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Response to discussion on ‘The extent of soil erosion in upland England and Wales’
Author(s) -
McHugh M.,
Harrod T. R.,
Morgan R. P. C.
Publication year - 2003
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.478
Subject(s) - landform , erosion , context (archaeology) , scale (ratio) , sediment , gully erosion , hydrology (agriculture) , environmental science , physical geography , geography , geology , archaeology , geomorphology , cartography , geotechnical engineering
The research described in the paper by McHugh et al. ( Earth Surface Processes and Landforms , 2002, Vol. 27, pp. 99–107) was based upon a fundamental, national baseline study initiated to assess, in an objective and statistically sound manner, the scale of upland soil erosion in England and Wales. It was proposed in direct response to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's concern over loss of upland soils and on the basis that catchment‐based studies, which may be used to understand erosion in those catchments, are of limited value in understanding erosion within the uplands as a whole. To achieve its objectives, the research was conducted at a single scale and focused on assessment of individual erosion features within over four hundred upland field sites. The research suggestions raised by Warburton et al. ( Earth Surface Processes and Landforms , 2003, Vol. 28, pp. 219–223), which included appreciation of the context of the plots within the larger sediment system and investigation of the fate of mobilized sediments, are valid but do not pertain to the research described by McHugh et al. Here we address the principal observation of Warburton et al. by clarifying methodological points on the assessment of the scale of erosion and deposition features. We also outline why the research was not an attempt to end discussion on the issue but was rather a first attempt to evaluate upland soil erosion in England and Wales, to contribute to an understanding of upland conditions and to provide a baseline study for further research. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.