Gully and rill erosion: recent research progress
Soil erosion has been divided traditionally into sheet, rill, and gully erosion. In rills and gullies overland flow is concentrated, which markedly increases the erosivity of the flow. Usually rills occur on sloping croplands, and remove fertile topsoil and impact crop production. Gullies occur within swales or hollows, incise landscape, and influence mechanical farming. Concentrated flow erosion represents an important sediment source within watersheds and produce sizeable economic losses. It is also an important process for transient landscape evolution. These channels are effective links for transferring runoff, sediment and pollutants. The complex physical mechanisms involved in concentrated flow erosion still require more research for a better understanding, with the ultimate aim of developing prediction technology and effective management strategies.

The session pretends to address mainly the following topics: monitoring and measurement techniques; controlling factors; processes; modelling; restoration and control; role of rills and gullies in hydrological and sediment connectivity, in sediment delivery and pollutants transport.