1,2,- 1Shaanxi Key Laboratory Earth Surface System and Environmental Carrying Capacity, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, PR China
- 2Shaanxi Belt and Road Joint Laboratory on Special Geotechnical Dynamic Disaster Prevention, Xi’an, PR China
- 3College of Geology and Environment, Xi'an University of Science and Technology, Xi'an, PR China
Abstract:
Gully erosion is a critical threat to global food security. Under intensive cultivation and increasingly frequent extreme rainfall, many ephemeral gullies (EGs) are rapidly evolving into permanent gullies. However, compared to permanent gullies, the impacts of EGs remain poorly understood. In particular, the effects of EGs on upland crops' growth and yield have been widely underestimated.
As EGs are often masked by seasonal tillage, they commonly exhibit pronounced dynamic changes and delayed effects. EGs’ development not only accelerates soil erosion but also significantly reshapes the spatial distribution of soil structure, moisture, and nutrients. These impacts extend from the gully channel into adjacent areas. Conventional assessments commonly attribute yield decline to soil loss, overlooking the constraints imposed by EG-induced soil compaction and root habitat degradation. Consequently, the real contribution of productivity loss induced by EGs remains obscured.
To address these knowledge gaps, this study focused on ephemeral gullies in croplands of the Black Soil Region of Northeast China. Integrating field survey and UAV-based high-resolution imagery, we measured the morphological parameters of typical EGs and their actual damage to arable land. Through experimental analysis, we evaluated the soil structure, moisture, nutrients, crop growth, and crop yield at 108 independent sampling points within EG-controlled catchments. Our results demonstrate that EG development significantly intensifies soil compaction, reduces soil water-holding capacity and nutrient availability, and ultimately suppresses crop growth and yield. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) further reveals the influence pathways of "gully→topography→soil properties→crop response" in slope-gully systems.
This study clarifies the key processes through which gully erosion drives yield loss and emphasizes the necessity of EGs-controlled slope-gully systems as priority conservation and management units. Such an approach is crucial for improving land degradation assessment frameworks, mitigating permanent gully risks, and protecting regional food security.
Keywords: Ephemeral gully; Yield loss; Soil physicochemical properties; SEM; Slope-gully systems
How to cite: Qiao, X., Wang, C., Wang, W., and Ma, L.: The Overlooked Impact of Ephemeral Gullies on Arable Land Degradation: From Soil Physicochemical Transformation to Yield Loss, EGU General Assembly 2026, Vienna, Austria, 3–8 May 2026, EGU26-9838, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu26-9838, 2026.
