Manure Phosphorus and Surface Water Protection III: Transport Factors Glossary

'critical source area' concept

The risk is greatest when both the source and transport factors are high. 

adsorption

The process by which P is taken from the soil solution of soil atmosphere and retained on soil particle surfaces by chemical and physical binding.

buffer strips

Vegetated areas designed to allow runoff to pass through the strips for filtration, sedimentation and adsorption of nutrients.

gully erosion

Gully erosion, including ephemeral gully erosion, is the cutting of narrow channels resulting from concentration of sheet and rill flow of runoff water.  Ephemeral gullies are small channels of approximately 3"-12” deep. Gullies may be one to several feet deep

rill erosion

The erosion process which causes the formation of numerous small channels of less than to two to three inches deep.

sheet erosion

The removal of a relatively uniform thin layer of soil for the land surface by unchanneled runoff, or sheet flow.