Impacts of vegetation and topsoil removal on soil erosion, soil moisture, and infiltration

Abstract

Abstract Soil erosion by water is a critical environmental problem that affects a large land area globally and is expected to increase substantially as a result of climate change‐induced rainfall intensification. This study sought to determine the impacts of soil mechanical disturbance and topsoil removal on soil erosion and deposition, soil moisture, soil water infiltration, and vegetation type in a central Texas subtropical grassland setting. The removal of topsoil increased soil erosion and caused changes in soil texture, soil moisture, infiltration rate, and the vegetation community within the disturbed area. Soil texture shifted from clay to sand dominated as sand particles were eroded from an upland area. This shift in soil texture led to decreased volumetric soil moisture (−14.6%) as compared to an adjacent undisturbed location. The removal of topsoil also led to an invasion of non‐native grasses that now dominate the vegetated portions of the disturbed area. Erosion and deposition measurements indicated an uneven gain and loss of soil across the disturbed area, but on average 0.85 cm of sand was deposited during the 1‐month study period. Our results show that high levels of erosion are occurring and degrading the immediate landscape, which is likely contributing a large amount of sediment to a nearby waterway, posing a potential water quality threat to an important surface water body.