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The Science of The Total Environment
Article . 2022 . Peer-reviewed
License: Elsevier TDM
Data sources: Crossref
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Soil erosion and sediment transport under climate change for Mera River, in Italian Alps of Valchiavenna

Authors: Maruffi L.; Stucchi L.; Casale F.; Bocchiola D.;

Soil erosion and sediment transport under climate change for Mera River, in Italian Alps of Valchiavenna

Abstract

Erosion is a main form of soil degradation, with severe consequences on slope stability and productivity, and erosion studies are required to predict possible variations of such phenomena, also under climate change scenarios. Here we estimated distributed soil erosion within Valchiavenna valley in the Rhaetian Alps, drained by Mera river, and covering Italy, and Switzerland. We used a Dynamic-RUSLE (D-RUSLE) model, which provides spatially distributed estimates of soil erosion explicitly considering snow dynamic (accumulation/melting) and snow cover, and vegetation seasonality. The model was tuned here during 2010-2019, and validation was pursued using river turbidity data, used to assess riverine sediment transport. The model parameter R-factor for rainfall erosivity was estimated using a hydrological model Poli-Hydro, properly set up in the study area. C-factor for land cover was assessed against land cover maps, with seasonally variable Normalized Difference Vegetation Index from satellite images, to account for variable vegetation stage, and large leaf cover in summer. The K-factor related to erosion susceptibility was evaluated through soil texture and organic content. LS-factor depending on slope was assessed using a DTM. Poli-Hydro and D-RUSLE models were then used to project forward potential soil erosion under climate change scenarios until 2100. Climate series (temperature, precipitation) were generated using 4 shared socio-economic pathways (SSPs) of the Sixth Assessment Report of the IPCC, with 3 global circulation models, properly downscaled locally. We analysed expected soil erosion during 2051-2060, and 2091-2100. We found increase of potential soil erosion, with exception of the EC-Earth model for the SSP2.6. Erosion would especially increase in winter, in response to smaller snow accumulation, and larger liquid rainfall share thereby, and decrease in summer, as due to decreased precipitation. Our results suggest the need for adaptation strategies to counteract increasing soil loss in the future, and may highlight most critical areas of intervention.

Country
Italy
Related Organizations
Keywords

Climate Change, Alps, Remote sensing, Soil, Rivers, Erosion, Hydrological modelling, Climate change, D-RUSLE, Environmental Monitoring, Soil Erosion

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    This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
    Top 10%
    influence
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citations
This is an alternative to the "Influence" indicator, which also reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Citations provided by BIP!
popularity
This indicator reflects the "current" impact/attention (the "hype") of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Popularity provided by BIP!
influence
This indicator reflects the overall/total impact of an article in the research community at large, based on the underlying citation network (diachronically).
BIP!Influence provided by BIP!
impulse
This indicator reflects the initial momentum of an article directly after its publication, based on the underlying citation network.
BIP!Impulse provided by BIP!
23
Top 10%
Average
Top 10%