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Curtailing water erosion of cultivated land: an example from north Norfolk, eastern England
Author(s) -
Evans Robert
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
earth surface processes and landforms
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.294
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1096-9837
pISSN - 0197-9337
DOI - 10.1002/esp.1354
Subject(s) - erosion , surface runoff , work (physics) , agriculture , cropping , sediment , hydrology (agriculture) , biodiversity , erosion control , water erosion , geography , water resource management , agroforestry , environmental science , geology , archaeology , ecology , engineering , geomorphology , geotechnical engineering , mechanical engineering , biology
Much information has been gathered together from maps, air photos and field visits with regard to a parcel of land in north Norfolk, eastern England. Since the 1930s the field pattern, cropping and the incidence of water erosion have changed markedly. Ten fields were amalgamated into one by the late 1960s, there was a shift to winter cereals, and agricultural practices intensified leading to extensive and severe erosion. In 1982 a new owner decided to combat erosion and over time divided the one large 61‐ha field into four, and planted trees and hedges. This not only reduced the extent of erosion and connectivity of flow but also greatly increased the biodiversity of the landscape. There are few examples in the literature of farmer‐devised schemes to curtail erosion. Such schemes, if successful, can help alleviate runoff, erosion and sediment delivery to water courses. They can also be used to demonstrate to other farmers and policy makers which schemes work. Once a farmer accepts there is an erosion problem (s)he is capable of devising schemes which work without calling on the services of experts. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.