Compound-Specific Stable Isotopes For The Estimation Of Soil Redistribution By Erosive Events

Soil biodiversity is wide and its ecological function is necessary for the ecosystem services it provides. Several anthropogenic activities contribute to the loss of this resource's fertility and speed up its erosion. As a consequence of ground movement, polluting particles are dragged to sites of deposition (mixtures), generating environmental and socio-economic consequences associated with sediment accumulation. Being aware of erosion sources and sites of deposition will contribute to take appropriate soil conservation measures. The objective of this essay was to carry out a critical analysis of the current knowledge about the compound-specific stable isotopes (CSSI) technique, its basis, and how they compare with other technologies. Therefore, this essay includes the current state of soil erosion and deposition studies, as well as their application to the identification of deposition soils in certain sites, analyzing the isotopic signature (delta C-13) of very long-chain fatty acids (22 or more carbon atoms). These fatty acids ideally come from the vegetation and the soil in which it grows. Finally, the mixture models used-as well as a set of other quantitative techniques-were analyzed to determine the soil ratio of each source from the deposition zone. The authors hope that this text will contribute to the understanding of the current soil redistribution problem resulting from erosion, as well as of the basis, function, and application of the CSSI technique for the identification of erosion sources, thus helping to prevent this problem through the appropriate implementation of soil conservation measures.