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Hydrological soil behavior in areas with semi-arid vegetation (Beni Chougrane Mountains, Algeria)

  • Yahia Boukhari , Marta Ginovart , Antoni M.C. Verdú , M. Teresa Mas , Khalladi Mederbal and Ramon Josa EMAIL logo
Published/Copyright: November 23, 2016
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Biologia
From the journal Biologia Volume 71 Issue 10

Abstract

In northern Algeria, the physical degradation of land by water erosion is one of the most serious forms of degradation. As is well known, vegetation plays an important role against water erosion. In the mentioned area the potential vegetation called maquis is currently characterized by an advanced stated of degradation, often ranging between sparse cover and bare soil. In the Oued Fergoug watershed belonging to the Beni Chougrane Mountains (NW of Algeria), a trial was carried out with a mini rainfall simulator designed by ORSTOM to evaluate the runoff rate and the sediment load at experimental plot scale and in a situation of bare soil. The experimental layout took into account two different surface slopes, three different rainfall intensities, and three levels of initial soil water content. The highest runoff values observed exceeded 0.50 mm min− 1 and the maximum sediment load yield was 94.2 g L−1 per square meter. Summarizing, the intensity of rain is the main factor for runoff generation, independently of the slope and the initial soil water content values. Since vegetation cover is a crucial component in maintaining stable slopes and limiting soil losses, the most effective practice to protect bare soil against erosion is to provide a protective ground plant cover in this area.

Keywords: initial soil water content; ORSTOM rainfall simulator; slope; rainfall intensity; Algeria

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Received: 2016-5-5
Accepted: 2016-7-11
Published Online: 2016-11-23
Published in Print: 2016-10-1

© 2016 Institute of Botany, Slovak Academy of Sciences

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https://doi.org/10.1515/biolog-2016-0132
Keywords for this article
initial soil water content; ORSTOM rainfall simulator; slope; rainfall intensity; Algeria

Articles in the same Issue

  1. Section Cellular and Molecular Biology
  2. Pigments from fungi, an opportunity of production for diverse applications
  3. Section Zoology
  4. Morphological view on the evolution of the immunity and lymphoid organs of vertebrates, focused on thymus
  5. Section Cellular and Molecular Biology
  6. p53-Fibrinolytic system and acute lung injury
  7. Section Cellular and Molecular Biology
  8. The multipotent action of electromagnetic field
  9. Section Cellular and Molecular Biology
  10. Prescreening, identification and harvesting of microalgae with antibacterial activity
  11. Section Botany
  12. Cloning and molecular characterization of Myb transcription factors from Leymus (Poaceae: Trticeae)
  13. Section Botany
  14. Hydrological soil behavior in areas with semi-arid vegetation (Beni Chougrane Mountains, Algeria)
  15. Section Botany
  16. Extent and persistence of water repellency in two Iranian soils
  17. Section Botany
  18. The impact of the permanent grass cover or conventional tillage on hydraulic properties of Haplic Cambisol developed on paragneiss substrate
  19. Section Zoology
  20. Species composition of tetranychoid mites (Acari: Trombidiformes: Prostigmata: Tetranychoidea) in main landscapes of Tehran and modelling ecological niche of Tetranychoidea in main climates of Tehran Province, Iran
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  25. Section Zoology
  26. Values of three branched plasma amino acids of farmed rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss
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