Premium
The Effects of Pocket Gopher Burrowing on Water Balance and Erosion from Landfill Covers
Author(s) -
Hakonson T. E.
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
journal of environmental quality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.888
H-Index - 171
eISSN - 1537-2537
pISSN - 0047-2425
DOI - 10.2134/jeq1999.00472425002800020033x
Subject(s) - surface runoff , environmental science , infiltration (hvac) , hydrology (agriculture) , erosion , vegetation (pathology) , soil science , soil loss , vegetation cover , ecology , geology , geotechnical engineering , geomorphology , geography , land use , medicine , pathology , meteorology , biology
A 2‐yr field study was conducted to evaluate the impact of burrowing and soil casting by pocket gophers ( Thomomys bottae ) on runoff, soil loss (mass and size distribution), soil moisture status, and transport of stable cesium ( 133 Cs) that was applied to the soil surface. A rotating boom rainfall simulator was used on 3.1 by 10.9 m landfill cover plots with and without vegetation and with and without pocket gopher burrowing. Gopher burrowing in the presence of vegetation resulted in large decreases in runoff, erosion, and cesium loss via erosion but increased migration of cesium to the subsurface soil due to increased infiltration. Vegetation slightly decreased runoff but greatly decreased erosion and cesium loss by erosion. As with gophers, vegetation enhanced movement of cesium into the soil. Under the conditions of this study, the effects of pocket gopher burrowing in degrading a landfill cover were minimal when vegetation was a component of the cover.