Water-Eroded Croplands: Increased Susceptibility to Further Erosion.

Degradation of physical and hydrological characteristics of the soil increases its susceptibility to erosion by water. However, little is known about the impact of water erosion on the physical and hydrological characteristics of the remaining soil. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of erosion on soil quality by comparing these characteristics between eroded and un-eroded sites within a long-term no-till corn field agroecosystem in central Ohio. Physical and hydrological characteristics of the eroded sites were degraded compared with those of the un-eroded soils. Being indicators of soil erodibility, it is assumed that a positive feedback may occur, in which under increasing conditions of degradation of the physical and hydrological characteristics of the uppermost layer of the soil (due to former erosion), the soil is more susceptible to accelerated erosion.