Soil Erodibility

The gross splash erosion losses were very high in Yamamoto et al (1973) experiments, as could be expected because of the intensity and large drop size of the simulated rainfall. But relative differences in resistance to gross splash erosion were evident from the wide range of losses of about 1 to over 14 kg/sq.m. Losses exceeding 5.6 kg/sq.m Yamamoto et al. arbitrarily classed as high, and those below this value classed as low.

The great soil groups yield no universal statement regarding susceptibility to splash erosion. Interactions with geology and vegetation produced wide variability. The wide splash loss variation of humic ferruginous latosols (group F) was expected. Members of this group represented a serious erosion hazard (Cline, 1955). These soils were also known to develop unstable granular structure during periods of drought (Sherman, 1955). In general, humic latosols (groups B and E) had the narrowest range of low losses of all the soil types tested. The other soil types that were tested had a wide range of high and low losses.