Assessment of Changes in the Intensity of Erosion–Accumulative Processes in Small Catchment Areas of the Central Russian Upland since the Beginning of Agricultural Development

Abstract

The dynamics of sedimentation in the bottoms of small catchment areas in the forest-steppe zone of the Central Russian Upland is estimated using the soil–morphological, radiocesium, and magnetic tracer methods, which has made it possible to calculate the rate of soil loss (1) since 1986, (2) since 1954, (3) since the time of the commissioning and active operation of the railroad, and (4) since the time of mass plowing of the entire catchment area. Two groups of small dry valleys have been identified: the catchment area of the first group includes tributaries of larger dry valleys, where the average rate of loss during the agricultural period is 2.1–2.4 t/ha per year and exceeds the current rate (since 1986) by 0.6–0.7 t/ha per year. The catchments of the second group include sources of larger valleys, where the average rate of loss during the agricultural period is 0.6–0.9 t/ha per year and lower than the current rate (since 1986) by 0.3–0.8 t/ha per year. The maximum rates within all studied catchments were observed from 1954 to 1986, which is associated with soil overconsolidation by heavy agricultural machinery, as well as with the contribution of snowmelt runoff, which was regular for this period.