Effects of soil erosion on soil characteristics and productivity

Soil erosion is a major part of the process of soil formation at the hillslope scale. The interaction of erosion and deposition may change various soil properties and functions. To evaluate these effects we studied the change in various chemical and physical soil parameters, as well as associated crop yields, in four different sections of a slope in the molassic area of Lower Austria. We observed changes in soil chemical parameters mainly for the Ap horizons of the different slope sections, whereas changes in the deeper horizons were small. Changes in soil texture and field capacity were observed, although they were small. Yield reductions at the more eroded sections of the site varied during the study period and were mainly attributable to differences in the water holding capacity of the effective rootable zone of the different sections.