Deciphering human and climatic controls on soil erosion in intensively cultivated landscapes after 1950 (Loire Valley, France)

Foucher, Anthony
Evrard, Olivier
Cerdan, Olivier
Chabert, Clément
Lefèvre, Irène
Vandromme, Rosalie
Salvador-Blanes, Sébastien

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Publication date

January 2021

DOI

10.1016/j.ancene.2021.100287

Publisher

Elsevier BV

Abstract

International audienceIntensification of agricultural practices during the second half of the 20 th century has accelerated of soil erosion around the world. Although this phenomenon has been widely investigated through a combination of monitoring or modelling at short timescales (<10 years), few records are available for reconstructing the trajectory of soil erosion during longer periods (i.e. the 20 th century). Analysis of sediment deposits in reservoirs provides a valuable tool for reconstructing these trends and for identifying the driving factors that may have disturbed the sediment cascade after 1950. Accordingly, sediment cores (n=5) were collected in a reservoir located at the outlet of an intensively cultivated lowland catchment (...