Project description DEENESFRITPL A closer look at soil degradation in semi-arid regions In semi-arid regions, the degradation of soil resources threatens food, water, and livelihood security. The lack of comprehensive understanding regarding geomorphological responses to extreme events hinders efforts to attribute soil erosion dynamics to environmental drivers. The MSCA-funded AsFoRESEEN project aims to study geomorphological responses in the Burdekin (Australia) and Makuyuni (Tanzania) catchments. Focused on understanding soil erosion dynamics during extreme events, it will test the hypothesis that such events trigger regime shifts toward highly connected gully networks. With high-frequency sensors and sediment dating techniques, AsFoRESEEN will quantify temporal dynamics in fine sediment and phosphorous transport. By exploring secondary weathered metal species as tracers, it offers a novel approach to attributing gully erosion contributions. Show the project objective Hide the project objective Objective Soil resources in semi-arid regions are rapidly degrading, posing an imminent threat to food, water and livelihood security. Caveats in our understanding of geomorphological responses to extreme events are a major hindrance for attributing soil erosion and sediment flux dynamics to environmental drivers. Using the Burdekin and Makuyuni catchments as natural laboratories for semi-arid regions, the AsFoRESEEN project will assess feedback dynamics in soil erosion through the lens of variable sediment connectivity to test the hypothesis that extreme events can trigger regime shifts towards highly connected ephemeral gully networks. The proposed knowledge transfer strategies will bring the researcher’s scientific and analytical skills to the international standard, underpinning his ambition to combine academic and consultancy work within a leading European research institution. The researcher's unique skillset will be applied to develop novel approaches and integrate them with established techniques in an open-access diagnostic toolkit to support targeted soil- and water management interventions. Temporal dynamics in fine sediment and Phosphorous transport will be quantified using high-frequency sensors and sediment dating techniques. We will be the first to evaluate the use of secondary weathered metal species as tracers, providing a new pathway for attributing the contribution of gully erosion in deeply weathered or alluvials soils. Stream monitoring and sediment source tracing outputs will be integrated in a dynamic sediment budget to elucidate non-linear geomorphological responses to extreme events and land use changes. As a source of innovation, we will couple a machine-learning gully quantification tool with a dynamic catchment model, wherein gullies are both a direct source of sediment and a driver of changing sediment connectivity. The hybrid model will be used to test the efficacy of gully remediation strategies under current and future climatic conditions. Fields of science engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensorsengineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringnatural resources managementwater management Keywords Gully remediation fluvial geomorphology regime shifts water quality high-frequency sensors sediment tracing machine-learning hydrochemical catchment models Great Barrier Reef Lake Manyara Programme(s) HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Main Programme Topic(s) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01-01 - MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships 2022 Call for proposal HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-GF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - Global Fellowships Coordinator UNIVERSITEIT GENT Net EU contribution € 288 737,28 Address SINT PIETERSNIEUWSTRAAT 25 9000 Gent Belgium See on map Region Vlaams Gewest Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen Arr. Gent Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost No data Partners (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all GRIFFITH UNIVERSITY Australia Net EU contribution € 0,00 Address KESSELS ROAD NATHAN 4111 Brisbane See on map Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost No data