The monitoring of soil surface development using analytical photogrammetry

The importance of soil surface microrelief has been identified in the literature of soil erosion. However, studies of soil microrelief have often ignored photogrammetry as a means of obtaining soil surface data. This paper recognizes the validity of analytical photogrammetry to quantify height changes at the experimental plot scale (≤1 m2). Additionally, however, analytical photogrammetry enables the recording of non-morphological information (including soil aggregates and rock fragments) so that the impact of such features upon the evolution of soil surfaces may be considered. The two forms of information may then be integrated within a geographical information system to relate the effects of such features upon soil surface height changes.