Wind erosion rates for ten soils under threshold wind speed in controlled conditions

The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission's data points at the soil erosion being the most frequent soil degradation process, estimating its spatial extent to 17% of Europe, from which barely 8% is assigned to wind erosion. Although the processes of erosion are considerably well recognized, their quantitative valuation which remains strongly variable between local conditions, still needs continuing and widening of research in various spatial and temporal scales. The goal of the research, presented in this article, was to recognize qualitative and quantitative soil loss mechanisms in result of deflation under the conditions of simulated wind at speeds around threshold value (8 m(.)s(-1)), performed for a representative set of soil kinds for the geographical area of Poland. The deflation was performed and measured using an original, patented deflameter designed in the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Cultivation. The duple regression model was investigated, resulting in well matched relationship between deflation rate, soil humidity and the content of soil's sand fraction. Investigated 10 soil kinds varied from the point of view of the response to wind blowing with threshold speed of 8 m(.)s(-1) for the time of 9 hours, generating a sediment volume ranging from minimum 2 for the strong silty loamy sand Fluvisol to maximum 194 g m(-2) for loose sandy Arenosol soil. The correlation analyses performed for the whole population of investigated soil kinds reveals the most significant soil textural property in shaping the deflation ratio generated by a simulated wind remains the content of sand fraction and initial soil humidity. The simple bifid regressions model, evaluated basing upon the measured values, explains 97% of observed variance and may be used to estimate soil loss due to wind erosion in conditions of harrowed black follow during wind events with speed around threshold value of 8 m(.)s(-1).