Soil crusting impact on soil organic carbon losses by water erosion
The Sahelian region, characterized by erratic, heavy rainfalls and low soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks, is highly vulnerable to land degradation. While water erosion is recognized as being a main mechanism of SOC losses, little research has yet been done to investigate the role which soil surface crusting might have on SOC losses. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of soil surface crusting on SOC losses. This study was conducted in Tougou Catchment (37km²), northwest of Burkina Faso, which receives a cumulative mean annual rainfall of 500mmy⁻¹.