Relationships between rock fragment cover and soil hydrological response in a Mediterranean environment

Rock fragments are a key factor for determining erosion rates, particularly in arid and semiarid environments where vegetation cover is very low. However, the effect of rock fragments in non-cultivated bare soils is still not well understood. Currently, there is a need for quantitative information on the effects of rock fragments on hydrological soil processes, in order to improve soil erosion models. The main objective of the present research was to study the influence of rock fragment cover on run-off and interrill soil erosion under simulated rainfall in Mediterranean bare soils in south-western Spain. Thirty-six rainfall simulation experiments were carried out at an intensity of 26.8 mm h⁻¹ over 60 min under three different classes of rock fragment cover (<50%, 50–60% and >60%). Ponding and run-off flow were delayed in soils with high rock fragment cover. In addition, sediment yield and soil erosion rates were higher in soils with a low rock fragment cover. The relationship between soil loss rate and rock fragment cover was described by an exponential function. After this first set of experiments, rock fragments were removed from sites with the highest cover (>60%) and the rainfall simulation experiments were repeated. The steady-state run-off rate and soil loss increased significantly, showing that run-off and soil erosion were partly conditioned by rock fragment cover. These results have significant implications for erosion modelling and soil conservation practices in areas with the same climate and soil characteristics.     

砾石覆盖对土壤水蚀过程影响的研究进展

 土壤中砾石的存在对水蚀过程有着重要的影响,有关砾石特别是表土砾石覆盖对土壤水蚀影响的研究结果表明,表土砾石对溅蚀分散、细沟间及细沟侵蚀等坡面侵蚀过程有重要影响:1)泥沙溅蚀分散量与砾石覆盖度呈负相关关系;2)砾石覆盖与细沟间侵蚀的关系较为复杂,这取决于表土的结构、砾石的位置和大小以及坡度等因素,当砾石嵌入结皮表土时,二者呈负相关关系,当砾石置于表土之上或嵌入具有结构孔隙的表土时,二者呈正相关关系;3)砾石覆盖对细沟间侵蚀产沙的作用效率与砾石粒径呈负相关关系,砾石置于表土之上的表土产沙量总低于砾石嵌入表土的产沙量;4)表土砾石覆盖能抑制细沟的形成,增加细沟糙度,降低细沟径流速率以及径流的侵蚀速率。鉴于砾石对水蚀过程的重要影响,RUSLE、WEPP和EUORSEM等土壤侵蚀模型预报含砾石土壤流失量时对相关参数做了修正。     

Effects of rock fragment cover on soil infiltration, interrill runoff and erosion

Considerable attention has been paid recently to the influence of surface rock fragments on hydrological and erosional processes, although much of this research has been done on disturbed soils under laboratory conditions. I have studied the effects of rock fragments on soil infiltration, runoff and erosion under field conditions using simulated rainfall on bare areas of natural soils within typical Mediterranean scrubland characterized by patchily distributed vegetation. Sample areas were chosen where rock fragments cover more than half the surface within unvegetated patches. Twenty experiments were carried out by applying rain at an intensity of 55 mm h^?1 for 60 minutes. This approach shows that rock fragments (i) retard ponding and surface runoff, and (ii) give greater steady‐state infiltration rates and smaller interrill runoff discharges, sediment concentrations and interrill erosion rates. A second set of six experiments was carried out by applying rainfall at an intensity of 55 mm h^?1 for two runs of 60 minutes. The second run was initiated 10 minutes after the first. During this interval, surface rock fragments were removed in order to measure their effects on infiltration, interrill runoff and erosion rates. In this way, I showed that water and soil losses are reduced by the rock fragments. After the removal of rock fragments the steady‐state infiltration rate diminished from 44.5 to 27.5 mm h^?1 and the runoff coefficient, sediment concentration and erosion rates were, respectively, 3, 33 and 39 times greater than they were before the rock fragments were removed.     

Wetting rate and sodicity effects on interrill erosion from semi-arid Israeli soils

Interrill erosion depends on soil detachment and sediment transport, which are affected by seal formation and runoff. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of wetting rate (WR) on runoff and soil erosion in semi-arid Israeli soils varying in clay content and exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP). Six soils, ranging in clay content between 90 and 680 g kg⁻¹ and ESP between 0.9 and 20, were packed in 0.2 m×0.4 m trays, wetted at 3 WRs (2, 8, or 64 mm h⁻¹), and thereafter exposed to 60 mm of distilled water rain in a laboratory rainfall simulator. Under non-sodic conditions (ESP<2), highest runoff and erosion were obtained from loam (220 g kg⁻¹ clay and 350 g kg⁻¹ silt) which was ascribed to its high susceptibility to seal formation, runoff and detachability. Runoff and erosion increased with an increase in ESP and WR. The effect of WR on runoff and erosion was negligible in loamy sand and generally increased with an increase in clay content. In clay soils (>600 g kg⁻¹ clay), WR played a greater role in determining runoff and erosion compared with raindrop impact. A linear type dependence existed between erosion and runoff for soils with ESP<5 or when slow WR was used. For high ESP soils, or when medium or fast WR were used, an exponential type relation described better the dependence of erosion on runoff. It is suggested that for sodic soils or for conditions favoring aggregate slaking, runoff level and its velocity were high enough to initiate rill erosion that supplemented raindrop detachment in markedly increasing erosion.     

Concentrated flow erosion rates as affected by rock fragment cover and initial soil moisture content

Concentrated flow experiments using a small hydraulic flume and a constant flow discharge and bed slope have been conducted in order to investigate the effects of rock fragment cover (Rc) on sediment yield for an initially wet and an initially air-dry loamy topsoil. The experimental results indicate that Rc reduces concentrated flow erosion rates (E) in an exponential way (i.e., E=e^−bRc), which is similar to previously reported relations for other water erosion processes such as interrill erosion and sheet-rill erosion measured on runoff plots. The decay rate (b) of this exponential relationship increased throughout the experiments because of scour-hole development and bed armouring. The concentrated flow erosion rates and b-values also depend on the initial moisture content of the topsoil. Depending on Rc, mean concentrated flow erosion rates were 20% to 65% less on initially wet compared to initially air-dry topsoils. The mean value for b was 0.032 for the initially wet, but only 0.017 for the initially air-dry topsoil, indicating that a rock fragment cover is less efficient in reducing concentrated flow erosion rates when the topsoil is initially air-dry than when it is initially wet. The results help explain the data scatter in reported relationships between Rc and interrill–rill erosion rates. They also indicate that a given surface rock fragment cover will offer more protection to wet topsoils than to dry topsoils, which are very common in Mediterranean environments. Event-based water erosion models should incorporate effects of antecedent soil moisture content as well as those of Rc on concentrated flow erosion rates.     

Impacts of soil tilth on the effectiveness of biological geotextiles in reducing runoff and interrill erosion

The effectiveness of a surface cover material (e.g. geotextiles, rock fragments, mulches, vegetation) in reducing runoff and soil erosion rates is often only assessed by the fraction of the soil surface covered. However, there are indications that soil structure has important effects on the runoff and erosion-reducing effectiveness of the cover materials. This study investigates the impact of soil pre-treatment (i.e. fine tilth versus sealed soil surface) on the effectiveness of biological geotextiles in increasing infiltration rates and in reducing runoff and interrill erosion rates on a medium and steep slope gradient. Rainfall was simulated during 60 min with an intensity of 67 mm h⁻¹ on an interrill erosion plot having two slope gradients (i.e. 15 and 45%) and filled with an erodible sandy loam. Five biological and three simulated geotextiles with different cover percentage were tested on two simulated initial soil conditions (i.e. fine tilth and sealed soil surface). Final infiltration rates on a sealed soil surface (7.5–18.5 mm h⁻¹) are observed after ca. 10 min of rainfall compared to ca. 50 min of rainfall on an initial seedbed (16.4–56.7 mm h⁻¹). On the two tested slope gradients, significantly (α = 0.05) smaller runoff coefficients (RC) are observed on an initial seedbed (8.2% < RC < 59.8%) compared to a sealed soil surface (75.7% < RC < 87.0%). On an initial seedbed, decreasing RC are observed with an increasing simulated geotextile cover. However, on an initial sealed soil surface no significant effect of simulated geotextile cover on RC is observed. On a 15% slope gradient, calculated b-values from the mulch factor equation equalled 0.054 for an initial fine tilth and 0.022 for a sealed soil surface, indicating a higher effectiveness of geotextiles in reducing interrill erosion on a fine tilth compared to a sealed soil surface. Therefore, this study demonstrates the importance of applying geotextiles on the soil surface before the surface tilth is sealed due to rainfall. The effect of soil structure on the effectiveness of a surface cover in reducing runoff and interrill erosion rates, as indicated by the results of this study, needs to be incorporated in soil erosion prediction models.     

Effects of soil rock fragment content on the USLE-K factor estimating and its influencing factors

Rock fragments are an important component of soil, and their presence has a significant impact on soil erosion and sediment yield. In this paper, the effects of rock fragments in the topsoil profile (RFP) and rock fragments on the soil surface (RFS) on the soil erodibility factor (K) were assessed at a global scale. The spatial pattern of the relationship between stoniness and erodibility (R_S-K) and its predominant factors were explored through correlation analysis, pattern analysis, and random forest model analysis. The results were as followings: (1) The existence of RFP increased K by 2.84%. The RFS of the mountain land and desert/Gobi reduced K by 18.7%; therefore, once the RFP and RFS were taken into account in the calculation, K was 6.98% lower. (2) The predominant factors of the effect of RFS and the joint effect of RFP and RFS were elevation and slope gradient. The predominant factors of the effect of RFP were annual average precipitation and annual average temperature. (3) In assessing and mapping soil erosion in large regions, special attention should be given to areas with large rock fragment contents, a relatively high altitude, and the presence of steep slope. If rock fragments were not taken into consideration, the mapping results of soil erosion may be biased. This article made the calculation of K more complete and accurate, thereby improving the accuracy of regional soil erosion estimation. This research was of significance for the investigation of global hydrological effects and simulation of the global soil carbon budget.     

不同碎石含量的土壤降雨入渗和产沙过程初步研究

碎石的存在改变了均质土壤的某些物理特性，降雨入渗和侵蚀产沙过程也因此受到影响，获取相关知识有助于模拟和预测土石混合介质中发生的水土过程。试验在模拟降雨条件下，对4种不同碎石含量(质量含量分别为0%，10%，20%和30%)的土壤入渗和产沙过程进行了室内研究。结果表明，碎石含量为10%时，土壤入渗率最大，当碎石含量超过10%时，入渗率反而降低；4种不同碎石含量的土壤侵蚀产沙高峰期均出现在降雨初期0～20 min，此后土壤侵蚀产沙相对稳定且在不同碎石含量的土壤间差别不大；降雨过程中，10%碎石含量的土壤侵蚀含沙率一直保持稳定较低水平，其他碎石含量的土壤侵蚀含沙率起初很高并在0～10 min内急剧下降，此后与10%碎石含量的土壤侵蚀含沙率接近。     

Structural dynamics of a vegetative soil cover for waste rock dumps

Abstract

Most waste rock dumps of Uranium mining in the Eastern German Ore Mountains near Schlema site are covered with an 80 cm compacted loam sublayer and a vegetated 20 cm top layer by mixing of compost and mineral soil (vol. 50%/vol. 50%). The cover is quite fertile and leads to a considerable reduction of water infiltration into the heaps. However, soil forming processes alter the physical properties of the cover affecting soil hydrology, stability and growth conditions. Within 6 years after placement self-compaction increased dry bulk density of the top soil (10 – 20 cm depth) from 1.15 – 1.35 g cm^?3. As a consequence, the air filled macropores decreased from >20 vol.-% to 8 vol.-%, whereas the water storing medium pores increased by 9 vol.-%. In contrast, dry bulk density of the pre-compacted mineral sublayer remained unchanged at 1.72 g cm^?3. Nevertheless, even in 30 – 60 cm depth, a significant increase in plant available water-holding capacity occurred. Initial soil dynamics are likely to improve the hydrological efficency and stability of the cover system. On the other hand, there is already some evidence for structural cracks and preferential water flow, which counteract the positive effects of self-consolidation and therefore requires further research.     

砾石对土壤水分入渗(扩散）的影响研究

砾石(>2 mm的碎石)广泛存在于世界的部分土壤中。近几年来,随着山地土壤的开发与利用,砾石对土壤物理和侵蚀过程的影响研究受到广泛重视。不同砾石具有不同持水性,砾石含量、大小和形状以及存在位置对土壤入渗有不同影响。     

红壤裸露坡地次降雨土壤侵蚀规律

揭示红壤裸露坡地次降雨土壤侵蚀规律可为红壤坡地水土流失防治和水土保持效益评价提供科学依据。该文基于典型红壤区裸露坡地试验小区134场次降雨气象、水文观测资料,选取雨量、历时和雨强为特征指标,综合采用快速聚类和判别聚类,划分确定出3种雨型:A雨型(高频次、短历时、小雨量、大雨强),B雨型(中频次、中历时、中雨量、中雨强)和C雨型(低频次、长历时、大雨量、小雨强)。其中,A雨型是造成红壤裸露坡地土壤侵蚀的主要降雨类型。通过Pearson相关分析和Mann-Kendall检验表明,红壤裸露坡地土壤侵蚀主要受雨强和雨量共同影响,雨强的指标中以最大30 min雨强与其关系最为密切,是导致土壤侵蚀变化的直接因素,雨量则通过改变雨强产生一定的间接影响。土壤侵蚀强度随最大30 min雨强增大过程中,在15 mm/h处存在明显转折,最大30 min雨强小于该值前,侵蚀强度呈缓慢增大,大于该值后,侵蚀强度快速增大。土壤侵蚀与雨量整体呈同步增大,但不同雨型的单位雨量侵蚀能力表现为A雨型B雨型C雨型。在排除前期降雨影响的前提下,利用数理统计方法建立了南方红壤裸露坡地次降雨土壤侵蚀强度与雨量和最大30 min雨强的幂函数统计关系,用于3类雨型下的侵蚀预报时整体精度较好,且更适于短历时暴雨。以上研究将为深入揭示红壤坡地土壤侵蚀规律和构建预报模型提供有益参考。     

Effect of vegetation cover on soil erosion in a mountainous watershed

We applied the Revised Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) to assess levels of soil loss in a Geographic Information System (GIS). In this study, we used the k-NN technique to estimate vegetation cover by integrating Landsat ETM+ scenes and field data with optimal parameters. We evaluated the root mean square errors and significance of biases at the pixel level in order to determine the optimal parameters. The accuracy of vegetation cover estimation by the k-NN technique was compared to that predicted by a regression function using Landsat ETM+ bands and field measurements as well as to that predicted by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). We used a regression equation to calculate the cover management (C) factor of the RUSLE from vegetation cover data. On the basis of the quantitative model of soil erosion, we explored the relationship between soil loss and its influencing factors, and identified areas at high erosion risk. The results showed that the k-NN method can predict vegetation cover more accurately for image pixels at the landscape level than can the other two methods examined in this study. Of those factors, the C-factor is one of the most important affecting soil erosion in the region. Scenarios with different vegetation cover on high-risk areas showed that greater vegetation cover can considerably reduce the loss of soil erosion. The k-NN technique provides a new method to estimate the C-factor for RUSLE erosion mapping. The quantitative model of different vegetation cover scenarios provides information on how vegetation restoration could reduce erosion.     

Effect of ground‐cover type on surface runoff and subsequent soil erosion in Champagne vineyards in France

This study was conducted in Champagne vineyards in France, and the objectives were to compare the main cultivation practices in Champagne vineyards and to specify the conditions required for the optimum effect of inter‐row grass cover on runoff and erosion in experimental plots of 0.25 m² under simulated rainfall. Three types of ground cover were studied. In the bark‐and‐vine‐prunings plots, the runoff coefficient (RC) ranged from 1.3 to 4.0% and soil losses were <1 g/m²/h. In the bare soil (BS) plot, the highest RC of the study was found (80.0%) and soil losses reached 7.4 g/m²/h. In the grass cover plots, the RC and amount of eroded soil were highly variable: the RCs ranged from 0.4 to 77.0%, and soil losses were between less than 1 and 13.4 g/m²/h. Soil type, soil moisture, slope and agricultural practices did not account for the variability. In fact, the density of grass cover in the wheel tracks explained a portion of this variability. The lack of grass in the centre of the inter‐row allowed for a preferential flow and created an erosion line in the wheel tracks where the soil was compacted. This study showed that grass cover in a vineyard was not necessarily sufficient to reduce surface runoff and prevent soil erosion. To be effective, the grass cover must be dense enough in the wheel tracks of agricultural machinery to avoid RCs close to the RC achieved with BS.     

Heterogeneity in soil hydrological response from different land cover types in southern Spain

This paper reports results from the analysis of the soil hydrological response to simulated rainfall in a cork oak forest in Los Alcornocales Natural Park (SW Spain). Four different soil/vegetation units were selected for the field experiments: [1] cork oak woodland, [2] heathland, [3] grassland, and [4] cork oak/olive tree mixed forest. Rainfall simulations tests were performed on circular plots of 1256.6 cm² at an intensity of 56.5 mm h^− 1 for 30 min.Marked differences in the hydrological behavior of the studied vegetation types were observed after the rainfall simulations. The soils under woodland showed low runoff rates and coefficients. The highest runoff rates were measured on the heath and grass-covered parts of the hillslope. Water repellency of the soil, measured from water drop penetration tests, reduced infiltration (especially under the heathland), and seems to be the cause of fast ponding and runoff generation during the first stages of rainstorms.The mosaic of different patterns of hydrological response to rainfall, such as runoff generation or infiltration, is governed by the spatial distribution of vegetation and its influence on the soil surface.     

石漠化区薄土层坡地雨水转化及土壤侵蚀影响因素分析

为了探究影响喀斯特坡地雨水转化及土壤侵蚀的影响因素,该研究采用人工模拟降雨方法,降雨强度选取50、75和100 mm/h,降雨次数为相同降雨强度下的连续3次降雨,坡度为5°、15°和25°,坡地包括地下基岩具有裂隙的地下裂隙坡地和地下基岩无裂隙的无地下裂隙坡地,研究了不同降雨强度、降雨次数和坡度下喀斯特坡地地表-地下的径流和土壤侵蚀变化。结果表明：1）两种坡地的地表径流率随降雨强度、降雨次数和坡度的增加而增加;壤中流率随降雨强度和坡度的变化也呈相同的趋势,但随降雨次数增加,两种坡地的壤中流率减少;岩土界面流率和地下裂隙流率随坡度和降雨次数增加而减少,随降雨强度增加先增大后减小。2）在降雨强度（50和75 mm/h）、降雨次数（第1场）和坡度（5°和15°）较小时,坡地径流以岩土界面流和地下裂隙流为主,分别占总雨水的24%～39%和28%～51%;随着影响因素增强,两坡地径流转变为以地表径流为主,分别占总雨水的30%～50%和25%～43%。3）降雨强度和坡度是驱动两个坡地地表土壤侵蚀的主要驱动力（P<0.01）,但降雨强度、降雨次数和坡度对两坡地地下土壤侵蚀的影响较小（R2<0.3,P>0.05）;总体上,无地下裂隙坡地和地下裂隙坡地土壤侵蚀以地表土壤侵蚀为主,分别占总侵蚀量的54%～97%和39%～96%;以岩土界面侵蚀或地下裂隙侵蚀为辅,分别占总侵蚀量的1%～45%和2%～60%。研究结果可为理解识别喀斯特坡地雨水转化和土壤侵蚀驱动因素以及喀斯特石漠化防治提供参考。     

Nutrient losses by surface run-off from soils with winter cover crops and spring-ploughed soils in the south of Sweden

Winter cover crops are used as a method of reducing nitrogen (N) losses from arable land in several countries, but their effect on phosphorus (P) losses is poorly documented. Run-off and losses of nutrients and soil were measured from a clay loam with autumn-ploughed and spring-ploughed plots and from plots with winter wheat during three winter seasons (1993–1996) in Holland County in south western Sweden. The run-off water was collected in troughs dug into the soil at the end of collecting slopes placed in the experimental plots. As a result of the weather, there was only one winter in which surface run-off occurred to any great extent. On average, 75% of P was in particulate form (P_part). Neither winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) nor catch crops of English ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) reduced losses of P_part when compared with losses from autumn-ploughed soil; and losses from spring-ploughed soil containing stubble and weeds were no lower than those from autumn-ploughed soil. Losses of P_part from all treatments were moderate considering its low bio-availability. Concentrations of phosphate phosphorus (PO₄-P) were low, with a mean 0.04 mg 1⁻¹. Despite a significant increase in losses of PO₄-P from spring-ploughed soil covered with stubble and catch crops or weeds compared with that in autumn-ploughed soil, the extra input from this P source was at most 2 g ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. This mass loss was equal to 0.5 g kg⁻¹ of the total mass of P in the vegetation. Thus, only very small extra P surface losses were found with winter cover crops compared with those with bare soils. N losses in run-off were low in all treatments.     

Runoff and soil erosion from areas of burnt scrub: comparison of experimental results with those predicted by the WEPP model

The effects of burning on runoff and soil erosion from scrub-bearing hillslopes in northwest Spain were investigated by monitoring of experimental plots over a 4-year period. At the beginning of this period, two plots (BP1 and BP2) were subjected to low-intensity controlled burns, and two plots left as controls; in the year following the controlled burns, however, one of the control plots (plot WF) was burnt in a wildfire of higher intensity than the controlled burns. Runoff and erosion losses from the BP plots were only slightly higher than from the control plot, with the loss in no case exceeding 300 g m⁻² yr⁻¹. Erosion losses from plot WF were considerably higher (1314 g m⁻² over the 1st year post-burning, 8.5 times higher than from the control plot). These results were compared with those predicted using the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) hillslope model (Version 95.7). In general, WEPP predictions of total runoff volume over the study period were acceptable: coefficients of determination for the regression of predicted on observed values were 0.41, 0.68, 0.66 and 0.57 for the control plot and plots BP1, BP2 and WF, respectively. Erosion losses were likewise predicted with reasonable accuracy, though the model showed a consistent tendency to under-estimate, particularly with plot WF.     

前期土壤含水率对红壤团聚体稳定性及溅蚀的影响

为了探究前期含水率对南方红壤团聚体稳定性及溅蚀的影响,选取泥质页岩和第四纪红黏土发育的4个典型红壤为研究对象,就5个前期含水率(3%、5%、10%、15%、20%)条件下3~5 mm团聚体水稳定性特征及其与溅蚀的关系进行了初步的探讨。结果表明,消散作用是团聚体破碎最有效的机制,土壤前期含水率越大,团聚体破碎程度越小。随着前期含水率的升高,泥质页岩发育的2种红壤水稳性团聚体平均质量直径(MWDwa)显著增大;第四纪红黏土发育的2种红壤水稳性团聚体平均质量直径(MWDwa)先增大后减小,拐点出现在含水率为15%条件下。泥质页岩发育2种红壤溅蚀量随前期含水率的升高显著减小;第四纪红黏土发育2种红壤溅蚀量随前期含水率的升高呈现先减小后增大的趋势,在含水率为15%时达到最小。团聚体水稳性较高的土样,溅蚀粒径分布呈双峰曲线分布,主要分布1~0.5和0.05 mm范围内,且前期含水率越高,0.05 mm溅蚀颗粒含量越大;而团聚体水稳定性较差的土样,除前期含水率为20%外,溅蚀粒径分布呈单峰曲线分布,主要分布在0.25~1mm。该结果为红壤区农业水土工程及机侵蚀机理研究提供一定的参考,对完善坡面水蚀模型具有一定的参考价值。     

降雨侵蚀因子和植被类型及覆盖度对坡耕地土壤侵蚀的影响

为探讨降雨和植被对辽西褐土区农耕坡地土壤侵蚀的影响,2006-2010年采用坡面径流小区观测法研究了天然降雨条件下降雨侵蚀因子、植被覆盖度、植被类型对坡耕地地表径流量、土壤侵蚀量的影响。设5°和10°两个坡度水平,以甘薯和谷子为供试作物,2006-2007年对照区为天然荒草地,2008-2010年为裸坡地。结果表明,甘薯地径流量和侵蚀量与降雨量(R)、最大30 min雨强(I_(30))、R×I(平均雨强)、R×I_(30)正相关显著(P0.05);裸坡地径流量与R、R×I_(30)正相关显著(P0.05),侵蚀量与I_(30)、R×I_(30)正相关显著(P0.05),与降雨量相关不显著(P0.05)。甘薯地和裸坡地的径流量和侵蚀量与平均降雨强度正相关均不显著(P0.05)。回归分析表明,降雨量主要影响径流量,最大30 min雨强主要影响侵蚀量。中、高雨强下,侵蚀量与径流量显著正相关(P0.01)。甘薯地径流量和侵蚀量与植被覆盖度呈显著负指数关系(P0.05)。5°坡耕地,不同植被类型侵蚀量为甘薯地荒草地谷子地;10°坡耕地,荒草地侵蚀量总体最少。多元回归分析表明,对土壤侵蚀的影响为地表径流降雨侵蚀力(R×I_(30))植被覆盖度。通过连续5 a坡面径流小区观测,初步探明降雨和植被对辽西褐土区农耕坡地土壤侵蚀的影响,可为该区坡耕地土壤侵蚀的有效防治提供一定的理论依据和技术支撑。     

Measurement and prediction of nitrogen loss by simulated erosion events on cultivated forest soils of contrasting structure

The objectives of this study were to determine nitrogen (N) loss associated with erosion of forest soils and to explore the role of soil structure and other factors governing N enrichment of sediment to aid prediction of N loss. We measured erosion, size distribution of aggregates in the sediment and N distribution in various aggregate fractions using simulated rainfall on samples of three cultivated forest soils of contrasting structure (repacked in trays) exposed to four erosion conditions. Both sediment loss and N loss increased with slope and kinetic energy of rainfall suggesting greater dependency of N loss on sediment loss than on N concentration in the sediment. Irrespective of erosion treatments and soil type, the bulk sediment and its size fractions were mostly richer in N than those of the uneroded soils. The enrichment ratio (E_R) and concentration ratio (C_R) of N for sediment cast some doubt on the application of raindrop stripping as a mechanism of N enrichment of sediment for soils of widely differing characteristics. Previously published models of N enrichment of sediment did not predict E_R for our soils satisfactorily. However, an empirical model using published data on erosion and N loss agreed well with the results. This predictive method only requires information on sediment loss that can be easily obtained from an erosion model.