a total of 21 storms were recorded, with a precipitation of 450 mm in 2003/04, 179 mm in 2004/05 and 388 mm in 2005/06. The erosivity of the rainfall was characterized and the cover percentage in the plots throughout the time was determined. The establishment of pruning remains reduced soil loss with respect to conventional tillage (CT) in the 3 years (72%). Likewise, the available P loss greatly declined in the study (46.4%) under conservation agriculture. The reduction in available K loss (72.4%) was much greater than that of available P. The close relationship between both variables and sediment production also stands out. Runoff was the parameter on which the pruning remains had the least influence with only an 11% average reduction.

Experiments were conducted in an annular flume using waste bed sediment from a discontinued aquaculture operation to assess its stability against erosion. Critical shear stress for erosion was measured under different flow conditions and after three different consolidation periods (2, 7 and 14 days). The influence of biostabilization was also assessed as a mechanism for controlling the bed sediment stability. Results suggest a moderate increase in bed sediment strength with time as evidenced by the increasing critical bed shear stress for erosion with increasing consolidation times. Critical bed shear stress for erosion ranged from 0.06 to 0.1 Pa. Eroded floc size and settling velocities were in the range that would allow for significant horizontal transport of sediments provided a flow was present (i.e. transport outside of the aquaculture pens). The increase in sediment strength with time is believed to be more strongly influenced by biofilm integration on and within the surface sediment layer than to consolidation and dewatering effects. Extensive biofilm growth was visibly evident and microscopy confirmed the presence of extensive filamentous organisms (likely of a fungal origin) and bacteria. The point of failure of this biostabilized sediment was significantly lower than that reported for other natural freshwater and salt water sediments. Regardless of the sediment type, however, biostabilization is a consistent and important mechanism which controls the stability of sediments. Factors such as the microbial community and sediment floc structure will need to be considered in order to improve our understanding of the mechanisms of bed sediment stability and erosion for the environmentally sustainable operations of aquaculture facilities.

In Canada, low-grade ore mines generate large amounts of mineral waste, such as mine tailings. To control erosion of the fine-grained tailings particles as quickly as possible, it is common practice for the mining industry to revegetate the mine tailings with agronomic herbaceous plants. However, it is unclear whether this practice is consequential to the natural establishment of boreal species. The first objective of this study was to evaluate which families of agronomic herbaceous plants (legumes or grasses) result in the most favorable physical and chemical soil properties for the establishment of boreal species. The second objective was to determine the effect of the agronomic herbaceous plants on the growth and foliar nutrient concentration on three indigenous boreal forest seedlings; jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lambert), tamarack (Larix laricina Du Roi), paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marshall), and a willow cultivar (Salix miyabeana Seemen). In 2013, a 1-ha in situ experimental surface of mine tailings was set up on the gold mine site in Malartic, Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Quebec. The experimental site was subdivided into three blocks, each further divided in 5 plots. Each plot was randomly seeded as follows: 100% grass, 100% legumes, a mixture of both, topsoil, and a control (tailings only, no seeding). In the 2015 spring season, thirty seedlings of the three boreal tree species and cuttings of the willow cultivars were planted in each treatment plot. Seedling height and root biomass were measured at the end of the 2016 growing season. Soil sample analyses indicated significant differences for bulk density, wilting point, and organic matter content between the topsoil and the different agronomic herbaceous and control treatments; however, no significant differences were found between the different herbaceous treatments and the control for soil pH, bulk density, wilting point, macroporosity, and organic matter content. The mortality rate of jack pine, tamarack, and paper birch seedlings was higher in the control plots compared to all other treatments. Root biomass and height of the willow cultivar were significantly higher in the legumes compared with topsoil treatment. Among the four pioneer tree seedlings studied, this research indicates that the combination of the willow cultivar with the legumes treatment produces the best seedling growth and survival in the highly abiotic and stressful environments inherent to mine tailings.

Soil erosion threatens environmental sustainability worldwide. Exploring the trajectories of soil erosion and associated drivers is of great significance for combating land degradation. This study selected the highly eroded Loess Plateau (LP) and Karst Plateau (KP) as contrasting regions to monitor soil erosion dynamics. Monitoring was performed by applying the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation based on a GIS platform and multi-source input data to investigate associated drivers. The results established that soil erosion in both regions was substantially reduced by ecological restoration projects and significant land use/cover conversions. Landscape and geomorphological variables were found to be the dominant factors controlling soil erosion in the LP and KP, as they influenced land use patches and geomorphological patterns, respectively. The correlations between fragmentation metric indices and soil erosion indicated that the appropriately intensive fragmentation in the LP could mitigate or prevent soil erosion by disturbing its formation and transportation and ultimately positively influenced soil erosion control. Geomorphological patterns were also determinative factors, particularly for the KP, where almost all geomorphological variables were significantly correlated with the erosion modulus. Owing to the peculiar landform and landscape conditions in karst areas and loess hilly–gully areas, geomorphological and landscape variables should be considered when determining the main factors affecting soil erosion processes and integrated into the forecasting model to improve the accuracy of the simulation. The findings of this study are expected to (i) improve the efficacy of soil erosion control and (ii) promote the sustainable planning and management of land and soil resources.