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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Environ. Sci.
Sec. Soil Processes
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2024.1445068

Long-term evaluation of surface topographic and topsoil grain composition changes in an agricultural landscape

Provisionally accepted
Klaudia Halászová Klaudia Halászová 1Lenka Lackóová Lenka Lackóová 1*Thomas Panagopoulos Thomas Panagopoulos 2
  • 1 Institute of Landscape Engineering, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia
  • 2 Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Algarve, Faro, Faro, Portugal

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigates long-term changes in topography and topsoil grain composition within an agricultural landscape in south-western Slovakia. Using high-precision positioning measurements and airborne laser scanning, digital terrain models (DTM) were created for the years 2011, 2017 and 2020. Grain size analyses of soil samples from three time periods M1 (1961-1970), M2 (2009-2015) and M3 (2015-2016) showed changes in soil texture due to wind erosion. The dominant soil types changed from loam and clay loam to silty loam over the study periods, highlighting wind erosion impact. Comparison of the DTMs, quantified the topographic changes showing different ratios of accumulation and deflation processes. The windbreak significantly reduces soil erosion by reducing wind speed and promoting soil accumulation up to 80 m windward and 20 m leeward. Notable changes in soil composition included decrease in clay and silt content and an increase in sand content. The study highlights the complex interplay of climatic and wind factors in shaping the topography, soil properties and emphasises the protective role of windbreaks in agricultural landscapes over time.

    Keywords: Wind erosion, surface topographic changes, grain composition, Windbreak, agricultural landscape, high-precision positioning measurements

    Received: 06 Jun 2024; Accepted: 23 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Halászová, Lackóová and Panagopoulos. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Lenka Lackóová, Institute of Landscape Engineering, Slovak University of Agriculture, Nitra, Slovakia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.