Using repeated 137Cs and 210Pbex measurements to establish sediment budgets for different time windows and explore the effect of connectivity on soil erosion

Over the last 50 years, different approaches have been employed in order to predict environmental risk due to soil erosion and to propose effective strategies to control erosion and sedimentation. The use of fallout radionuclides, mainly caesium-137 (137Cs) and excess lead-210 (210Pbex), has proved to be a very effective complement to existing traditional methods, especially if a resampling strategy is employed. The resampling approach involves repeating soil sampling and radionuclide measurements within the same site, after a known amount of time (generally 10 to 15 years). This strategy, in the light of the possibility to obtain independent estimates of soil erosion for different periods, makes it possible to establish sediment budgets for different time windows. The use of sediment budgets represents an important tool for providing information on catchment behaviour regarding the relationship between the ...