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Land characteristics and management factors involved in wind erosion

Processes involved:

Wind erosion occurs when the force due to wind is sufficient to overcome the cohesion and weight of the soil particles and to allow their movement.

Processes involved are:

  • detachment by abrasion and suction
  • transport by creep, saltation and suspension
  • deposition by entrapment and reduced wind velocity


Land characteristics affecting processes
Factors affected by land characteristics
Management factors that modify land characteristics
Vegetation- structure, percent surface cover (including litter)

- leaf area, rooting depth and perenniality
  • Exposure of surface soil
  • Depth of zero velocity layer
  • Transpiration and hence soil moisture content and particle cohesion
All aspects of the vegetation are affected by selection of species and control of biomass by practices such as grazing trampling harvesting burning cultivating clearing trafficking fertilising
Climate- rainfall/evapotranspiration regime

- wind strength

- wind direction
  • Soil moisture content and hence particle cohesion
  • Detachment and transport
  • Site exposure

Geology- perviousness of rock or unconsolidated sediments
  • Soil moisture content and hence particle cohesion

Topography- microrelief slope degree and position in landscape
  • Surface wind strength
  • Run-on, site drainage and hence soil moisture content and particle cohesion
Retention or construction of wind-breaks, cloddy cultivation and ridging affect microrelief
Soil- percent stone cover

- size/weight of surface particles/aggregates

- aggregate stability (influenced by factors such as presence ofcarbonates, iron oxides and organic matter, clay mineralogy and biological activity)

- profile permeability, depth and water-holding capacity

- size/weight of surface
  • Surface wind strength
  • Detachment and transport
  • Detachment
  • Soil moisture content and hence particle cohesion and weight or particles/aggregates
Soil disturbances such as trampling
cultivating affect aggregate stability

Any practices affecting biomass alter
the organic matter content of the topsoil
Aldrick, J.M. et. al. (1988). A study of the Land in the Catchment of the Gippsland Lakes. Department of Conservation Forests and Lands, Victoria
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