The erosion control role of linear boundaries on a slope

¹ FSBSI "Federal Agricultural Kursk Research Center", 70b, Karl Marx St., Kursk, 305021, Russia
² Southwest State University, 94, 50 Let Oktyabrya street, Kursk, 305040, Russia

^* Corresponding author: model-erosion@mail.ru

Abstract

The paper presents an assessment of soil protection from erosion by forest strips on the experimental fields of the scientific unit of the Federal State Budgetary Institution "Kursk FARC" (Medvensky district, Kursk region). The soil is leached chernozem (Chernozems leached), mediumthick, heavy loam on loess-like loams, slightly eroded. Poplar forest strips located in the lower part of the slopes of northern exposure, at the transition of slopes 3–4⁰, were chosen as anti-erosion linear boundaries. To determine the soil absorption capacity, the method of sprinkling drainage areas was used. When carrying out sprinkling, forest litter was removed from the soil surface. The steady-state rate of soil absorption under field conditions was obtained to be the same within the error and amounted to, on average, 0.34±0.02 mm/min. The steady-state rate of absorption in a forest belt of twenty years of age is higher by 75.0% than in the field and by 15.1% than in a poplar forest belt with a tree stand of 40 years of age. The anti-erosion complex fulfills the task of strengthening the soil-protective role of the farming system.