Quantitativo Evaluation of Wind Erosion in Extreme Wind Scenarios. Case Study: Mendoza, Argentina

Abstract

Wind has a significant influence on agricultural ecosystems, contributing to both beneficial processes, such as pollination and seed dispersal, and adverse effects, including physical damage to crops, desiccation, disease propagation, and wind erosion with soil nutrient loss. In the province of Mendoza, in western Argentina, vineyards are grown on sandy loam soils in a predominantly arid climate. These conditions, combined with the presence of intense winds such as the "Zonda wind"—a warm, dry current descending from the Andes Mountains—generate a high susceptibility to wind erosion. This phenomenon represents a significant challenge for soil conservation and the sustainability of local viticultural production. This study quantified wind erosion in Mendoza vineyards using two complementary approaches: laboratory-scale experimental tests in a wind tunnel, in contrast with empirical estimations using the USDA Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ). According to the annual estimation of the Wind Erosion Equation (WEQ), soil loss was 195 t/ha·year. In contrast, wind tunnel tests at 12.5 m/s (without forest barriers) recorded 504 t/ha·year, which is 2.58 times the WEQ estimate (+158%). The latter is equivalent to an instantaneous rate of 3.6 kg/m²·h, calculated for a frequency of 14 hours per year of extreme wind. The difference indicates that empirical models, such as the WEQ, tend to underestimate erosion during critical events, whereas tunnel tests enable the evaluation of the actual magnitude of soil loss. In this context, the high vulnerability of Mendoza vineyards to wind erosion is highlighted, and the need to implement mitigation strategies that contribute to soil conservation and the sustainability of viticultural production is reinforced.