FAIR-Compliant Database for Soil Erosion Studies: The Marganai Forest Experiment

Area of Science:

• Environmental Science
• Forestry
• Soil Science

Background:

• Forest management practices, particularly coppicing, can alter forest canopy cover.
• Forest canopy plays a critical role in mitigating soil erosion by reducing rainfall impact and runoff velocity.
• Understanding the relationship between forest structure and soil erosion is vital for sustainable land management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify the effect of forest canopy coverage on soil erosion.
• To provide a comprehensive database of measurements from a controlled soil erosion experiment.
• To document reproducible research methods for soil erosion studies.

Main Methods:

• Established eight paired plots with and without forest canopy coverage.
• Simulated intense artificial rainfall to measure sediment transport in runoff.
• Utilized Quarto and RStudio within a Gitlab environment for reproducible research.

Main Results:

• Collected extensive data on sediment transport and runoff under varying canopy conditions.
• Demonstrated the influence of forest canopy on soil erosion rates.
• The database includes detailed experimental setup and measurement information.

Conclusions:

• Forest canopy coverage is a key factor in controlling soil erosion.
• The generated database serves as a valuable resource for researchers in soil science and forestry.
• The study highlights the importance of data accessibility and reusability through relational database design.