Land degradation due to soil erosion presents a major challenge for sustainable development. We investigated run-off and sediment yield (SY) dynamics in the northwestern highlands of Ethiopia. The study area included 14 zero-order catchments with a surface area ranging from 324 to 1715 m². V-notch weirs produced from plastic jars were introduced as measuring alternatives that met local constraints. Run-off (RO) depth at the weir was registered manually at 5-min intervals during two rainy seasons in 2018 and 2019, and a total of 618 events were monitored. Rainfall was measured using tipping-bucket rain gauges. RO samples were collected in 1-L bottles, and suspended sediment concentration was determined. The mean event RO coefficient ranged from 3% for forests to 56% for badlands. Similarly, the mean annual SY was lowest for forests (0.8 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹) and highest for badlands (43.4 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹), with significant differences among land-use types (14.8 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in cropland, 5.7 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in grazing land, and 2.9 Mg ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in plantations). Soil organic matter (SOM) reduced RO and SY, necessitating the consideration of agronomic and land management practices that enhance SOM. Annual SY decreased exponentially with the rock fragment cover (RFC). In fields where RFC was less than 20%, collecting rock fragments for installing stone bunds resulted in a net increase in SY. Rehabilitating badlands and enhancing SOM content in croplands can substantially reduce catchment SY and hence contribute to the sustainability of land uses in the subhumid highlands.

中文翻译：

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埃塞俄比亚青尼罗河半湿润源头基于事件的径流和泥沙产量动态和控制

土壤侵蚀引起的土地退化是可持续发展面临的重大挑战。我们调查了埃塞俄比亚西北部高地的径流和产沙量 (SY) 动态。研究区包括 14 个零级流域，表面积从 324 到 1715 m ². 引入了由塑料罐制成的 V 型槽堰作为满足当地限制的测量替代方案。在 2018 年和 2019 年的两个雨季，每隔 5 分钟手动记录一次堰的径流 (RO) 深度，共监测了 618 个事件。降雨量是使用翻斗式雨量计测量的。RO 样品收集在 1 L 瓶中，并测定悬浮沉淀物浓度。平均事件 RO 系数从森林的 3% 到荒地的 56% 不等。同样，森林的年平均 SY 最低（0.8 Mg ha ^-1  yr ^-1），荒地最高（43.4 Mg ha ^-1  yr ^-1），土地利用类型之间存在显着差异（14.8 Mg ha ^-1  yr ^-1在农田，5.7 Mg ha ^-1  yr ^-1在牧场，2.9 Mg ha ^-1  yr ^-1在种植园）。土壤有机质 (SOM) 降低了 RO 和 SY，因此有必要考虑提高 SOM 的农艺和土地管理实践。年 SY 随岩石碎片覆盖率 (RFC) 呈指数下降。在 RFC 低于 20% 的领域，收集岩石碎片用于安装石堤导致 SY 净增加。修复荒地和提高农田中的 SOM 含量可以大大减少流域 SY，从而有助于半湿润高地土地利用的可持续性。