Bibliography - John Boardman
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Soil erosion at Albourne, West Sussex, England, by John Boardman, published October 1983 in Applied Geography (vol. 3, no. 4, article, pp.317-329, ISSN: 01436228)   View Online

Few measurements of the rate of soil erosion from agricultural land in Britain have been published. Loamy soils in England may be particularly vulnerable to erosion. Thus, in a field of strawberries near Albourne at least 181 t ha -1 of fine loamy soil was eroded in a 9-month period; this is almost 100 times greater than a suggested 'acceptable' figure. Factors which have induced erosion at Albourne are: the removal of field boundaries; the choice of crop which left the ground bare for a prolonged period ; and the working of the land downslope. Other factors contributing to erosion are the low clay and organic matter content of the soil. The soil slakes and the resultant crust reduces the rate of infiltration of rainfall into the soil and this produces overland flow. Large amounts of rainfall are not necessary to cause erosion. Erosion in the Albourne area is probably a relatively recent phenomenon brought about by changes in land use.

Soil erosion, climatic vagary and agricultural change on the Downs around Lewes and Brighton, autumn 1982, by J. Boardman and D. A. Robinson, published July 1985 in Applied Geography (vol. 5, no. 3, article, pp.243-258, ISSN: 01436228)   View Online

Farmland on the Downs between Lewes and Brighton suffered severe erosion during the autumn of 1982. The erosion was widespread and affected a variety of topographic situations, but it was confined to areas of arable land and recently-sown grass leys. Erosion on the scale recorded during the autumn of 1982 has never previously been recorded from this area. Three major sites of erosion are described and explanations for the erosion are sought through an analysis of rainfall conditions experienced during autumn 1982 and in recent changes in agricultural land use on the Downs. It is concluded that, whilst total rainfall and the intensity of rainstorms were both unusually high, similar events are likely to recur several times a century. Evidence is presented which suggests that the ploughing up of permanent pasture, the removal of field boundaries and the increased adoption of autumn-sown cereals have all contributed to the onset of severe erosion. It appears that a major re-activation of erosion on the Downs may be commencing which threatens the long-term viability of farming in the area.

Damage to Property by Runoff from Agricultural Land, South Downs, Southern England, 1976-93, by John Boardman, published July 1995 in The Geographical Journal (vol. 161, no. 2, article, pp.177-191)   View Online

Storms, floods and soil erosion on the South Downs, East Sussex, Autumn and Winter 2000-01, by John Boardman, published October 2001 in Geography (vol. 86, no. 4, article, pp.346-355, Geographical Association)   View Online