Wind erosion and its impact on soil carbon and moisture scarcity

This review discusses the duststorm-related soil erosion and its impact on soil carbon losses and moisture scarcity in northern China. Heavily affected areas show a loss of nutrients, organic carbon and field water capacity of soils. Compared with nondegraded soil, the carbon content in degraded soils has declined by 66 percent, and field water capacity by about 50 percent. Field studies suggest that soil losses by wind erosion can be reduced by up to 79 percent when farmers change from conventional tillage methods to no till. Thus, shifting to no-till or reduced-tillage systems is an effective practice for protecting soil and soil nutrients. Our study indicates that soil conservation measures along with improved soil fertility management measures should be promoted in dryland farming areas of northern China.