Erosion Control Measures on Agricultural Land in Russia: A Review

Abstract

One of the important areas of soil erosion science is the development of soil conservation measures. The analysis of published works shows that in Russia most of the techniques and methods to control soil erosion were developed in the 1960s–1980s. In recent decades, interest in scientific and practical developments in this area has been declining. Published data on erosion control measures are poorly systematized, and their generally accepted classification is absent. The typification of erosion-control measures proposed by the authors made it possible to systematize all these measures found in the works and to create their register in the form of a table. Information about the efficiency of erosion control measures is scarce and contradictory. The results of agrotechnical measures are best studied. Non-inversive tillage is the most efficient among agrotechnical measures, it helps to reduce soil erosion by 70–90% according to published data; other agrotechnical measures, on average, reduce the rate of soil erosion by half. Climate change and socioeconomic transformation in the agricultural and industrial complex of Russia in recent decades have led to significant changes in the rate and volume of soil erosion. However, the analysis of literature indicates a shortage of works aimed at adapting existing erosion control measures, or developing new measures with due account for global and regional changes in erosion/deposition processes.