The impact of land use on the erodibility of dispersive clay soils in central and southern Italy
1998
Phillips, C.P. | Robinson, D.A.
Tracts of dispersive Plio-Pleistocene clays in central and southern Italy suffer from severe erosion, which has led to the creation of badlands characterized by 'calanchi' (unvegetated knife-edge ridges) and 'biancane' (cone-shaped hummocks). In recent decades, large areas of this eroded land have been reclaimed for arable cultivation by remodelling the landscape with heavy earth moving equipment. This exposes the clay to erosive rainfall. Wet aggregate strength was used to assess those physical and chemical properties that govern the erodibility of the clays. Regression analysis demonstrated that the most significant variables in predicting soil erodibility were the % organic matter and the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP). Threshold values of 1-2% and 3-4% organic matter were obtained, dependent on the method of pre-wetting. Reclaimed land is on the borderline of these thresholds and therefore at risk of erosion. Nevertheless, the stability of reclaimed land is significantly higher than that of the badland parent material, ascribable to a lower ESP. Careful land management is required to avoid a recurrence of erosion and the reestablishment of badlands.
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