Mw.drs. S.M. Visser : Modeling Nutrient Erosion by Wind and Water in northern Burkina Faso

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7 Apr 2004 16:00
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula (gebouw 362), Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Promotor: prof.dr.ir. L. Stroosnijder (Erosion and Soil & Water Conservation)
Co Promotor: dr. G. Sterk

 In the semi-arid environment of northern Burkina Faso the processes of wind and water erosion occur almost simultaneously and may cause severe soil degradation. Especially in the early rainy season when soils are bare and unprotected, violent winds preceding high intense rainfall events result in intense sediment transport by both wind and water. This PhD project aimed at quantifying and modeling wind and water erosion processes, their interaction and related nutrient flows in a Sahelian environment.
From field measurements and modeling results it is concluded that for water erosion rain splash is the most important detaching agent the scale of a field and that despite the large volumes of overland flow, erosion is transport capacity limited due to the general low slopes. The material detached by water erosion is available for wind-blown transport. Due to the absence of non-eroding boundaries, intense mass transport under influence of violent winds does not always result in erosion. Depending on wind direction, cover and crust type, net deposition may occur. Based on model results it is concluded that wind erosion is responsible for the loss or deposition of large amounts of the fine sediment and the nutrients attached to these sediments. Though compared to wind erosion, the nutrient losses under influence of water erosion are small, these losses should not be underestimated; these nutrients flow to the nearest stream and are forever lost for the catchment.
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