Vegetation and erosion interact and determine the pattern of sediment redistribution at pedon, slope and watershed scales. Vegetation is widely recognized as one of the key factors controlling soil erosion, and when vegetation is removed high erosion rates are measured. Reforestation is then used to control erosion. Within the last two decades a wider view of the interaction of the vegetation and erosion has shown how plant distribution is also related to the erosion processes acting on slopes and watershed, for example through the dispersal of seeds and subsequent germination. Moreover erosion processes are also relevant for the distribution of water and nutrients.. Thus, not only does vegetation control erosion, but erosion also controls vegetation. One theme of this session focuses on the relationships between natural vegetation and soil erosion.
The interaction between vegetation and erosion is also critical for agriculture land where good management can control the vegetation and thence the soil losses. Catch crops, wood and straw mulches, weeds and geotextiles are among the measures being used to control soil losses. Vegetation management on agriculture land is not only a key question for sustainability of the soil resource, but also reflects long- and short-term economic perspectives. The session is therefore also focused on soil erosion control by means of vegetation and organic materials, and on the social and economic implication of these treatments.
The time is now ripe for a major review of the issue related to the interaction between vegetation and erosion in the light of current experimental, practical, theoretical and historical work. Contributions are invited in all these fields to improve our theoretical and empirical understanding of the spatial and temporal relationships between vegetation, runoff and erosion on natural and man-made landscapes.
The session on vegetation and Erosion was initially proposed by Professor John Thornes in 2009 and was one of the most successful sessions within the EGU SSS Division.

Solicited speakers

António Dinis Ferreira. Department of Pure and Environmental Sciences Escola Superior Agrária de Coimbra. Portugal. aferreira@esac.pt

Waite R. Osterkamp, Research Hydrologist, U. S. Geological Survey, Tucson, AZ, USA. wroster@usgs.gov

Pablo García Estríngana. Finca “El Encín”
Alcalá de Henares. Spain. pablo.garcia.es@madrid.org

Craig D. Allen
U.S. Geological Survey, Jemez Mountains Field Station, Los Alamos, United States Craig_allen@usgs.gov

Anthony Parsons Sheffield Centre for International Drylands Research, Department of Geography, University of Sheffield,UK a.j.parsons@sheffield.ac.uk

José Damián Ruiz Sinoga. Universidad de Malaga. Departamento de Geografia.Universidad de Valencia