Promoted erosion and controlled colluviation: A proposal concerning land management and landscape evolution

The upper limit of colluvial sections constitutes a marked dynamic discontinuity on slopes as is made clear by the discussion of a colluviation model. But in general little is known about the nature of processes and interactions which govern the transition between the eroded slope section and colluvial land systems. The principle of controlled colluviation, an eventual strategy for land and water management in some areas with heavily eroded soils, is explained. It is illustrated by an example from the northern Negev desert. It is argued that soil erosion can have positive effects, at least in some arid areas, and that trapping water and sediment might be an alternative for inefficient erosion control on upper slope sections.