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Soil erosion and sediment deposition in the Belgian oess belt during the Holocene: establishing a sediment budget for a small agricultural catchment

Physical and Regional Geography Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Redingenstraat 16, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Tom.Rommens{at}geo.kuleuven

Gert Verstraeten

Andreas Lang

Department of Geography, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZTL UK; Fundfor Scientific Research-Flanders, Belgium

Jean Poesen

Gerard Govers

Physical and Regional Geography Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Redingenstraat 16, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium

Anton Van Rompaey

Andreas Lang

Department of Geography, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZTL UK; Fundfor Scientific Research-Flanders, Belgium

Iris Peeters

Physical and Regional Geography Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Redingenstraat 16, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium

A method to establish a Holocene sediment budget for a 103 ha agricultural catchment representative for the Belgian loess belt is presented. Soil erosion and sediment deposition were determined based on 185 coring locations and a large excavation in the valley bottom. Results were integrated in a GIS and interpolation techniques applied to derive spatial patterns of erosion and sedimentation. Total soil erosion, sediment deposition and sediment export were calculated and the results show that volumes are highly dependent on the interpolation technique used. Sediment delivery ratios between 20% and 42% are derived and are consistent with data reported in previous studies. This clearly shows that the majority of the sediments produced during the Holocene have been stored near their source area and have not been delivered to the downstream rivers. The spatial distribution of soil erosion and sediment deposition within the catchment is strongly dependent on slope gradient and position within the catchment, which suggests that, since human impact began, topography has been the main factor determining long-term soil erosion and sedimentation.

Key Words: Historical erosion • agricultural catchment • soil erosion • sediment budget • sediment delivery • loess • Belgium • Holocene

The Holocene, Vol. 15, No. 7, 1032-1043 (2005)
DOI: 10.1191/0959683605hl876ra


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